A woman who appeared on Blind Date in 2002 has lifted the lid on her experience and how she managed to appear on the iconic dating show.
Katy Moore, from Manchester, appeared on the celebrity Christmas episode but didn’t manage to secure a date with Big Brother winner, Alex Sibley.
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Katy recalled what she had to do during the audition, as well as spilling how long it took to film her episode.
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, former contestant Katy Moore said:
What was the audition process like?
It was actually a bit embarrassing. We were told to do things completely out of our comfort zone. For example, we had to pretend that there was someone at the bar and we fancied them. Then we had to go up to them and start dancing with them. It was all quite off the cuff, which I’m guessing would be to draw the audiences in.
How long did it take you to film your episode?
All day. So we arrived in London in the morning and you weren't allowed to see anybody. Our phones were taken off us and we couldn’t contact anybody. It was the celebrity version I was on, but they didn’t tell us until right before filming started. The lights were also hot in the studio so my mascara and makeup was all running. It took ages.
Who were the celebrities on your episode?
Alex Sibley, who was the first winner of Big Brother. So it was him and Tara Palmer Tompkinson. When he started speaking, that was the first time we heard the guy and I first thought it was David Beckham, because they've got the same voice. It was amazing. We all got to meet each other afterwards. [Text Wrapping Break]
What was your reaction when you weren’t chosen as a date by Alex?
I was mortified and then stood in the wings was Tara Palmer Tomkinson. So we watched the whole show together. I ended up having a good laugh with her because I got to stand with her for the rest of the show. I was just hoping to propel myself and it was something for the memory bank.
Were you allowed to wear what you wanted?
So we could go wear whatever we wanted as long as it was approved by the wardrobe department. They wanted it either really glamorous black sequin or bright red, and they wanted to make sure we're all in a different outfit.
Was much edited out of your episode in the final cut?
A lot was edited out. The whole conversation with Cilla when I was dumped first was never shown. I was chatting to Alex and all that was completely edited out.
Have you stayed in contact with any of the girls that were on your show or not really?
No, I did for a while, but again, because we didn't have the social media that we have now.
Would the show work in 2026 if it was brought back for a revival?
Why not? People struggle now to meet people, don't they? I think the days of maybe dating online and using apps have gone. You don't go to a pub anymore to meet anyone. You don't really meet in the gym. I guess the TV programmes work. I mean, look at Love Island.
If it did return, who should host it and why?
Probably Rylan. He would be fantastic actually, because he's so warm as well, because you've really got to trust the people you're working with. You've got to trust that they've got your back and they're not going to embarrass you. And you've got to feel comfortable around them and comfortable enough to talk to them like friends.
How would you sum up your Blind Date experience?
Crazy. Honestly, it was 48 hours of just crazy being treated like royalty. From arriving in black car, to being ushered into the studio so no one could see you. We didn't know it was a celebrity version right until the last minute.
