First Dates new series confirmed at new Manchester restaurant

First Dates has been confirmed for a brand new series at a brand new restaurant.

30 new episodes of the BAFTA winning series have been confirmed by Channel 4.

Series 16 will film in a new restaurant in Manchester and be produced in Bristol.

Managing Director and Head of programme makers Twenty Twenty Leanne Klein said: “We are very excited to be taking our flagship dating series to the regions. We have already begun tapping into the fantastic local talent pool in Bristol from where we are putting together our new team of casters and date editors.

“And with the move of the First Dates restaurant we will have the chance to expose our daters to a brand new experience with a few exciting new tweaks to the much loved format.”

Danny Horan, Head of Factual, Channel 4, continued: “This move is so great for Channel 4 Bristol and Manchester. We are thrilled to be investing in new diverse talent with Twenty Twenty. This is just one part of Factual’s commitment to expand out of London at scale.”

Madonna Benjamin, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4, added: “We can’t wait to work with Twenty Twenty to continue building on the success of First Dates. The new restaurant location and regional production base provide exciting opportunities for the series.”

First Dates first aired in 2013, winning a string of awards and nominations and launching local versions in over 20 territories around the world.

Maître d’ Fred Sirieix and his team have helped match up hundreds of couples in that time, leading to a host of engagements, marriages and even a baby.

A spin off, First Dates Hotel, was launched in 2017, seeing daters travel to luxurious hotels in France and Italy in the hope of finding their soulmate.

You can watch episodes First Dates episodes from past series online now via the Al4l player.