1 in 3 Brits remain single as First Dates continues casting

17 November 2014

 

According to the latest census, more than 17 million British adults are single - the equivalent to 1 in 3 in the UK. In five British cities (Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, Nottingham and Brighton & Hove) more than half have seemingly not yet found lasting love.

Channel 4’s fly-on-the wall dating series First Dates is looking for some of these singles from around the UK to appear in the next series of the programme.

The third series will once again show a string of daters as they meet for the first time in London’s First Dates restaurant.

This year’s series saw men and women from all walks of life experience the thrills of a first date, and next time the programme will include even more brave daters hoping to meet their match.

Nicola Lloyd, Series Editor from First Dates comments “Finding someone special to share your life with is a quest shared by millions of people in 21st century Britain. We have embarked on a nationwide search to pair-up some of the UK’s singletons in a unique dating experience. Everyone deserves a shot at love, and the road to romance starts with that pivotal first encounter.”

“The First Dates team match single people on their likes and dislikes, and bring them together in our extra-special restaurant in the heart of London. If selected, daters will get a trip to London for their all-important meeting with their match in the First Dates restaurant. Fingers crossed, it could lead to a long-lasting romance.”

Single people aged 16 or over can apply for Series 3 at channel4.com/firstdates. First Dates returns in 2015.

ENDS

UK’s top 25 single cities

Rank	City/Town	% Single	Number of single people
1	Manchester	54.9	222,585
2	Oxford	53.8	68,206
3	Cambridge	52.6	55,781
4	Nottingham	51.3	128,363
5	Brighton and Hove	50.1	114,826
6	Liverpool	49.7	193,012
7	Glasgow	49.2	244,831
8	Bristol	47.0	164,225
9	Norwich	46.9	51,978
10	Belfast	46.6	106,568
11	Newcastle upon Tyne	46.5	108,033
= 12	Edinburgh	45.3	183,143
12	Southampton	45.3	88,491
14	Cardiff	45.0	127,380
15	London	44.1	2,888,944
16	Lincoln	44.0	34,402
17	Exeter	43.7	43,302
18	Portsmouth	43.5	72,820
19	Salford	43.4	81,837
20	Dundee	43.2	53,321
21	Reading	43.1	54,161
22	Aberdeen	42.7	56,117
23	Kingston upon Hull	42.1	87,661
24	Birmingham	41.6	344,818
= 24	Derry	41.6	34,794
	UNITED KINGDOM	34.7	17,797,160

(Single defined by Office for National Statistics as never married or never registered a same-sex civil partnership)

Notes to Editors

Source: 2011 Census, Office for National Statistics (ONS). All usual UK residents aged 16 and over.
Total number of UK residents aged 16+ never married or never registered a same-sex civil partnership = 17,797,160

 

Production Information:
Series Editor: Nicola Lloyd
Executive Producer: Simon Dickson
Production Company: Twenty Twenty Productions
Channel 4 Commissioning Editors, Documentaries: Nick Mirsky and Madonna Benjamin

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