The Undateables Series 4 - Episode 1 Summary

Looking for love can be tricky, but some find it harder than others.  Add disability to the equation and it can sometimes seem almost impossible. This uplifting series returns to follow the journeys of several extraordinary singletons as they enter the dating circuit in pursuit of love.

From a professional nude artist’s model with a pronounced stammer to a car fanatic with autism or to a raver with the rare genetic condition Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome, we follow them as they enter the world of blind dates and matchmaking.  Their quest to find love and companionship will take them on a journey of highs and lows, but all are open to finding someone special.
Twenty-one-year old Alex is a full time student and has one big passion in life – fast cars.  His dream car would be “the Bugatti Veyron Supersport, top speed 268 miles per hour, nought to sixty two point five seconds”.  He himself drives a Vauxhall Corsa and rarely exceeds 30 miles an hour. Alex would love to have a girlfriend, but when it comes to love, he still has his L Plates on - he’s never had a girlfriend or been on a date. He has autism, which can make him extremely nervous around new people, especially girls: ‘I start blushing, my cheeks go red like a Ferrari then, when it comes to doing the talking, the words just don’t want to come out”. While Alex longs to find a girlfriend, even meeting the women from the dating agency and talking about dating makes him anxious. Will his nerves hold out when he meets twenty-year-old Eloise or will he freeze and be unable to get his words out?  And will his decision to take her to watch cars race at Brands Hatch prove to be a winner or will the plan backfire?

31 year old Matthew is a professional artist’s model from North London.  At work, he’s happy to let his body do the talking, but when it comes to relationships, he can struggle.  Matthew developed a stammer when he was six years old and feels it has hindered his search for love. Matthew has had girlfriends in the past, but feels that his difficulty communicating is the reason why things have never become serious.  He feels that past girlfriends have lacked the patience to let him speak and “finish my sentences for me”.  He longs to meet a woman who “accepts me for my stammer and lets me have a voice”. Matthew was bullied at school where other kids would ask him to repeat words that he found especially hard, like “pepperoni pizza”.  While he’s felt he’s had limited power over his voice, he’s spent years honing, toning and sculpting his body to give him a sense of control.  His fixation with his own physique extends to his ideal woman and he’d like to meet someone who “has equal attention to detail in how she looks”.   Its not just someone who keeps in shape that he’s after – Matthew has a very particular idea about what his ideal woman should look like, specifically that she should measure 16 inches from shoulder to shoulder.  Matthew is matched with 35 year old business coach Jessica. Will she be offended when he brandishes a tape measure to see how broad her shoulders are, and whether she’s his perfect fit? Or will this idiosyncrasy charm her?

Privately educated and from a privileged background, 27 year-old Daniella seems to have it all – a close family, successful job and her own flat.  There’s just one thing missing, a boyfriend. She’d love to find a man to tell her he loves her; but scared of rejection, she’s never even been on a date. Daniella is confident in all areas of her life except her appearance. She has Apert Syndrome a rare genetic condition which means she was born with the bones in her hands, feet and skull fused together. She feels the way she looks may be the reason she’s never had a boyfriend “if my face was rounder, if my fingers were different, I’d stand a chance of getting a boyfriend. They don’t look attractive… who would want to touch them?” As a result she’s spent her life avoiding the dating game and trying to persuade herself that she was fine without a relationship.  Daniella’s four brothers and sisters are all dating, and Daniella would love to have the kind of relationship they have. She longs to meet someone who will be proud to hold her hand in public “I want a boyfriend who can walk down the street with me and so can go yeah, my man thinks I’m beautiful’.  Matched with 31 year old IT consultant Guy, will her first ever date turn out to be her first ever boyfriend or will their date at an indoor ski park prove to be a dry run?

With the help of Flame, a bespoke personal introduction agency,  and Stars in the Sky, a specialist dating agency for people with learning disabilities, this touching series explores the realities of looking for love in our anonymous, fast-paced, image-obsessed world, where all too often people make snap judgments or assumptions based on first impressions.