Which First Dates couples are still together? (original) (raw)

First Dates is back, with a new crop of singles looking for true love under the watchful eye of Fred Sirieix and co.

Will anyone find their Mr or Mrs Right as the latest series of the Channel 4 hit gets under way? And how many of the relationships will go on to go the distance?

The popular show started back in 2013, and so far several real romances - and even some marriages - have come from it. We have a look to see which First Dates relationships lasted once the cameras stopped rolling.

Ibiba Mudada and Aarron Stewart

Ibiba Mudada and Aarron Stewart both feel it was “practically love at first sight” when they clapped eyes on each other on the show. The pair were both looking for love in 2016 and ended up falling for each other fast.

By the following year, they had welcomed daughter Aziza and took her back on to introduce her to the First Dates team.

"Our decision to go on First Dates was the best of our lives," Mudada told the Mail. "And very few people are lucky enough, as we are, to be able to sit down and watch over and over the very first second we set eyes on each other. We both genuinely believe it was practically love at first sight."

"When we are pensioners I want to be able to remember that first moment and recall the way my heart skipped a beat the instant I saw Aarron," she added.

Hema Sabina and Ajai Kalia

Hema Sabina and Ajai Kalia also met on First Dates in 2016. They got off to a slow start when Sabina admitted she didn’t like Kalia’s moustache. But it seems his facial hair wasn’t a deal-breaker, and the pair did go on to date.

They were married in 2019, travelling to Mallorca for their big day, and are among the show’s biggest success stories. Sabina just recently posted a montage on Instagram after the couple returned to the island.

“Seafood and sangria,” she wrote.

“Almost 5 years on and we returned to one of our favourite islands as a family, Mallorca. It will always hold a special place in our hearts.

"Memories from our wedding day at @eslloquetthesecretplace to our minimoon at @grandhotelsonnet, and reconnecting with friends out there.”

Mike Sumner and Zoe Welch

Mike Sumner and Zoe Welch met in the First Dates restaurant in 2020 and got married in 2022 after Sumner was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).

The pair had been an item for some months and got engaged when Sumner popped the question during a trip to the US in March 2022.

They had planned to take a trip down the aisle in 2023 but brought the date forwards after Sumner was told he had the progressive neurological disorder. Welch told the BBC it was to make sure her groom could participate in their big day as much as possible, adding: “It can always get worse and there is no set timeframe with when it can get worse, or what might change."

Sheffield couple, Mike and Zoe, who met on @Channel4's @FirstDates feature in national MND Association TV advertising campaign.

The launch will be followed by subsequent adverts at pivotal points in Paul’s #Corrie storyline over the coming months.#MND #FirstDates

— MND Association (@mndassoc) January 30, 2024

This year the pair featured in adverts that aired around the Coronation Street plot that has seen the character Paul Foreman (Peter Ash) battling MND.

Greig Fairweather and Shaun Smith

Greig Fairweather had a tough time when he went on the show in 2017, with his match rejecting him. But show bosses gave him another shot and he met and fell for Shaun Smith.

Later that year they announced they were set to wed, with Smith posting on X: “Hey @FirstDates @fredsirieix1 @CiCi_Coleman @austinventour Remember seeing us earlier this year? Well last week I asked Greig to marry me, and he said yes! Can't thank you enough for everything! Shaun.”

They exchanged vows the following year.

Will and Fran Garrett-Levy

Will and Fran were big favourites when they were on the show in 2017, with viewers struck by how perfect they seemed to be for each other. Their connection was a terrific example of the First Dates formula at its best, and their spark was clear.

They ended up getting together and in 2021 tied the knot. "5 years since meeting on a complete blind date and now look at us," Fran wrote on Instagram as she shared a snap of them on their big day.