Blind date: ‘Pick a number higher than 10. The company, restaurant and atmosphere were simply the best'
A story to tell.
First impressions?
Tall, charming and the first to arrive. I had hoped to so I could be composed and in control, but my phone is rubbish so I couldn't follow the directions.
What did you talk about?
Brexshit and the fallout with which we are living. We had a cheers to my friend's mum, Brenda, who had the most wonderful funeral earlier in the day, and a cheers to Jayesh's mum, whose birthday it would've been.
Most awkward moment?
We decided the food mess on my side of the table was not worth mentioning. So, no awkward moments.
Good table manners?
Impeccable.
Best thing about Jayesh?
I got an incredibly warm welcome. We cut straight to the chase about the wine (really fab choice by Jayesh). Our political opinions and suchlike were on a par, and he is generous to a fault.
Blind date is Saturday's dating column: every week, two
strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans
to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we
take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the
UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It's been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.What questions will I be asked?We
ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of
person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions
cover everything you would like to know, tell us what's on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with?No,
it's a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests,
preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely
to be.
Can I pick the photograph?No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear?Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer?Honestly
but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that
Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person's answers?No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One?We'll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town?Only if it's in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
How to applyEmail blind.date@theguardian.com
Would you introduce Jayesh to your friends?
Of course – my friends are inquisitive (nosy), so it would be nice.
Describe Jayesh in three words.
Very engaging person.
What do you think Jayesh made of you?
Not at all a messy eater – pretty sure of that.
Did you go on somewhere?
Couldn't really – it was a school night.
And … did you kiss?
Guardian, please!
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
My phone, to guide me in the right direction.
Marks out of 10?
Pick a number higher than 10. The company, restaurant and atmosphere were simply the best.
Would you meet again?
We promised the restaurant a revisit.
What were you hoping for?
A fun night out and not to make a fool of myself.
First impressions?
Imelda is a charming, happy lady and put me at ease immediately.
What did you talk about?
Life experiences, politics, Brexshit … We talked so much I can't remember what we talked about.
Most awkward moment?
Me being early.
Good table manners?
Absolutely perfect.
Best thing about Imelda?
Putting me at ease, and her Irish accent.
Would you introduce Imelda to your friends?
No, I think they'd like Imelda more than me! Yes, of course, no reason not to.
Describe Imelda in three words.
Sensitive, caring lady.
What do you think Imelda made of you?
No idea – I probably talked too much.
Did you go on somewhere?
We were the last in the restaurant, so Imelda walked me to my station.
And … did you kiss?
We had three hugs. The connection felt more friendly – but ours will be a great friendship, that's for sure.
If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
We could have carried on talking for longer, but it was getting late.
Marks out of 10?
10.
Would you meet again?
Yes. We are going back to Cord for a taster menu, as friends.
Imelda and Jayesh ate at Cord, London EC4. Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Elizabeth Hurley gazes adoringly at Billy Ray Cyrus as couple put on a loved-up display at The Inheritance premiere in London
gazed adoringly at her boyfriend Billy Ray Cyrus as trhey attended the premiere of her new Channel 4 show The Inheritance in London on Wednesday. The actress, 60, put on a loved-up display with the country singer, 63, as they held hands and posed together at the event. Elizabeth turned heads in a red figure-hugging midi dress with a cut out detail along the chest. The Bedazzled star added height to her frame with a pair of gold heels and complimented her look with matching earrings. Billy Ray opted for a black short-sleeved shirt along with a matching pair of trousers and black shoes. Also in attendance at the event was Rob Rinder who looked dapper in a dark brown suit and beige striped tie. The Inheritance sees twelve strangers arrive at a grand English country estate, lured by the irresistible opportunity to inherit a chunk of a vast fortune. The fortune belonged to a glamorous benefactor known only as 'The Deceased', (played by Elizabeth) who has left video messages for the players from beyond the grave. To release money from 'The Inheritance', the players must work as a team to complete a series of challenges – and in similar vein to The Traitors; the better they perform, the more money is released, and the bigger the prize pot. But The Deceased had one condition: to win the game they must persuade all others that only they should be entrusted with the money. The event comes after Billy Ray continued to enjoy his first UK summer at Elizabeth's £6m country pile on Wednesday. The pair's relationship began following his divorce from Firerose - and his third marriage. He had met Elizabeth on set of the 2022 movie Christmas In Paradise and as he was navigating through the split, he received a message from Liz. 'I felt like, "Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?" For me, at a certain point it was like, you can't get knocked down any flatter than laying on your back when life is kicking you. And in this moment... a friend reached out.' Billy then tried to recall the contents of the message and explained she had said, 'Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I'm in your corner; you've got a friend in your corner.' When he first received the text, the performer revealed that at first he didn't know who the message was from. 'So, I text back, I go, "Who is this?" And it's like, "Elizabeth Hurley." Of all the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most… this friend who made me laugh.' He later gushed that the actress is 'a great human being' and also 'impressively brilliant.' 'She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She's a very smart businesswoman. If you can laugh together, you can make it through everything.' The star also reflected on how he has also gotten close to his girlfriend's son Damian as well. 'It's great that God brought them into my life when he did. It's just a good thing. It's been a long time since I've been this happy.' Miley's mum Tish Cyrus was previously married to Billy from 1993 until their divorce was finalized in 2023. Billy shares daughter Miley as well as Noah, 25, and Braison, 31, with Tish. He also became stepfather to her other two children from a previous relationship: Brandi, 38, and Trace, 36. He is also dad to son Christopher, 33, whom he welcomed with ex Kristen Luckey. Elizabeth lives in her £6million 13-bedroom estate in Herefordshire with son Damian, who she welcomed with the late Steve Bing. The sprawling Georgian estate, which is Elizabeth's main home, also boasts five bathrooms and its own lake. She has owned Donnington Hall since 2012 that she bought with her then-fiance, Shane Warne who passed away in March 2022.
The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
I looked older at 26 than I do now as I loved tanning my face so much – a 20p secret banished my forehead wrinkles
A WOMAN has shared the secret she swears by to reverse ageing. Laura Elle took to social media to share her before and after pictures and people were left stunned by the results. 2 2 She revealed that by the age of 26, she already had deep lines on her forehead due to tanning and not looking after her skin. In the clip, Laura said: "Tans face every day with no sunscreen ever. She also said she rarely took her makeup off, and if she did, she just used wipes. Laura also said she never used skincare and relied on the sun to sort her skin out. But the results of that were clear to see in the before image. Laura's skin looked severely dehydrated and she had texture on her skin as well. Her forehead was also covered in deep wrinkles and her undereyes and jowl were also showing clear signs of ageing. But three years on, Laura looked like a totally different person and had managed to reverse the ageing process. Her skin was now glowing and her wrinkles were nowhere to be seen, and she said it wasn't down to Botox or filler. Now 29, she revealed the changes she made to improve her skin which of course included not tanning on sunbeds anymore. I found the best summer body glow in Primark - it's only £3.50 & isn't oily She also said she was consistent with her skincare routine, using sunscreen twice a day. She also used products with collagen and retinol to increase skin cell reproduction. But to get rid of her forehead lines, Laura swore by Frownies, which work by limiting face movement and smoothing out wrinkles. A pack of 144 cost £28.95, meaning each patch costs just 20p. Laura recommends applying them at night after applying your skincare. The clip went viral on her TikTok account @ lauraelle111 with over 300k views and people were quick to comment on her transformation. One person wrote: "You are beautiful - I'm off to order some frownies (you need commission) lol." Another commented: "Frownies have been added to cart because I've had forehead wrinkles since I was 17." "You definitely aged backwards," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "We gained a baddie, let go of the tanning beds people!"
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Terminally-ill woman plans solo round-the-world sailing voyage
A terminally-ill woman is planning on competing in a solo round-the-world sailing voyage. Jazz Turner, 27, lives with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a debilitating genetic condition that affects connective tissue. She wants to take part in next year's Royal Western Yacht Club of England's WorldStar challenge, which would make her the first female, disabled sailor to complete such a feat. Ms Turner, from Seaford, East Sussex, was diagnosed with the illness, which causes fainting and seizures, when she was 18. Due to complications, doctors have told her that her condition is now terminal. 'As my condition has progressed, the one thing I made sure of was that I never stopped sailing,' she said. Next year's challenge follows her recent circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland, known as Project Fear, but she now needs to secure the right boat and sponsorship to carry her around the globe. 'I've always been drawn to challenges that push me to my edge,' she said. 'Project Fear was born off the back of the announcement of the WorldStar 2026. I face many a 'no' in my life, I do my best to turn them into 'yes'. 'The right partnership could turn this vision into reality. 'Whether it's a boat owner willing to lend their yacht or sponsors eager to back a remarkable human and sporting story, I'm inviting them to join me on this journey.' The WorldStar 2026 leaves Plymouth in September next year and tests sailors to circle the globe without outside assistance or stops. Adrian Gray, commodore of the Royal Western Yacht Club, said: 'Jazz is the epitome of why we created this Corinthian-style race. 'This is a race for sailors, run by sailors and the only one of its style in the UK. 'When we initially reached out to Jazz and she told us her 'Project Fear' campaign, a solo, non-stop, unassisted circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland, was started following our announcement of the WorldStar, we knew we wanted to help Jazz fulfil her life's dream.'
