'I brought my husband on First Dates with another woman and this is how it went'

Wales Online

17 hours ago

'I brought my husband on First Dates with another woman and this is how it went'
First Dates fans will be in for a treat tonight as the hit Channel 4 dating show returns for a brand new series, and sees a couple on a with a third person
First Dates reveals first throuple date in preview clip
A throuple appearing on First Dates has shared their experience of making history on the Channel 4 show.
The reality programme has welcomed a multitude of hopeful romantics through the doors of the First Dates restaurant, where they are greeted by I'm A Celebrity star and maître d', Fred Sirieix, and barman Merlin Griffiths.
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However, in tonight's episode, which marks the start of the new series, one woman was surprised to discover that she was being paired with not just one, but two individuals.
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Sophie, a mother of three, had never been on a date with a woman before and was seeking someone alternative, authentic, and open-minded. Her date with Emily certainly fit the bill.
The duo quickly hit it off, with Sophie managing to overcome her initial nerves to reveal to Emily that she was married and that her husband Ricki was waiting at the bar to join them, reports the Mirror.
The couple, who have been together for a decade and tied the knot in 2018, were hoping to expand their marriage by inviting someone else into their relationship.
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"We were curious to explore new connections together, and thought, why not? It felt like the right time to do something bold and go for it," Sophie later revealed in an exclusive interview with The Mirror.
"It was exciting but nerve-wracking at the same time."
Sophie and Ricki were looking to open up their marriage
(Image: Channel 4 )
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Sophie and Ricki had contemplated opening up their relationship two years after they first met and had once tried out a "lifestyle club" where they were welcomed with "open arms", but now they were ready to take things to the next level.
"We've always been very private, and never really spoken to other people about our relationship and never had the chance to open it up. We've had a couple of experiences with friends but nothing has ever developed from that," she revealed.
Sophie disclosed to Ricki two years prior that she identified as bisexual and was curious about exploring this part of her identity, to which he was receptive. Since they hadn't come across the right individual for such exploration, their participation in First Dates marked their inaugural introduction to another person.
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Describing her initial apprehension, Sophie shared: "I was quite nervous walking in, I feel like the idea of having a blind date - especially when you haven't dated for a long time - was very nerve-wracking to me. But as soon as I walked in, I felt really welcomed and those nerves went away fairly quickly."
On the other hand, Ricki confessed that whilst he was filled more with excitement than nerves, the apps had failed to yield the connection they sought.
Emily was on a date with Sophie when Ricki joined
(Image: Channel 4 )
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"There aren't many dating apps for couples looking for singles," he lamented. "And if there are, it's purely (within our experiences) just for sexual encounters, and that's not what we were looking for."
Their encounter with Emily on First Dates seemed positive, with both Sophie and Ricki feeling an immediate sense of connection, while Emily too expressed that she had an "amazing" experience from her perspective in the interview.
She expressed her excitement about the unique dating experience, saying: "It was an exciting opportunity, and obviously, for me, I didn't know what I was going into in terms of who the date was going to be. I'm very pansexual, I've dated all the genders, all the colours of the rainbow, and I didn't know if it was going to be a guy or a girl, someone in between, or a couple because I definitely expressed that was an interest of mine as well. The way the date played out was amazing."
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Like Ricki, Emily had not found success with dating apps and saw First Dates as an opportunity to meet new people.
Sophie admitted she was excited but nervous beforehand
(Image: Channel 4 )
She shared her enthusiasm for dating and meeting new individuals: "I love dating and I love meeting new people, I think meeting new people is the meaning of life to be honest, making new connections, and so I thought what a fun and interesting way to meet some cool people," she said.
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The massage therapist elaborated on her past experiences: "I've dated couples before and really enjoyed it in the past, [but] it's quite hard to find the right dynamic. Obviously dating is hard enough just trying to find two people that match, so to find a dynamic where all three people are all compatible is harder sometimes."
Upon seeing Sophie, Emily immediately felt "really happy" and experienced a "wave of relief," admitting, "I had a huge crush on Sophie."
Despite Ricki not being her typical choice, Emily confessed that his "warmth and humour" became apparent within minutes of their encounter.
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Emily called the date a 'nice surprise'
(Image: Channel 4 )
She concluded by emphasising the importance of connection: "We all got on really well, and to be honest, energy and personality tend to be the driver of who I end up with."
Emily, who initially was unaware that she had been set up with both Sophie and Ricki on her date, later revealed she wasn't "shocked" but pleasantly "nicely surprised."
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"I would have been very happy with just dating Sophie alone, but it was a nice little surprise for me; I wasn't worried at all," she said.
Emily, Sophie, and Ricki, not only experienced success on their date but also expressed pride in contributing to an empowering narrative through First Dates.
Things seemed to go well for the trio
(Image: Channel 4 )
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"I feel really honoured that I was part of First Dates' first three-way date because it hasn't been done before and I think it does break down a lot of stigma," shared Emily, who has been featured previously on Channel 4's Open House: The Great Sex Experiment.
She differentiated her experiences on the two shows, saying, "With Open House, it's all very raunchy and risky and a lot of things go wrong but with First Dates, I hope it comes across that for me, it was really amazing, we had a great connection, and actually these things aren't really taboo at all."
"It's just three people who really get along, having a nice time. And I think that people make it a lot deeper than it needs to be, it's really just not that deep."
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Sophie echoed this sentiment and acknowledged the unique opportunity they had: "I really like the fact that we've had this opportunity to be able to be the first people to do it, it's exciting for us, we love that. Hopefully it does provide an empowering message to other couples that may be wanting to explore those sorts of connections too."
First Dates airs Fridays at 10pm on Channel 4.