First Dates Ireland has returned to our screens and is warming up our weeknights with stories of love, connection and, of course, the odd misconnection.
Musician John, 75, from Slane and his date, Bernie, 65, from Dublin joined Jennifer Zamparelli on 2fm to discuss their experience on First Dates Ireland and whether they hit it off.
One of the revelations shared on their date was that John trained in the priesthood for five years before leaving it. Jen asked why he made that potentially life-changing decision.
In the show, he'd said: "I decided to leave for natural reasons." "The whole problem with the priesthood is celibacy", he told Bernie.
"I would have loved to stay on, I would have thought I would have made a good cleric, but you couldn't just live a lie."
Speaking to Jen, he said: "It's okay for somebody that's naturally celibate and there are thousands and millions of people in the world that are like that, but it shouldn't be forced on you by any church or organisation. It's a silly thing or try and do, isn't it?"
John went on to marry twice, and dating has helped him process the loss of his second wife in recent years. Fiona passed six years ago, he said, adding: "A big part of that period is Covid, of course. Covid took two or three years out of all of our lives, didn't it?"
Part of it, he said, was coming to terms with "the fact that she would want me to try and move on as much as I could and to appreciate that she's in a different state now, a different existence if that's what you want to believe, and I believe that".
Although the chemistry between the pair evolved into a friendship rather than something romantic, the couple has remained friends and were even booking a second "date" before the first one was over.
John, however, hasn't stopped trying to push for more, asking Jen Z to "work the oracle on her". "You're pretty handy at that, aren't you?"
As for what's next for their dating endeavours, Bernie shuts down the idea of joining Tinder: "I would expect to meet someone through friends or at a barbecue or at my tennis", she said. "If I meet somebody new I'll always say, do you know any single man that would like to take me for coffee? I'm not behind the door, Jen!"
Music to our ears. 😍😍😍 It's a big YES for John and Bernie! #FirstDatesIRL pic.twitter.com/ucSVvbI0MX
— RTÉ2 (@RTE2) January 12, 2023
John reckons he'll reach out to a dating agency, he says, but is holding out hope at meeting "presentable ladies" while playing golf. "Which I haven't had the courage to approach."
"I'm hoping that somebody would have seen First Dates and said, 'That John boy is available, maybe I'll tap him on the shoulder!'"
To listen to the full interview, click here.
Watch First Dates on Thursdays at 9:30pm on RTÉ2.
