Sometimes two times the charm, and one First Dater brought his brother along for good luck in last night's episode.
A fresh crop of romantic hopefuls entered the First Dates restaurant looking for love, and while some were battling the nerves or getting used to the cameras, former Ireland's Got Talent star Gary Lyons couldn't have been more at home - not least because it was his second time on the dating show.
Having found no spark between him and his match the first time around, Gary was laser-focused on exactly what he wanted: a best friend with plenty of chemistry between them.
Speaking of best friends, Gary, or MC Daycent as he's known, brought his younger brother Anthony along for the ride, though neither had any confidence in their capabilities as wingmen.
"I think we're just terrible for each other", Anthony told producers, adding: "Even when we get girlfriends we don't really hang out."
It's reassuring then that from the moment the brothers were matched with dates, they continued to chat across the restaurant floor together.
Anthony was paired with Australian free spirit Angie, who modelled herself after Bart Simpson and was looking for a man who was good with his hands. As for Gary, he couldn't help but feel the spark when paired with fire-breathing travel-loving Oriel from Kildare.
"I needed a hobby and I didn't fancy knitting", she quipped to the producers.
She was equally matched in energy by Gary, who told producers: "I think I give off this 'too much' vibe. I have a like a hunter gatherers mentality or something that I need to burn off all this energy otherwise I overthink every little small thing in my brain."
The pair bonded quickly over Oriel's work in group therapy for people in addiction. "Addiction hits people and it destroys them from the inside out", she said. "It's a wonderful thing to be able to help someone along their journey of getting back on their feet."
Gary had been off alcohol for two months at that point, having already come off "hard stuff" before that. "It's the only drug, alcohol, that doesn't let you know that you're addicted to it", he said.
"I was just all about fast, hard living. And then when you're trying to get away from that, realising that, oh my god, your kid is getting older and you need to start trying to get better every day or what's the point, what are you here for?"
Tequila shots on a first date❌
— RTÉ2 (@RTE2) February 1, 2024
Oyster shots✅#FirstDatesIRL pic.twitter.com/Sre93UhwGk
The pair continued to talk into the evening, before sealing the night with a kiss and going to meet Anthony and Angie for a post-First Dates recap and dessert.
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