“We found love thanks o the Undateables”
As the hit TV dating show returns for its ninth series, we talk to two happy couples whose lives were changed after appearing on-screen…
There’s no denying the dating world is tough – and it’s even harder for people who live with challenging and often misunderstood conditions. But, since its launch six years ago, Channel 4’s The Undateables has proved to be the perfect matchmaker for people with a variety of conditions, from Autism to Down’s Syndrome.
So far, The Undateables – which even counts Hollywood megastar Samuel L Jackson as a fan – has spawned 54 relationships, seven engagements, three weddings and three babies. And, as the new series returns to our screens next week, viewers can’t wait to watch yet more love stories unfold.
Steve Carruthers is one of the many people whose lives have been changed by the show. The call centre worker, from Sunderland, has Crouzon Syndrome, a genetic condition affecting the shape of the face and head. It mildly affects his hearing, and may cause issues with his sight in later life.
CONFIDENCE BOOST
When he appeared on the show, back in 2013, he hadn’t dated for almost a decade. Steve, 36, said, “It had been seven years since I’d been on a date. I had no confidence, and didn’t believe anybody would want to be with me. I walked around with my head down, thinking people were talking about me and the way I looked.
“On my first episode, the girl I was meant to be meeting decided to drop out of our date. I was absolutely devastated, but the public support on social media was amazing. People came up to me in the street and said they couldn’t believe she’d stood me up, because I was such a nice bloke. It actually ended up being a confidence boost. For the first time, I realised other people saw more to me than just the way I looked.”
Steve didn’t find love on The Undateables, but his newfound fame led to him meeting nurse Vicky Matthews, 37, who contacted him via Twitter in June 2013, after she’d watched the show. The pair struck up an online friendship, and when they finally met that November it was love at first sight.
WHIRLWIND ROMANCE
“If it hadn’t been for the show, I’d never have had the courage to meet Vicky in person,” recalls Steve, 36. “But we clicked instantly, and I moved in with her in Manchester the following April.”
After a nine-month whirlwind romance, Steve proposed, and the pair married in August 2015. Last week, they celebrated their third wedding anniversary with a romantic trip to New York, and they hope to have children in the near future.
“We’ve been together for nearly five years, but it feels like we fall in love again every day,” says Steve. “We’re very romantic – I love buying Vicky flowers, and we go for long walks in the countryside.
HAPPILY EVER AFTER
“We’re trying for a family, too, but we’re not rushing things. It’ll happen when it happens. We’d love to have a boy and a girl, and we’ve picked out names now, so we don’t argue later! We like old-fashioned names, and if we have a girl, we’ll call her Iris Mae.”
There’s a 50% chance that the couple could have a child with Crouzon syndrome, and while the risk doesn’t deter Steve, he
❛WE’VE BEEN TOGETHER FIVE YEARS, BUT WE FALL IN LOVE AGAIN EVERY DAY❜
says they’ve been bullied about it by cruel online trolls.
He says, “One man even wrote a blog saying I should be shot for wanting to have kids. I was shocked, I don’t understand why people are so horrible. Yes, there’s a chance I’ll pass on Crouzon’s, but treatment has advanced a lot since I was younger. Vicky is a children’s nurse too, and we’re both fully prepared. The trolls criticising us just don’t understand.
“The Undateables changed my life. Yes, embarrassing moments happen, but that’s dating for you! Being a part of the show transformed my life, and helped me find happiness.”