ALI’S VERDICT: 11/10

LIKED? Yvette’s got an amazing smile. REGRETS? I don’t think so. SEE HER AGAIN? Yes.

DATING PAST?

I have had a few girlfriends over the years. I was engaged in my late20s, but the relationship ended shortly after I proposed. I lost my dad and my grandfather this year, so haven’t dated for a while.

PRE-DATE NERVES?

I dIdn’t tell anyone I was going on a blind date as I was a little bit nervous. I reframed it in my mind as something new and exciting to keep my nerves in check.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS?

Yvette is beautiful — I hope she won’t mind me saying it, but she’s an absolute cracker. When I told her she looks like the tv presenter Stacey Solomon, she said that she sometimes gets mistaken for her. I was glad I’d decided to wear something smart.

EASY TO TALK TO?

We gIggled about lots of things. every time she took a mouthful of food I asked her a question — which made her laugh when she realised I was doing it on purpose. We talked about what it’s like to work from home and how you have to resist the temptation to have a glass of wine at the end of the day.

I did apologise for talking a lot, as is my usual way. But I think the conversation was fairly split. Yvette is also a cricket fan, which is a big tick for me.

EMBARRASSING MOMENTS?

Yvette has two dogs: a dalmatian and a german pointer. at one point they came bounding into the room, howling because her shopping delivery had arrived. She was totally zen about it and simply said: ‘Mum will sort it.’ DID SPARKS FLY? I thInk so, although it’s difficult to gauge online.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET IN PERSON?

I’d defInItelY like to see Yvette again. She’s a lovely, intelligent lady and an all-round cutie pie. I’d have loved to have given her a hug to thank her for a lovely date.

WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE THOUGHT OF YOU?

I’M not one for inflating my own ego, but I hope she thought I was nice, pleasant and funny.

WOULD YOUR FRIENDS LIKE HER?

YeS. Yvette would fit in well with my social circle. We’ve got lots in common, from our love of musicals to our dabbling with the entertainment world.