PLAYING THE FIELD
SARA COX RETURNS TO HELP A NEW GROUP OF RURAL SINGLETONS FIND A PARTNER…
How did we ever find romance without the help of TV? No matter what your circumstances, it seems there’s a show waiting to help you, whether it’s Love Island, First Dates or even (gulp) Naked Attraction. Now, Cupid’s arrow is pointing towards the countryside, as
Sara Cox returns for a second series to help those from rural communities find the person of their dreams. Inside TV caught up with Sara to find out a little more…
Why do you think it’s harder for people to find a partner in the countryside?
I think you’ve got your village pub and you know everybody there – you may have had a couple of dalliances with the local farmers’ sons – and you haven’t got the opportunity to go out and meet new people because you’re stuck on the farm and that comes first, so it’s easy to get quite isolated.
Series one of this show felt very warm and positive – is that important to you?
Yes. I’m always saying to them off-camera that we’re not trying to stitch them up. Right from the beginning it was made clear that it’s a lovely, warm, friendly show. There are some genuinely funny moments, but we’re not setting them up in any way, it’s really natural. With it being BBC2 we have a duty to entertain and educate a bit, and show that it genuinely is quite lonely in rural areas, so we do bear that in mind.
What’s it like watching the dates as they happen?
It’s a big ask for them to try to block out the rest of the room and the fact that there are three cameras! I try to clear
the set as much as possible so they can relax, but there will always be awkward moments.
Do you find yourself rooting for certain pairings?
I do a bit – I shouldn’t, but you can’t help warming to certain people. I’m hoping there will be a wedding, and that I’ll be invited and they’ll name their kids after me. I get overexcited!