Wading in to help our lovelorn farmers, it’s Blind Date in wellies

Despite looking like a young Catherine Zeta-Jones, 23-yearold dairy farmer Grace was struggling to find love. Her local Young Farmers’ meetings offered her only interaction with the opposite sex. But these men were ‘only after one thing’ — and it wasn’t her best of breed Friesian.

Lucky then that Love In The Countryside (BBC2) could ride to her romantic rescue.

Regardless of the abundance of dating apps, the premise of the series is that singletons in rural areas struggle to find love.

Farmer’s daughter-turned-DJ sara Cox returned as the host charged with matching ‘seven rural romantics’ with potential suitors.

Joining Grace in last night’s episode was 44-year-old Martin, who hadn’t been in a serious relationship for a decade. ‘i’m no Brad pitt,’ he said — although he was desperate for a Brad-sized brood of children.

the two lonely hearts headed to a speed-dating event in London where they had to whittle their six potentials down to three, who’d then spend a few days on the farm.

Martin was like a kid in a sweet shop, although quizzing the women about their desire for children in the first few minutes wasn’t the smoothest patter.

At the farm, all three of Grace’s dates slept in the same bedroom. Her protective dad slept down the hall, claiming to have a shotgun under his pillow... i’m not even sure he was joking.

Grace’s favourite, Greg, a business studies graduate, wasn’t a natural when it came to milking the 120 cows or wading ankle-deep in manure.

Meanwhile, before heading to the Yorkshire countryside to visit Martin, Laura-Leah said she had an image in her head of him. However, i’m sure that image wasn’t of his rundown farmhouse, which was so dilapidated that his three potential dates had to stay elsewhere.

trinity, a ballroom dancing enthusiast from stockport, lasted only a matter of hours. And as for florist Hermione, was she looking so fed up because Martin kept referring to her as ‘Her-marni’?

the first series last year felt contrived and patronising. But with fewer lovelorn farmers this year and less stunted tasks, this new series is a big improvement — even if it is just Blind Date in wellies.

Also slaving away in a field were the remaining contestants in The Great British Bake Off (C4), although the only love they were looking for was from the judges.

Last night (following on from last year’s ‘vegan week’), we had another first with ‘dairy week’.

For the signature round, the bakers were tasked with making a cake that contained a cultured dairy product and, as Noel Fielding quipped: ‘that’s not butter that goes to Glyndebourne.’ Last week’s star baker Michael made a cheesecake he’d baked ten times before – nine times without success. Not surprisingly, half got stuck to the tin.

the showstopper required the creation of a selection of milkbased indian sweets called Mishti. Henry, the only contestant wearing a collar and tie in the heat of the kitchen, got his timings all wrong and served up a plate of slop.

Only his quick wit saved him from the axe. ‘You’d eat it if you were given it,’ said prue generously. ‘As a prisoner?’ replied a self-mocking Henry.

in the end, trucker phil was sent home.

there was a time when Mel, sue and Mary Berry seemed irreplaceable but, three years after Bake Off’s move from the BBC to Channel 4, prue, Noel and sandi toksvig have settled as nicely as a milk pudding.