Chattanooga resident on ‘First Dates’ finale tonight
Travel snafus left Chattanooga resident Benjamin Francis with no time for sightseeing on a July 2015 visit to Chicago, but his “drop-dead gorgeous” blind date made the trip memorable.
Francis, a local financial adviser, is the latest contestant with Chattanooga ties to be featured on NBC’s new reality dating show, “First Dates.” Tonight’s season finale (8 p.m. Comcast channel 4, EPBFI channel 3) will include his date with Nashville resident Kori Jean (last names aren’t used on the show).
Produced by Ellen DeGeneres, the show is based on a hit UK series in which contestants are paired into potential love matches and flown to Chicago to meet over dinner at an upscale restaurant. Hidden cameras capture their every word and expression — from the time they enter to the time they leave. The best bits are then edited and aired. Though the dates are arranged, they’re not scripted. The encounter plays out like an actual blind date — sometimes heartwarming, sometimes cringe-worthy.
Couples can’t divulge too much information about their experiences before their episode is broadcast — and
Francis has no idea what part of his date may make it on air — but he says he had a great time.
“I was very impressed with her,” he says of Kori. “I felt like we were very like-minded in how we handled things, how we approached things. I thought she was phenomenal.”
A son of Chattanooga Police Capt. Jeff Francis, who died in 2013, Francis says his siblings — two brothers and a sister — have given mom Gail Francis several grandchildren (and another on the way). At 33, he remains single and childless. When he saw a notice about the show on Twitter almost two years ago, he submitted his information.
“They said they were looking for singles from Tennessee,” he says. “I met the criteria.”
Francis says he has watched every episode of the show so far and is thankful his evening didn’t turn out to be the “train wreck” some dates have appeared to be. “Kori seems to be well-grounded,” he says.
They even witnessed moments among other diners during the evening that gave them pause.
“There were other people in the restaurant, we’d look around and think ‘What are they doing?’” he recalls, wondering if those stories will be explained in the episode.
Francis says he was “super nervous,” but if Kori had the jitters, “she didn’t act like it.”
Part of his nervous energy — aside from being on a blind date — stemmed from his travel woes.
First he was bumped from his flight from Chattanooga. Then he was rebooked for a flight leaving from Nashville two hours later, but the cab couldn’t get him there on time. He finally caught a flight that got him to Chicago “super late” on Friday, he says.
Because of the travel delays, he missed his preliminary on-camera interview and had to make up for lost time Saturday with a hectic round of interviews and check-ins, thrust upon different producers and assistants each time. He was finally caught up by 4 p.m., but he would be in limbo for another five hours. His date wasn’t scheduled to start until 9 p.m.
“I’m starving. I haven’t slept. I’ve met like 400 people,” he recalls.
Then he was introduced to Kori.
As for that critical first impression:
“Oh, she was drop-dead gorgeous,” he says. “When I saw her, I couldn’t even talk.”
He did recover enough to enjoy what he considered a good meal and conversation. “I think our date was three hours long,” he says.
Still, he says he was unknowingly critical of her career choice in his preliminary interviews, a fact
“I felt like we were very like-minded in how we handled things, how we approached things. I thought she was phenomenal.” BEN FRANCIS
the producers may mine, though he didn’t admit to any of that over dinner.
And attentive viewers may notice a flicker of concern on his face as the evening winds down.
“I completely forgot her name when I wanted to ask her [phone] number,” he says. “I hope my panic doesn’t show on TV.”
Will Kori give her number to a man who can’t remember her name? Can they come to terms with her career ambitions? Is Kori even interested in a second date?
Tune in tonight for answers.
Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.