Date’s agriculture shock

WEEK two of rural dating show LOVE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE (BBC2, 9pm) and time to meet 58-year-old Katy, a sheepdog trainer living in a particularly remote part of Cumbria.

Although she’s not been in a proper relationship for 10 years, Katy is actually quite an expert when it comes to marriage.

By which I mean she’s had four of them.

And one thing she’s finally learnt, it seems, is that it pays to be fussy.

As she sifts through a pile of letters from would-be suitors, delivered to her by the programme’s presenter, Sara “Cupid” Cox, we start to get a sense of this no-nonsense character’s likes and dislikes.

The first hopeful missive is from a chap called Robert. “I’m 57 and I live in Bournemouth,” he begins – and, by doing so, he instantly blows his chances. “I don’t really like Bournemouth,” Katy declares.

Also: “He looks a bit thin. I don’t like a thin man…”

Elsewhere, Yorkshire farmer Martin is getting on like a house on fire with loveable Lorelei, one of the two women left vying for his affections. But Lorelei is very much a townie, that’s the worry. Has she got what it takes to adjust to Martin’s way of life?

At 6am the following day there’s his chance to find out. “I want to see what Lorelei’s like in the milking parlour,” Martin announces.

Meanwhile, 23-year-old dairy farmer Grace discovers that one of her suitors hasn’t quite grasped the point of the show.

“Is farming something you see yourself doing for another 10 years?” asks trainee psychologist Martin.

Elsewhere tonight it’s Roaring Twenties week on THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF (C4, 8pm), which I’m fairly sure it’s never been before.

Challenge number one is to create custard pies, on the basis that these were a popular slapstick device in comedy films of that era. And in a neatly innovative twist, the baker who finishes bottom in this round is allowed the consolation of sticking their pie in Paul Hollywood’s face, although sadly only in my imagination.

Finally, LIVE: THE CIRCLE (C4, 9.15pm) marks the return of this groundbreaking reality show, in which all the participants occupy the same apartment block but communicate exclusively online, using a voice-activated social media platform – the idea being that they can exploit this anonymity, should they so wish, to create an identity that’s altogether different from their true selves. Emma Willis is our host.

I say “our”, but that of course suggests we’ll actually be watching, and personally I’d rather eat my own toenails.