CHEAP DATE
Winners get day of ping pong
BLIND Date viewers have branded Channel 5 cheapskates.
They sent loved-up couples away to play ping pong and crazy golf rather than on hols.
Even host Paul O’Grady was seen trying to hide his ® embarrassment at the “treats”. On Saturday’s launch show, the first couple – blonde Debbie and hunky Richard – were told they were off on a date playing “junkyard golf ”.
Later the second pair – Cara and Damian – were handed a day playing table tennis. Both will take place in the UK. In Blind Date’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s on ITV, Cilla Black sent people off to Cuba, Crete, Nepal, Belgium and The Caribbean.
Viewers were quick to slam the show’s bosses for being Scrooges.
Comments included “Blind Date? More like cheap date”, “They must have a massive budget of about £30”, “Not pushing the boat out are they? How boring”, “Ping pong? Are they on a budget for these dates?”
Others remarked: “Even Paul O’Grady is embarrassed to say where the date will be”, “No expense spared then for the happy couples on #BlindDate tonight”, “Blind Date used to send couples to the Caribbean – ping pong – really?”
Last night a show spokeswoman claimed the show had more exotic dates lined up.
The new Blind Date lost out in the ratings battle on Saturday drawing two million viewers.
C5 controller Ben Frow said: “We are really pleased that so many people came to Channel 5 to watch the launch of Blind Date on Saturday night and hope they enjoy the rest of the series.”
However, the show failed to beat ITV’s The Voice Kids which attracted 3.8m viewers and also the BBC’s new talent show Pitch Battle which got 2.9m.