Bye Bye Blind Date

Wannabe: Amanda Holden made her TV debut on the show in 1990

11 April 2012

Launched 18 years ago, Blind Date has become a national institution. Its simple formula of men and women picking a blind date from behind a screen after asking three questions was an instant ratings winner. But now it is feared it may be gone for ever after host Cilla Black announced on Saturday's show that she was quitting. Here, Kathryn Knight takes a fond look at the show's chequered history.

The start: November 1985, and Cilla Black, clad in polka dots and shoulder pads, launches the first series.The formula has altered little over the years - only the fashions sported by the contestants and the hostess have, thankfully, changed
First eccentric: Claudia Patrice was a breath of fresh air as she warbled her way through the show in 1989. She didn't win, but is still singing.
Wannabe: Amanda Holden made her TV debut on the show in 1990, and held up filming as the crew tried to attach a mic, only to find she was wearing no lingerie.
The wedding: In 1991, Sue Middleton, 22, and Alex Tatham, 23, were the first couple to be married after meeting on the show in 1988. Cilla was at the wedding, and the couple live in London with their two children.
Deceiver: In 1993, Count Roberto Luigi Michieli, 29, was rich, aristocratic, handsome - and gay. He has since vanished into obscurity
Lucky one: Jenni Falconer, 18, won a trip to France with 20-stone cook Donda Michaelas in 1994. Romance did not flourish, but her career did, as she now works for GMTV.
Oldie wedding: Love isn't just for the young, as Newcastle pensioner Lilian Morris, 70, discovered when she picked David Fensom, 70, in a special oldies edition of the show in 1994.They married five months later and live in Cornwall
Rapping reverend: Trendy vicar Simon Gatenby was chosen by ex-kissogram Polly Anderton. He is married to Helen, a former youth worker in his church.
Eccentric (take two): Student Andre Price, 20 made a big splash in 1995 with his bow tie and monocle. The self-proclaimed psychic serenaded Moriamo Oshodi with a rendition of It Had To Be You. He's now an artist
Female fraud: Nicola Gill, 27, was an undercover journalist for Cosmopolitan when she appeared in 1997. She took her mission seriously, cheating on boyfriend John McNamee with contestant Paul Mankelow. A forgiving McNamee later proposed and the two are now married.
Aborted wedding: Teacher Andrea Tongue, 26, and dental assistant Piers Lyon, 26, announced their engagement in 1997, following their show date, but Andrea called it off less than two months later.
Aborted date: In 1997, David Smith, 27 (left), was dumped before leaving the studio when Charlotte Harrisson refused to fly to Nepal. He is still believed to be unmarried
Escort girl: Hayley Dollery, 19 (right), was no stranger to blind dates in 1997, having worked as a £130-a-time escort girl. Sadly, she was killed in a car crash in Italy in 2000
Celeb couple: In a 1999 Comic Relief special, Lenny Henry, picked supermodel Elle Macpherson, turning down actress Helena Bonham- Carter and model Twiggy.
The sacking: 'Our Graham' had always been the voice of the show, his face one of the bestkept secrets in TV. But last year, Graham Skidmore was struck dumb when told his services were no longer required.
The end: On Saturday, Cilla brought 18 years as a Blind Date hostess to a close with her surprise revelation that she was quitting.

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