Popular reality TV show First Dates is set to be adapted into a new podcast series, the creators have announced, launching later this summer.
First Dates: The Podcast is a joint production between podcast production studio and listening platform Podimo and Twenty Twenty, the production company that created the original Channel 4 series. The show will be hosted by Cici Coleman, who has made multiple appearances on the show as a waitress for the restaurant in which it takes place, and The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge.
Companion podcasts for reality TV series are becoming a popular trend, exemplified by the likes of Love Island: The Morning After and Love Is Blind spin-off Out of the Pods. However, unlike these shows, which offer recaps, discussions and commentary around the events of the TV shows in question, First Dates: The Podcast will be a standalone show with no direct connection to its namesake.
Instead, the show will feature Coleman and Bridge sharing listeners’ dating stories, including both the giddy highs and the embarrassing lows. The creators are currently seeking people to share their dating stories for inclusion on the podcast, with a particular focus on Yorkshire, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Those who are interested in appearing can email firstdatespodcast@twentytwenty.tv, or check out Twenty Twenty’s website for more information.
The show represents a further expansion into the UK market for Podimo, which has been establishing a content-led presence through partnerships with a number of production companies including Mags Creative, Message Heard and Tortoise Media. The company has been growing its presence in other regional markets as well, and plans to use its UK podcasts to build up interest ahead of the launch of its core subscription platform in the UK at some point in the future.
