FFS Lee.
This could not have been scripted better if they tried. Monday night’s First Dates featured the usual collection of hopeful singletons looking for love, with varying levels of success. But the stand out moment came from northern pair Abigail and Lee.
For context, Lee is a worry wart with a fondness for fake tan; Abigail is a nurse who many viewers at home very quickly fell in love with. The poor bloke confessed from the outset that he thought his date was way out of his league.
But things got off to a hilarious start with the introductions. Lee explained he was from Leigh in Wigan, and thus was/is Lee from Leigh. Easier enough to remember. Abigail introduced herself as Abi, which was clearly far more tricky.
Asking Lee whether he’d remembered the name she had disclosed to him a few seconds earlier, Abigail had him well and truly stumped. Perhaps due to copious nerves, he had forgotten. To tease him a little, she insisted that he try and guess.
Fair enough, just bang out a few names, laugh it off. Except as far as guesses go, Lee’s was abysmal. For some unfathomable reason, his guessed at ‘Eastern’. That’s right – he wondered whether his female date was called Eastern.
Omg I am crying at him, "eastern" 😂😂😂 #firstdates
— chlo (@_chloemcdonald) December 12, 2016
When yer struggling to remember her name just throw Eastern out there. It's bound to be that…. #firstdates
— Pillsy (@pilsymarch) December 12, 2016
https://twitter.com/MeOnTheTelly/status/808433904508174339
But that wasn’t the worst of it. As Lee was still squirming from the aftermath of his terrible effort, maître d’ Fred Sirieix invited the pair to follow him to their table. Abigail made the restaurant host aware of her company’s embarrassing faux-pas.
Sirieix, in typically smooth fashion, tried to spare Lee’s blushes by quickly replying “Oh Abigail! How could he do that!” Hapless Lee’s hilarious response? “And she won’t tell me now!”
“He just said it!” exclaimed a flustered Abi, to which Lee answered: “Eastern?”
We shit you not. Check out the sensational exchange below. Amazingly, the pair really seemed to hit it off. Perhaps he’d charmed her with his airhead efforts…
https://twitter.com/SarcyFringehead/status/808579650117136384
"He's forgot my name already"
"Awh Abigail how could he do that?!"
"& she won't tell me now!"
IM DONE. cannot watch #firstdates now 😂🙈🙈— Neave (@neavieao) December 12, 2016