Episode 3 The Year of Making Love

This programme contains some strong language.

In January 2012, hundreds of single people joined an experiment

-designed to find out if science can help you find love.

-Are you ready to meet your match?

It began with Britain's biggest ever blind date.

-How are you doing?

-Hello!

How are you doing, you all right?

Hello, beautiful. How are you doing?

But these were no random introductions.

Each couple was matched by experts who believe you'll be

luckier in love if you take a scientific approach.

I'm in shock, like, how it's worked.

I hoped there'd be a bit of chemistry, but there's nothing, I'm sorry.

I'm happy. Please let him be happy too, or this is going to be brutal.

I don't want to be nasty, she's really nice. I'm not wowed.

Yeah, I'm the cat that got the cream. So far, so good.

-Well done, science.

-So can love be created in a lab?

The brains behind the experiment are Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

and Emma Kenny.

Tomas is a personality profiling expert.

Millions of people are single

because they're hooked to this crazy idea

that there's just one perfect person out there.

The reality is that we have several potential good matches,

and compatibility tests will help them find them.

Emma is a behavioural psychologist.

We've designed this experiment to prove that science

can help you find love and that by carefully measuring compatibility,

you're a lot more likely to find somebody who's just right for you.

Couples put together in the lab meet at the launch event,

with more joining in the weeks that follow.

I'm impressed, so hopefully you are too.

I don't know what kind of girls you go for.

-To us.

-Definitely.

-Cheers.

Each week, we'll follow a new set of couples

who decide to see each other again.

He has suggested date two, which is really exciting.

I don't know if he's getting a kiss or not,

depends if he goes in for one.

Tomas and Emma will monitor their progress for up to a year.

I really fancy Rogan, I'm not going to lie.

It's going to be exciting to see how our couples get along,

and no doubt there are going to be some surprises.

It will be fascinating to see what happens next.

All my research and the science suggest it should work,

but in practice, we have no idea.

Whatever happens, we'll be there every step of the way.

But will any of the couples even like each other?

First kiss...Oh, my God!

If I was a guy, I wouldn't do that as a date again.

Will any of them last the whole year?

I guess I was kind of expecting to hear from him maybe a bit more.

She seems to think I'm only after one thing.

-I can't stop smiling, look!

-And will the experts be proved right?

Will anyone find love?

-Kirsty, will you be my girlfriend?

-Yeah.

This unique experiment kicked off one year ago,

when single guys and girls from across the UK

arrived at the launch centre...

..each one of them half of a compatible pair.

The brunette over there is amazing.

And all putting their faith in science.

If some geezer in a lab is looking at how women work and how men work

and matching them both together, then I'm game for that.

What you think might be your perfect type

might not actually be your perfect type.

-Yeah, and they say that opposites attract.

-Yeah.

You're more likely to meet someone that's more suited to you.

Whether it's going to be your ideal match, I don't know yet.

Once everyone had been assigned their unique number,

it was time for the introductions to begin.

Are you ready to meet your match?

With Tomas and Emma watching for signs of attraction...

What about this?

..hundreds of compatible couples were introduced.

How are you doing?

There's our marriage! There's our marriage!

Here's one I made earlier.

Our first single girl this week is bisexual Alex.

My name's Alex Chefai. I'm 26 years old and I'm from Chester.

I'm looking for someone that isn't going to mess me around,

that's genuine and is spontaneous like myself.

Do I want a woman, do I want a man?

Who knows? Keep your options open!

Alex should have more options than most,

but her love life is in desperate need of help.

I have been, with a big capital U, unlucky in love.

Her love life's very up and down.

She's had a lot of different, well, personalities.

I think I've been, 80% of my life, heartbroken.

So, yeah, unlucky is definitely the word.

I thought I'd found my perfect partner

when I met my ex, um, because we got on like a house on fire,

we had loads in common. But then things just fell apart.

I think that "the one" IS out there.

God knows where he or she is.

I'm having no luck finding the perfect match myself,

it's just not happening. So I figured,

why not let science have a go?

So I'm quite willing to just throw myself right into it

and just see what happens.

Alex is looking for the answer to a fundamental question.

I came here this morning thinking I'd rather meet a guy,

but I'm not as confident with men as I am with women.

So will the science match her with a boy or with a girl?

I'm absolutely crapping myself!

Both scoring high on sociability,

Alex has been matched with Tash from Australia.

Hey! Hi!

-Brilliant, brilliant.

-They're great!

She's a really cool girl. I'm in shock, like, how it's worked.

That was really good, I'm very happy.

I've got a little bit of the jitters at the moment!

I'm speechless. It's really strange!

What type of girl do you like? Do you like a girly girl?

I don't like butch at all.

I like to be the one that wears the trousers.

I like my girl to be the one that wears the trousers, so...

Awesome.

I can tell that she fancies me because every time she's around me

she goes a little bit nervous and she can't stop smiling.

Yeah, she's really cute. First impressions are doing pretty good.

So it's a promising start for Alex and Tash.

And on stage, there are many more happy couples.

But Emma thinks everyone's placing way too much importance on looks.

Isn't it interesting how the crowd react

when a couple that happen to be very good-looking appear?

And yet this whole premise is,

looks are not the key indicator of success.

Are you going to go beyond looks and go...

Yeah, I'm not bothered about looks at all.

Are you going to hold their hand when you get on the stage?

It depends if he takes my hand or not.

He might not like me, so... I'll just take his lead.

Toni's number is about to be called.

So let's meet the man who should be just right for her.

My name is Ryan Glover, I'm 30 years of age and I'm from Blackburn.

I've been single now for around five to six months.

You know, I think with the compatibility tests that we've done,

it's very in-depth and I think there's a great chance

of meeting the right one.

Toni's belief that looks don't matter

is about to be put to the test.

Oh, no!

Ryan's a novelty nightclub act,

and he likes to mix business with pleasure.

No. That's terrible. She's embarrassed.

-That was totally embarrassing.

-Why?

It doesn't look good so far,

but science says they've got a lot in common.

What do you do for a living?

-I'm a trainee lawyer.

-Right.

Bit boring, bit geeky.

You know what, in that sense, opposites can attract, can't they?

Yeah, I guess.

You are very much my type.

Am I? OK, good.

Ryan's happy, but Toni will need to be convinced the system has worked.

Unfortunately, the science misfires for some others too.

A little bit on the awkward side, that one, yeah?

They wouldn't even hold hands.

I'm not convinced by that match at all.

So the matchmaking is not perfect...

Oh, my days!

Oh, gosh.

Oh.

..but then neither are some people's manners.

That's the perfect example of how not to meet a potential partner.

I thought it'd be a blonde person, but it was a brown-haired person.

.You left me behind.

He just left me behind... and then because everyone booed,

he came back to grab my hand

but then I said, "I don't want it any more"!

It was just horrible, honestly. I'm just going straight to the bus.

Let's hope our next single guy gets what he's hoping for.

Hi. My name is Ross. I live in Sheffield. I'm 21.

I want a girl who's got good wabs. I love wabs.

A good bust. I love girls who are slim.

She's got to be pretty as well, but she's got to have great banter.

Ross is matched with 19-year-old student Beth.

-How are you doing, you all right?

-Hiya.

-You look very good.

-Thank you.

-What's your name?

-Ross. What's yours?

-Beth.

Yeah, I think she's all right, yeah, I'm attracted to her.

He's good-looking, muscly, so my type. I was quite happy, yeah.

I'm loving the teddy bear, it was a good idea. Did you buy it yourself?

-No, my mum got it me.

-Your mum?

-Yeah. For you, though.

Ah, bless her. Thanks to Mum.

When I met him, he gave me this. I thought that was a nice thing to do.

It sort of broke the ice a little bit, so I thought that was sweet.

Have you got any chat-up lines?

-If you were a bogey, I'd pick you first.

-Oh.

If you was a car door, I'd slam you.

Charming!

'The chat-up line he used, something about'

"I'd smash you" or something like that, I wasn't really feeling that.

Not a good chat-up line at all.

To be fair, I was dropping some horrible lines on her, to be honest,

-but it's all banter. I love it.

-He's quite, I don't know,

full of himself, likes to talk about himself.

I don't know, I'll have to see.

While Beth makes up her mind about Ross,

our next single girl is hoping to meet a true gentleman.

I'm Cally, I'm from London and I'm 29.

I'm hoping to make it to date two.

I haven't really made it to date two very often.

So the plan was to get married before I was 30,

but at the age of 29, it hasn't quite gone according to plan.

I've been a bridesmaid seven times.

They always say you're always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

I hope that's not true.

To me, if I had to pick almost the perfect girlfriend, it'd be Cally.

Loves sports. Knows all the rules.

Probably more than the boyfriend does.

Many people say to me, they cannot understand

why Cally is still single.

My first love was amazing.

I went out with him for four-and-a-half years.

I lost my virginity to him. I went through university with him.

He actually dumped me a month before my finals, which wasn't ideal.

Still got a first, though, so...!

But it would just be nice for a guy to kind of have me at "hello"

and make me smile.

This is really nerve-wracking, waiting to meet him now.

With both scoring high on confidence and ambition,

Cally's match is Ben, from London.

-Hi, how are you?

-How are you doing?

-Good to see you.

Look at this!

I'm so scared about this.

-I'm going to fall down the steps. Shall we go for it?

-Yeah, let's go.

Already explaining that she's afraid, and he's protecting her.

Wow, he's really hot, I'm really pleased.

Do you reckon we can just leg it out of the room now?

What have we done?

She seems nice. I hope she's my type, I don't know. We'll see.

Look, it's all going to be fun, isn't it? It's going to be fine.

I'm happy. Please let him be happy too, or this is going to be brutal!

So can you see how we've been matched?

Yeah, I can. I mean, I said kind of tall, broad, sporty,

so I guess they had to go tall and broad and sporty.

-I guess I am tall.

-Six foot six, they got the tall right.

He's definitely my type. I'm definitely attracted to Ben,

and his manners are gorgeous and he's quite funny, so...

-I'm pretty impressed with science so far.

-It's going well.

She's really nice. Like, you know instantly

that we could really easily get on

and I can see why the compatibility test has paired us up.

She's a really nice girl.

I always find it weird when girls are taller than guys in couples.

I know I shouldn't, but I do find it a bit weird.

I really wouldn't go for a girl taller than me.

Ben looks like a great fit for Cally.

Next, hoping for an understanding man

is 29-year-old mother-of-three, Olley.

If you're single, you know you're ready to meet someone

when you're not enjoying being on your own any more.

Being on your own can be fun, you know, but I'm not...

I wouldn't say I'm not enjoying it, but I am ready to share.

Both the outgoing type, Olley's paired with City broker Darren.

-How are you doing?

-Really good.

You look amazing.

We're both punching the air. We've got two happy people.

-What's your name?

-Olley.

-I'm Darren.

-He's really good-looking.

I didn't expect to be with someone good-looking.

First impression, great body, attractive face. Pretty pleased.

I'm very happy about it.

They click immediately, but,

knowing it's been an issue for guys in the past,

Olley's upfront about her family life.

Tell me about yourself. What do you do?

OK. I've got three children. I'm a registered carer to them.

-My life in the week's really tough.

-Yeah, I can well believe that.

He did go a bit quiet, but sometimes people go quiet

because they don't really know what to say.

My genuine reaction to finding out Olley has kids

was a little bit of shock.

It's a big thing. It's not the only thing.

Hundreds of single people put their faith in a scientific formula.

And as the day draws to a close,

some promising pairings have been made.

How did the date go? Er... well, I think it went well.

She's nice, she's really nice.

I think we'd see each other again, I'd like to see you again.

Yeah, I think, hopefully, yeah.

I was actually thinking I might ask for a lift home.

You should, rather than get the coach.

Well, I mean, like...

He hasn't asked for my number yet, but he's asked for a lift home,

-so that's a good sign!

-Well, I can ask for your number.

-We'll see each other again in the car park.

-Yeah.

I thought I was going to be put with a massive geek

so it's quite nice to be put with someone, like, quite normal.

You can compliment me, you don't have to just call me normal.

Lovely to meet you.

And you too. Get home safely.

-Bye!

-Over and out. Let's see what happens in round two.

I think our date went really well today.

Yeah, I agree, really well.

-We've got a lot in common, haven't we?

-Yeah, definitely.

-Definitely going to see each other again.

-If I can persuade you to come to Chester.

It's a nice place. I'll give you the guided tour.

Look at me, going all shy now that you've mentioned the date!

It's been a week since the launch of the experiment.

Tonight, Alex has invited Tash out for drinks in her home town.

Got a checked shirt on, skinny jeans, Converse trainers.

Actually, no, they're not, are they, they're Redeemers classic trainers.

And my geek glasses. I'm really nervous...

Again. I always get nervous on a first date.

So my heart's racing a little bit.

I might have to have an alcoholic beverage to calm me down.

On the 50-minute journey from her place in Manchester,

Tash has been thinking about the first time they met.

Everything that came out of my mouth,

she was like, "Me too," and vice versa

and it was just crazy, like,

things that I hadn't even submitted into the compatibility test

were coming up and it was just crazy how much we had in common.

Also, there was a lot of physical attraction there.

I think she's gorgeous.

Australian-born Tash is now working full time in the UK.

My plan is to stay here for a while.

I'm not one for living here for a week

and then saying I'm going to go home.

I try to stick things out.

I've done the whole single travelling thing

and I'm getting over it, it gets overrated after a while.

She's been travelling around the world,

but has decided to settle in Manchester.

Basically, the main reason I came here

was because my sister lives here.

She tends to go for people that are quieter than her

but also dress well, well-spoken, quite intelligent people.

I love going on dates.

All the anticipation before the date and everything,

and after the date, the messaging and all that.

I love it so much.

Hello! You all right?

How are you?

I'm all right.

Alex and Tash got on so well when they first met,

their expectations for tonight are sky high.

Have you got OCD with knives and forks? Or is that just me?

No, you clearly do!

You just did this. There's a knife on each side,

so that doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever.

-What are you talking about?

-Just blame it on the nerves, yeah?

-Yeah.

I think it's going all right but I'm a bit nervous,

so I keep talking about really random stuff.

I'm quite good at making people fall in love with me.

I have an A* in that.

-Really?

-Yeah.

So you're a heartbreaker as well, then?

-No. They always break my heart.

-I think she's just as nervous as me.

She's told me she's usually never this nervous with anyone

and I've said the same thing,

so us being nervous shows that there's something there.

-Knock, knock.

-Who's there?

Interrupting starfish. Please tell me you haven't heard this before.

No, I haven't. Interrupting...

-Oh, my God, that was lame.

-How funny is that joke?

It is funny, but a little bit lame!

'My nerves haven't settled yet.'

I've been sat there for a while and it's still there, so...

A few more drinks, and then they will go. Maybe a ciggy.

Can we get two Jagerbombs?

Oh, wait, we have to look at each other.

Bad sex if you don't...right, go.

While things are going well...

Can I get another two?

..Alex wants to make sure they take things slowly.

I don't usually sleep with someone on the first date.

I'm very old-fashioned.

I like to see someone at least five or six times

before anything like that even...occurs.

If we take it slow, then that's fine,

but I'm really enjoying my time with her

and hopefully, it lasts a bit longer.

-Should I book you a taxi now?

-Yeah, so I don't miss the train.

'There's definitely a little spark there.'

Yeah, I'm pretty happy, so we'll keep in touch

and then we'll organise another date.

At the launch of the experiment,

unlucky-in-love Cally was matched with Ben.

And it looked like the experts had done well.

Look at this!

Wow, he's really hot, I'm really pleased.

I hope she's my type, I don't know. We'll see.

Ben did call, and today he's invited Cally to the zoo.

She wants to make just the right impression.

I want to make sure that I don't look like I've made too much effort,

because I'm not sure he's really into high-maintenance girls,

but equally, I don't want to look too slobby.

So far, Ben ticks all the right boxes

so I'm being really open-minded about it.

I am going to follow his lead.

I like a guy who takes the lead,

so if he doesn't make any physical contact at all,

maybe I'll take offence to that and think he doesn't fancy me at all.

Waiting patiently for his date, Ben's playing it cool.

I could tell straight away that she's a nice girl, we get on,

I really like that about her. There's not too much drama,

there's not sort of attention-seeking

and she's easy-going, which are all the kinds of things I look for.

Ben has been single for over eight years

and may be something of a commitment-phobe.

What is love? It's not something I know a huge amount about,

to be honest, given my past experiences.

I've been single for a long time.

I just think I'm quite fussy. I just haven't met anyone,

or maybe I'm just unlucky.

I haven't met anyone who, you know, sort of grabs me.

Ben's love life has been pretty atrocious, if I'm honest.

In the 12 years I've known him,

he's only really had one proper girlfriend and, you know,

maybe she broke his heart

and he's been pretty upset and not found anyone else since her.

I don't really know what my best qualities are.

I guess for some girls I'm tall, I guess that's good for some girls.

I'm really nervous. And I have no idea what Ben's wearing.

I'm just going to look for a really tall guy

and, um, get this whole hello out the way.

-Hello.

-How are you doing?

-How are you?

-You all right?

-Yeah, I'm good, thank you. Good to see you again.

-And you.

-I'll get it. It's a date, isn't it?

-"It's a date, isn't it?"

-Do you want to take control of where we go today?

-No.

-Please.

Really? Do I have to make decisions?

-I think we need one decision-maker, and it might as well be you.

-OK.

Ben may not be the world's best map-reader,

but when it comes to fun, he knows what he wants.

I'd like to see some monkeys and some gorillas.

Nice. Good shout.

Cally clearly likes Ben,

but it seems he's only got eyes for the monkeys.

-Pretty cool, aren't they?

-It's not a bad life, is it?

No, but it's not hugely exciting. This is their life.

Yeah, that's true.

'I still fancy Ben.'

His whole physique is gorgeous and I love the way he talks.

Little things like saying,

"These animals don't have much of an existence, it must be boring," -

I really like that because it shows

that he's proactive and wants more from life.

I think I've got quite a few friends

who haven't evolved very far from these guys!

-Boys or girls?

-Boys. Quick scratch.

'I still haven't really felt any flirting.

'We'll carry on walking round.'

See how he is around the big cats,

because that's got to bring out the phwoar-ness, surely!

Here are the big cats.

-Oh, the big cats are there.

-Yeah.

-Cool.

Oh, lions and tigers, here we go.

-Oh, there's a lion.

-Oh, yes, amazing.

I'm just worried that maybe I'm kind of more of the boy role today.

I'm making the decisions, I'm map-reading

and I think with all these animals around us,

just a bit more of the whole animal instinct would be good.

Personality-wise, she's really nice. I think she's a pretty girl.

What I don't know is if there's more than that or not.

Maybe if we go round here...

I've suggested we go somewhere warm, grab a drink and some food.

I felt like he needed coaxing into what to do next.

I think I've got it right.

Cally's hoping the flirting will get going over drinks.

I'm kind of cheesy in the sense of, Top Gun

-and Pretty Woman are up there.

-I haven't seen either of them.

-Oh, my God, you haven't seen Top Gun?

-No.

'Ben and I are still getting on really well,'

but I'm just really struggling to see if he fancies me back.

There is just no body language that suggests he's kind of interested.

It's almost as if we get on too well.

It's just, like, so easy,

so relaxed, that you don't think about anything else.

We're just, you know, having a nice time.

Yeah, I am just a slow burner.

I don't want to jump into things.

I know that I get on really well with Cally

and I think that we get on well enough

to be compatible in that respect.

-So I'm going that way.

-All right, Cally.

It was good to see you again.

Nice to see you. Have a nice evening.

Yeah, I'll speak to you soon. Bye.

You need to know, are things going to go any further or are things going to just be what they are now?

I guess I'll call her and have a chat about it, basically.

I feel he's just being really, really cautious with me

and I want to throw caution to the wind.

I want to just have fun, think to hell with it, let's flirt,

let's have at least some body contact.

There's nothing there at the moment and that lack of chemistry, for me,

I just worry, but I would be really happy

if Ben got in touch again because it would show he's interested.

When they met at the launch of the experiment, single mum Olley

and City broker Darren had an instant chemistry.

Great body, attractive face. I'm very happy about it.

He's really good-looking.

I didn't expect to be with someone good-looking.

Olley wants to share her family life with Mr Right.

I've been single, legally, for about three-and-a-half years.

I have had a few boyfriends since but it hasn't really,

kind of, developed into anything.

I've got a teenage daughter

and my youngest two are on the autistic spectrum.

I'm hugely, hugely protective of them, and they are my world.

She likes a mixture between Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Ricky Gervais.

Oh, it's going to be tough.

Olley's devoted to her daughters,

but she's also a girl who loves to party.

Put on mascara, pff. Eye shadow...

Because she's a young mum, she's embarrassing.

Every time I've met someone, I've kind of hoped my faith

in men would be restored but it just gets more eroded.

Obviously, my worry is for the children as well,

how will they feel?

But, um, I think they're more excited than me!

The guy that I meet, if he's the right one for me,

has to be the right one for my family.

They are the biggest priority in my life over anything,

and it's got to take a really big man

and a really special person to understand my situation.

When they said goodbye at the launch,

Olley thought Darren could be "the one".

Bye!

Over and out. Let's see what happens in round two.

But since then, he's had a change of heart.

Bit cheesed off, really. After everything's that gone on,

Darren has decided to tell me that he wouldn't, um,

wouldn't ever date a parent, which,

you know, I kind of had such high hopes

because of how well we got on prior to that, obviously,

because the whole point of me being me and of me doing this

is because of my situation being a parent,

so you just feel, like, a bit like a bubble's burst.

They've agreed to meet and talk it through,

and Olley's not holding back on the outfit.

Baddabam!

We get on, so I'm looking forward to seeing him anyway.

I'm not going to try and change his mind.

Despite having the big dress on with the boobs out,

I'm not trying to change his mind! Honest.

-All right?

-Not bad.

-It's freezing.

-I know. How are you? You look great.

-Hello.

I mean, obviously, kind of, it is good to see you again.

I mean, um, I feel like I have to be honest and say

I don't think we can, kind of, have anything relationship-wise.

-Yeah.

-Um, I just think

the scenario is just too much for me to take on.

I'm not upset with you or anything

but the problem is, we do get on incredibly well.

I really wish we didn't get on.

It's just... It's just... Yeah, I just don't think it's me.

As soon as I found out she had children, for me, I was like

"I've kind of got to be honest now."

I mean, I don't want to kind of give false hope.

-It's a tough thing for Olley to hear.

-It was good to see you.

Yes, really lovely to see you again. Take care of yourself.

It's a shame. Yeah, of course it's a shame but, you know,

life goes on and I'm very, very fortunate.

You know, I go home and I've got three people that love me

and I love them, so I'm, I'm a really, really lucky girl.

Whatever happens in my life, I'm a really, really lucky girl.

It's been three weeks since Alex and Tash last met

and Alex is getting ready for date number two.

I'm hoping that when I feel more relaxed, that, um, you know,

that me and her can actually see each other properly

rather than just dating.

I know it's, like, really early days yet

but I'm hoping that something will come out of it.

I need to know what she wants, really,

cos she hasn't made that very clear.

And plus, she's only got a two-year visa anyway,

so I don't know how that's going to work.

It kind of holds me back on, like, the way I feel because she could

just disappear off to the other side of the world at any point.

This time, Alex is meeting Tash near her place in Manchester.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-You all right?

-I'm good, how are you?

It's soon obvious the chemistry is still there.

I missed again!

It's going actually really, really well.

I'm having a lot of fun and I think she is as well.

Boom!

I do fancy her, as you can tell by the smile on my face.

-Oohh!

-Go get that one.

It's going well, yeah, we're having a laugh. Um...it's nice.

I thought that was going to be a strike.

Things are going so well, Alex wants to talk about her one fear.

-What bothers me is, like, we're dating and stuff...

-Uh-huh.

..but you might just, like, fuck off at any point and it's like...

OK. Yeah, but, like, I wouldn't do that,

like I'm not the type of person that would just like fuck off,

and would just catch a plane home.

I'm not nearly ready to go home. I've got a two-year working visa.

Then you could put me in your suitcase and take me with you, yeah?

-Exactly, that's right. Problem solved.

-OK.

We spoke about her and how long she's going to be in the UK for.

She said that she's definitely going to be here for, like,

two years so I was like...phew,

cos I was like, "Oh, this isn't going to work if she's going to go back over there."

It's always going to play in the back of someone's mind,

like, you don't want to fall for someone and then have them

leave and, like, be heartbroken-type thing, so I think the sensible

thing is to ask this early just to see, like, if I am serious.

Do you just want to come back to mine for a drink or something?

-Yeah, yeah.

-Yeah?

-That'd be cool. I want to see where you live anyway.

-So this is my humble abode.

-Very nice.

Alex heads back for one last drink.

-SHE YAWNS I'm so tired.

-Me too.

-You haven't seen my flat yet, have you?

-No.

You need to see it. I'll make sure it's tidy.

Obviously I don't give a shit.

But she doesn't want Tash to get the wrong impression.

I can honestly say I've never had a one-night stand,

-and I would never, ever do it. It's just not my thing.

-Really?

Never.

I've been used once.

That was not nice. Oh, my God. I woke up the next day

and it was just like, "Oh, I've got to go now." I was like, "What?"

Bitch.

Yeah, that's shit.

When we got back to the house, it was a little bit awkward then,

cos it was like, do we kiss, do we not kiss?

It was one of them.

I'm going to get going now.

All right. That's cool. I'm tired and you're tired.

Because we've got to get up, haven't we?

They decide to take it slow...until, that is, they say their goodbyes.

Night. I will text you later.

-OK.

-OK.

-Night.

-Wish me luck getting home.

-I will.

-Bye.

-Bye.

Yeah, that was nice.

I can't stop smiling, look. Yeah, it was good.

(It's a little bit shit she has to home...)

And she lives far away which is really shit,

because a longer snog would have been much nicer.

Everything's going really well,

so the science is still proving to be really good.

I'm very happy, yeah. Yes, it's been a successful date number two.

At the launch of this ambitious experiment,

hundreds of people met their scientific match on stage.

-Do you want a piggy back?

-Yeah, I'd love a piggy back!

But in the following days,

many people decided they were better off single.

Nightclub entertainer Ryan made a striking entrance

but he failed to win over trainee lawyer Toni.

That was totally embarrassing.

-You are very much my type.

-Am I? OK, good.

And they didn't see each other again.

When Ross met Beth, his chat-up lines didn't go down well.

If you was a car door, I'd slam you.

-I wasn't really feeling that.

-It's all banter, I love it.

Beth did agree to go on another date...

but Ross's banter didn't come up to scratch.

Well, he thinks he's got, like, loads of banter,

but he's not really got that much.

Right, are we going to get off? Because I'm falling asleep.

-Am I boring?

-Yeah, you're boring me that much. I'm going to fall asleep.

Whatever you say. I'm getting a bit bored now, to be fair.

There's something missing a little bit, I think.

It's not instant, like, chemistry.

And they also dropped out of the experiment.

It's been two weeks since Alex and Tash shared their first kiss.

Today, Alex has invited Tash to stay the night.

And she's drafted in help with the cooking from her mate Andy.

Is this the first night you'll have spent together?

-Yeah.

-Really?

-I'm shitting myself!

I can't catch a train home early enough.

I kind of have to stay, which is a bad thing. Damn(!)

I'm really bloody nervous now. I've actually got butterflies again.

Her staying over is a big deal for me.

I mean, it's not just because it's Natasha. Anyone that stays

over on the first night, I always feel really uncomfortable.

-Hello.

-Hi. How are you?

-Oh, my God, you're freezing.

-I know, it's so cold outside.

-Come in, come, come in.

-This is Andy.

-Hi.

-Hello.

-How are you going?

-Yeah, I'm not too bad. Yourself?

-Good, good. Aww. Thanks.

-And an Easter Egg.

-You're so cute. Thank you.

-No worries. I'm glad you like it. Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Is that what they say in Australia?

-What? Do they say "cheers"? Yeah.

-Yeah?

-Mm-hm.

-Ah, that's so good.

-Mmm, that's really good.

-Take care.

-Andy says his goodbyes.

-Nice to meet you.

-You too.

And the conversation is soon flowing.

My mum called me one day and she's, like, "Do you like girls? Or do you like both?"

And I was like, "No, I just like girls," and we just had,

like, a chat about it and, like, she was a bit, like,

"You know, I expected my daughter to get married to man," la la la,

but then, like, she thought I was going through a phase but now she's, like, totally fine with it.

-God, my Mum thinks I'm an alien now.

-No!

-Mmm. She's always asking, "So have you met any nice men recently?"

-No.

It's not long before things get intimate.

What fetishes do you have? If you don't mind me asking.

Fetishes? I love, like, cold fingers in the palm of my hands...like that.

And that turns you on?

Yes. So, like, the cold is in the... I know that's really weird.

See ya!

And later they take things to the next level.

-Are you trying to get me drunk, missus?

-No!

I'm going to go shut the curtains.

BIRDSONG

We went into the bedroom...

Things happened and it was nice.

We snuggled on the couch and watched Finding Nemo, um,

and then we went to bed, and you cannot know the rest of what

happened after that, but let's just say it was a really good night.

It's been two months since Cally and Ben met at the launch.

Tonight, they're meeting for the first time since their date at the zoo.

Whether or not we're anything more than just friends, I don't know.

We'll have a few drinks tonight and see how we get on and, yeah, go from there, I guess.

I still really fancy him,

he's a hot guy, but if the spark's not there, it's kind of running its course,

and I really want to, um... I think tonight's the decider for me.

Ben wants his good friend James from university to meet Cally.

I'd say Ben doesn't rush into much.

The girls he meets, he tends to see once or twice,

then that's the end of that. He's pretty laid-back. Maybe he has a fear of commitment,

maybe it's just that he genuinely hasn't found anyone that he likes.

Hello. It's freezing. How are you doing? Nice to see you.

You all right? Nice to see you. This is Jaz.

Hi, nice to meet you. Sorry, my hands are freezing.

-You're freezing cold.

-I know. It's pretty chilly out there. Would you like a drink?

Can I have a vodka, lime and soda, please?

Cheers.

She seems like Ben's ideal match, she's really fun, bubbly, chatty.

He might find after five or six dates

suddenly the spark comes and happens.

-It was lovely to meet you, Cally.

-Really lovely to meet you.

James leaves them to it, hoping Ben will give Cally a chance,

but for now that spark remains elusive.

She's a pretty girl, you know, I think she is pretty.

Whether or not she gets me sort of physically interested,

I don't know. It hasn't happened yet.

The worst that can happen is we get on as friends.

Um, the best that can happen is we find the spark.

It's early summer, and Alex and Tash have been getting closer.

It's going so well, Alex plans to ask Tash to be her exclusive girlfriend.

I hope she says yes because I'll feel like a bit of a tit if she doesn't.

Tonight, we'll see what she says. Pop the question, as it were.

But before she gets the chance, Tash gets in touch first.

You said you had something to tell me? On the text.

'Yeah, OK, so you know how I really hate my job at the moment?

-Yeah.

-'I kind of quit my job and I got a new job...'

-Right.

-'..but it's in Scotland.'

-Fuck off.

'Yeah... So, like, I accepted it so I'm moving to Scotland.'

Shit.

Um...when? Like, soon?

'Yeah, like, in a few days.'

This is the thing, I'm not going to see you now.

This is horrible. I was actually going to ask you out.

-'Really?'

-Yeah.

-'Like, officially out?'

Yeah. I don't really want to end it with you at all,

-but I don't know how you feel about it.

-'It's such a good opportunity, type thing.'

Yeah, of course.

'But I don't want to lose you, type thing.'

OK, darling. Bye, bye, bye.

So I'm feeling a bit down now.

And I just wanted to share with you that I've got a text message

off her literally just now, um, saying, "I'm really sorry if that came as such a shock,"

sad face, "I'm glad you're happy for me but I will miss you so much.

"PS, are you my girlfriend?"

I'm going to do my best to save up some cash and get up there.

And also, I really, really, really want to see her before she goes.

If her new job goes well, Tash will be away for the whole of the summer.

I've never have done long-distance relationships,

so I think that in itself shows how much I like her.

Um...

Look at my face right now, like, um, yeah.

I really like her and I'm really willing to give this a go,

and I've said to her on the phone as well, like,

it's not like I'm going for ever, I'm coming back. It's just a summer position

and, yeah, hopefully, I really hope we can work through it,

and at the end of the day I'll come back and everything will be happy days.

Today, Alex has come to wave her off.

There you go.

Awww!

-It's really cute!

-That's the reaction I wanted!

-Will you come with me?

-What, to Scotland?

-Just come in my backpack.

-Shall I get in your bag? I could probably fit in there.

-I'm scared.

Don't be scared. You're going to have a great time.

-I promise you I'll ring you when I get there.

-OK. All right.

-Text me...

-I'll text you when I'm on the bus. OK... Bye.

-Bye.

Like, shit, I'm putting on a brave face.

I kind of wish I could have gone with her now.

I'm just going to get some money and go,

because I'm not going to wait five months.

Back in London, Cally is getting ready to meet Ben.

As she's still not sure where things are going with him,

she's getting advice from a friend.

We get on really well.

There isn't any issue with personality or

anything like that, but there just hasn't been any flirting.

Just like you have, like, a really good time

but you don't want to, like, kiss him or anything like that?

I don't know. I always take the guy's lead, so I'd never...

It's not like I've leant in to kiss him

and he's pulled away or anything!

-80-20! Cally!

-No!

It's more that we get on really well, and yeah,

we make each other laugh, enjoy each other's company, but there isn't...

-The spark maybe.

-There isn't the chemistry, yeah.

She's just so warm and friendly that people tend to always see her

as this great person to have in their life

and to be around, rather than, that's what I want in my girlfriend.

That afternoon, when they meet...

Hi, how are you?

..Ben finally opens up.

I think they've done a really good job at matching us,

and I said, in fact this is probably my cheesiest line...

probably I've ever said...

You're lying. I'm sure you've said other cheesy lines.

No, no, no, I'm about... what I said before, I said that it would be brilliant

if my wife had Cally's personality. Oh, great(!)

-I'd be

-happy... You know when you say, like, she's got a really nice personality?

Oh, no, look, I don't mean that at all.

I meant it as a nice thing, in that I think that you're brilliant

but I don't think we've ever had, like...

-We just haven't taken it past that...

-Yeah.

And I think that's, you know,

but I mean that in a really nice way.

In a really nice way, I just don't fancy you.

No, but...we haven't had that, like, nothing...

No, I don't think it's really, like, taken off at all...

-No.

-..in that regard.

But it is really nice that we get on so well.

I always laugh when someone says,

"They've got a really nice personality," because I think it just means

that you're a bit of a minger and nobody really fancies you.

You have to get on well to be in a relationship, that's key,

but I think you also have to be very physically attracted to someone.

I think it's really nice that Ben's just been so honest and, um,

I know where I stand.

I think... He's just...

I don't think he's looking for a relationship, and I think it really

will take someone very special to change his mind about being single.

I'm obviously not that person,

but whoever does change his mind will be a really lucky girl.

Shall we go and get a drink and an ice cream?

-Sounds like a good idea. Hangover cure.

-I was going to say!

Cally and Ben are out of the experiment.

-What are you going for?

-Don't know, really.

It's been two months since Tash left for the far north of Scotland.

Alex has spoken to her almost every day

and now she's making the 450-mile trip to see her.

I've got to get four bloody trains,

and seven-and-a-half hours it's going to take.

I really care about her, you know? I really like her a lot. There's a lot of feelings there.

I don't like to say I'm in love too quick

cos it always makes me run away.

Tash has taken time off from her hotel job

-and planned a romantic weekend...

-Oh, no!

..in her two-women love shack.

I'm so excited for Alex to come up.

Since, like, I've been away and stuff, I've just wanted to see

her more and just missed her so much, and stuff.

It shows the effort she's putting in to come and see me, and stuff.

I'm really excited. I've been excited since I booked my ticket.

I just want to get there now, I'm getting really anxious.

-Hello!

-Hello!

-Bloody hell. You live in the middle of nowhere.

-I know.

-You OK?

This is amazing. Look at it.

Look at you...

Yeah. I'm not used to this at all. Come here.

So here I am. Woo-hoo. And I'm glad to be here.

In the middle of nowhere.

It's awesome. It's very romantic. Like, I think we should go on the beach.

-Beach walk.

-Yeah, that would be so cute.

-Yeah.

I'm well romantic, you haven't seen that side of me...

Oh, yes you have, when I cooked you that dinner. Aww.

It's really good seeing her, yeah. Really, really nice.

It's like we haven't been apart, it's weird.

Wait, I need the plate there, you loser! Get another one!

I'm SO happy to see Alex, it's so good.

I thought it might be a bit weird and stuff

because I haven't see her for a while but it's so good to see her

in this environment. We can have time to ourselves and, yeah, it's going to be good.

-I've missed your ass!

-I know, you too.

Good morning, Alex.

I'm not even going to open my eyes, I'm too tired.

-Grumpy, grumpy Alex.

-The things I do for you, Natasha.

-She's alive!

-There's cleavage going on here.

# I had a dream

# And I can't thinking about it Baby... #

-What are you doing?

-Pushing you in!

-Ah, you twat!

Their precious time together is coming to an end.

Soon, Alex and Tash will be hundreds of miles apart once again,

and they both want reassurance they'll stay exclusive.

Like, I do miss you, but I think we're coping pretty well with what

-we're doing and how it's going.

-Yeah, I do.

Has that opportunity come up, since I've been away?

I'm not going to lie.

-I have had the opportunity, but I would never do that.

-Yeah.

I'm not... I've never been a cheater, and if I did, I'd tell you,

-because the guilt would just kill me.

-Yeah, yep.

-And you?

-Like I've had opportunity but...

-But you didn't do anything?

-No, I didn't do anything.

I've absolutely loved the last 24 hours.

It's been amazing to spend time with Alex,

and I hope we can do it again soon.

I'm feeling good after our little chat, actually.

I got a few things off my chest,

and I haven't got any worries whatsoever.

I'm just feeling positive and happy.

Back home, as the weeks pass,

Alex's feelings for Tash grow even stronger.

I think I realised I was in love when we were in Scotland, actually.

When we had time alone, it was really romantic,

like, really nice.

And whenever I do hear from her, it's like...woo!

So, yeah, I'm definitely in love,

I'm not afraid to say it now, I'm in love with her.

But soon, the phone calls get fewer.

Things have gone a bit weird on my end, because I've not been

able to speak to her as often as I have been doing, and it's

making things a little bit difficult and it's stressing me out a bit

but over Facebook, she's told me, like, not to worry about things.

-How are you stranger?

-'I'm really good.'

I know it's cos you're working hard, so don't worry.

'You can call me on this phone whenever and, like,

-'we can organise a Skype chat and stuff.'

-Yay. I want to Skype.

The relationship can only work if we stay in contact with each other,

and at the minute, there's hardly any contact at all,

so it's...it's a bit strange because we've gone from speaking every day to, like, not speaking

for days at a...you know, three days at a time.

When are you free?

'Um... Oh...

-'Um, I don't know. Not really today.'

-Ah, OK.

-'I'm really busy at work.'

-What a bugger. Oh, well.

I'm just making all the effort, basically.

She hasn't made me feel special, not once, which is crap.

Finally, Tash's job in Scotland comes to an end.

Tash is back in three weeks, so I'm very excited.

We're going to meet up and have dinner or something, I think,

and discuss what she's going to do next, cos she's like

a Kinder egg, you know, she could surprise me with anything.

Tash is back today, but for personal reasons, she's decided to do

something Alex has been dreading since they met almost a year ago.

She called me about a week ago now and, um,

and told me that she was moving back to Australia.

About a month ago, I decided it's time,

I'm ready to go home, I've done my travelling,

I've done my working and, um, it's time to go home.

-Hello.

-Hi.

How are ya? Look at you, all blonde.

-Yeah, I know, you haven't seen my blonde.

-I've gone black.

With Tash set to leave in a few days,

Alex wants to make the most of their last time together.

-Tash, help!

-I can't, I'm tangled myself.

Seeing her today, it's all right, do you know what I mean?

It's not awkward, it's just a bit sad.

We're still...yeah, just on friendly terms.

I don't know if she feels the same way,

but I think friendship is the best way for us.

I did want to kiss her, yeah, but I can't, and it's horrible!

Thank you.

-I've been quite down about it.

-Yeah.

-I'm not going to lie.

The whole saying goodbye thing,

I think the reason Alex is a bit more emotional than me

is cos I've already dealt with it, you know, I decided

a while ago that I was going to leave, and I've dealt with it then.

-I don't want you to go.

-I'm sorry. It's time.

If you ever decided to come back to the UK, I would like to try again.

-Yeah.

-Like, even if we just went out for a date, or something.

We'll see, I've got no plans yet.

I hate the fact that she's leaving, after everything.

I really hate it, because it takes so much for me to connect with someone on such a level.

It's so sad, it's horrible, it's like really ending now, isn't it?

It's, like, the end.

At the beginning we were awkward, at the end we are awkward.

Listen, thank you so much for everything.

-I know.

-It's been amazing.

-It has.

-Like, I'm sorry it's got to end like this but...I'm happy that you're happy anyway.

-Yeah.

I'm upset, but I'm happy that you're going home to

-see your family and stuff.

-Yeah.

-Do you feel all right?

-Yeah.

-I feel like shit.

It was hard to say goodbye but I'm a bit stronger than her,

I can look at it realistically, whereas maybe she's living in, like, a fantasy that,

you know, this could work.

-Bye, love you loads.

-You too. Bye.

Take care. Bye! I don't want to go. Bye.

That was horrible.

I've never felt this much about someone before...

..so this is, like, my first proper love, I think.

Well, yeah, it is, and I just feel like I've let it go.

But I haven't got any option but to let her go.

This experience has really shown me that there

are people out there who I can really connect with,

and Natasha's shown me that there are nice people out there.

Ah, I just want her to be happy.

And I'm sure that I will be happy, like, again.

We follow more couples taking part in this unique

relationship experiment.

I've not had a relationship yet.

I'm feeling pretty nervous, I'm not going to lie.

My impressions are, he's a bit cocky.

I can't get beaten by a girl driving.

-I'm hoping he's going to like it.

-Lucky pants.

Mwah. Happy birthday.

Things are going in the right direction.

Now I'm being coy!

You can't really have a laugh on a blanket, so...

I don't think this is going as well as some of the other dates we've been on.

I'm still not believing it's going to happen. Ahh!

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