First Dates star Merlin Griffiths has opened up ahead of a special episode airing in the coming days. The bartender, who's been on the show since the first season filmed the Christmas episode in a new restaurant in Bath. "It's such a beautiful space to be in. It was home to the Royal Society of photography before, but it dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. It has this big vaulted, domed space, and we've got this awesome gallery up around the to and makes it a really grand sort of feeling and a grand sort of place to be," the 49-year-old told the Mirror.
Griffiths gets the opportunity to speak to some of the candidates on the dates whilst he's fixing them a drink. “I feel the pressure when you sort of feel that they're having a shaky start. That's when I sort of feel the pressure. I just step back and let you get on with it, which is my preferred route, obviously, I don't want to be a third wheel," he explains.
The Christmas episode is sure to bring joy for viewers and give a boost into the Christmas season “As far as I'm aware, my friends behind the scenes tell me that we have more matches this time than ever before. It’s been a roundly successful series across the board, so you embrace it," adds Gritthis.
Griffiths and the cast of First Dates have outwardly spoken about their close bond with one another. "We message regularly and we do things. Cici’s [Coleman] been traveling quite a lot this last year but we stay in touch. Fred regularly messages me, he's really good for a man who is astoundingly busy these days.
