Michelle and her date Killian struggled to find a spark, or a conversation topic, during an uneasy appearance on the RTE dating show.

It was a date that was doomed from the start – pairing a Donegal woman with a Cork man created all sorts of complications, but this reality series has been known for quality match making and Michelle had a whole community of fans cheering her on.

It wasn’t meant to be for Letterkenny nurse’s aide Michelle when she was paired with Killian, a corporate crisis manager who has endured romantic crises in the past.

Michelle Simmons – First Dates Ireland

Killian’s nerves were clear from the moment he entered the restaurant, and not even the gorgeous Donegal woman could calm him down.

The conversation was stilted from the start, as their first hurdle was the accent barrier. Whether it was nerves or snappy editing, the TV producers portrayed the date as ‘one of the most awkward yet’. Their icebreaker questions and silences are a familiar occurrence on most dates, but many viewers felt their discomfort.

Killian was keen to point out his awkwardness and get it over with. He admitted he was no stranger to the blind dating scene, and in fairness, he managed to make her smile once with a kind compliment: “You look fabulous anyway, you really do,” Killian said.

The only hint at flirting was when Killian joked he was something of a Christian Grey, having worked in an adult shop for a ‘brief’ period. The pun might have been intentional, but the dialogue later became fifty shades of awkward.

Alas, any hope of a spark between the pair was suddenly dashed in a tense TV moment. Killian asked Michelle how long she had been a nurse, but when she replied ‘10 years’, she joked that he wasn’t quick enough to feign disbelief at her age.

“You’re meant to say ‘Really? As in, you’re too young looking to be in a children’s ward 10 years'” Michelle had to explain.

RTE

“Any shovel there, I’ll dig a big hole for myself,” Killian said.

“And I’ll stand on top of it,” she sharply replied.

Considering Killian was so fond of pointing out his own jokes, it was a pity he didn’t catch on to Michelle’s attempts at having a bit of craic. She said at the start that she was a romantic soul looking for someone who was tall, funny and kind. Unfortunately it seems her search will have to continue.

There was just one thing they connected on – the shared opinion that it would be best not to date again. They left the restaurant amicably, as Killian admitted he just wasn’t in top form to woo the radiant Michelle.

“Tired, long week, no excuses, it’s all down to me, I wasn’t at my best,” was his post-date analysis.

The audience was quick to agree: