A Dundee man is still looking for love after appearing on a hit TV dating show in New Zealand.
Martin Harkin from Lansdowne in Dundee moved to Auckland in February.
He secured a job as a barber at Boar & Blade in the city.
The 27-year-old, who also uses the name Eugene Thunder, told the Tele the opportunity to appear on the show arose one day when he was cutting a customer’s hair.
The man turned out to be a TV agent, and the wheels were then set in motion that led to Eugene appearing on First Dates New Zealand — a Down Under spin-off of the hit UK show.
He said: “I was cutting this guy’s hair and we got chatting.
“He asked me to join his agency for acting work as an extra.
“A friend suggested I should go on the reality show First Dates. I applied but I didn’t think for one second that I would ever make it through.
“I guess they liked how strange I was. They said the interview had gone well and confirmed me for the show. I got an email a month later saying I had to be ready to film — I was really nervous.”
Martin was whisked to the TVNZ studios to take part in the show, which was screened in New Zealand on Tuesday.
He said: “Before you go on the date they ask about your interests in someone, what your type is and what you dislike about a girl.
“They ask if you’ve been in love before and other stuff like that.”
Martin was paired with Molly, a 20-year-old communications student who was trying to break her habit of falling for “bad boys”.
He added: “When they asked me what kind of girl I would go for, I said short girls and they gave me a tall chick.
“When I saw the girl I had been matched up with I just knew there was nothing there.
“The producers just set you up to fail really.
“I just went for the banter. I told Molly that I was a frisbee coach from the UK who had come to New Zealand to coach the Olympic team for Rio — and she believed me. Going on a date with someone you’ve never met before and have no idea what they look like is scary.
“The show was a fun experience but the date was not a success. We had to sit at the bar and have an awkward chat for about 20 minutes before our table was ready.”
Martin said: “I didn’t pay for my date. Molly didn’t reach for her purse, suggesting that I was to pay, so I just said I didn’t have my bank card — it didn’t go down well.
“At the end of the date we both agreed that it was a laugh and we were basically just friends.”