#Dates #bartender #Victor #Valentines #Day #Special #celebrities #dreading #Woman
You always welcome candidates at the bar, what is it like to now be known as a love expert?
“That’s very strange. I’m actually just a bartender, but I happen to be on a love program. That makes people think I know a lot about love. I also see a lot of First Dates, but I can’t say that really makes me an expert. Far from.”
Have you dated a lot yourself?
“Yes, I have always liked dating. I already enjoy meeting new people and am genuinely interested. That’s what also keeps First Dates interesting for me. I think everyone is nervous before a first date, you don’t know the other person well yet and you want to appear interested.
Fortunately, this usually goes smoothly, but I always give candidates a tip to ask further questions. That often leads to the best conversations, otherwise you end up in a question-answer situation. Not all topics need to be discussed on the first date, so take your time.”
Are you happy in love now?
“Certainly! We’re doing great. In September 2021 we met in a café in Amsterdam. Two weeks later we were already together in Curaçao. We have now bought a house together and we are still very happy with each other.”
What can we expect from this ‘First Dates Valentine Special’?
“Lots of love. Famous Dutch people are also just people, so sparks can fly here too. I always enjoy seeing that and I also had some really nice conversations with the candidates. You make yourself vulnerable, especially if you are famous.
For example, Boss B (singer and rapper Bart Zeilstra – ed.) is sitting at the bar. That’s a nice guy, very sympathetic. Everyone already knows him, of course, but he has developed himself a lot and now does all kinds of things with psychology in combination with music. I like it when people show a completely different side.”
Is it very different to make this program with celebrities?
“That’s actually not too bad. For example, the first time Giel Beelen sat with me at the bar. He was super nervous. I really had to put him at ease to play into his hands a bit. I find that funny to see, because I was dreading it myself at first. I thought: wow, I’m going to get a celebrity at the bar.
But they are also just people who find it exciting to show themselves in this way, I think that also makes it fun to watch. The concept is very simple, two people sit down and have a conversation. But it is pure television and it works.”
Would you participate in ‘First Dates’ if you had not yet found love?
“That is a difficult question. Actually, I always say that every single should participate, for several reasons. You expose yourself, so you never know what will come from that. After the broadcasts, candidates often receive messages, or people register via our site to date a candidate who has previously participated.
I also think that your priorities change through such participation. Many people have come to me and said that after the program they had suddenly met someone nice. If you are open to it, you suddenly have a lot more fun! I don’t believe in manifesting, but this is in the same corner.”
The success rate is not very high…
“That depends on what you take as a success rate. It is also somewhat up to the candidates themselves. The date can be a lot of fun, but you have to move on immediately. It’s First Dates, not Married at first Sight, we plan one date and then they really have to do it themselves.
But we also have so-called success stories, which are candidates who immediately plan a second date and then appear on the air again.”
Do you sometimes see at the bar when something is a mismatch?
“Yes, that happens sometimes. Sometimes someone already has the wrong name due to a bad memory, then you are immediately 2-0 behind. For example, we recently had a candidate who said ‘no’ because they had too many similarities. Then you sometimes think: what should we match on?
Everyone is basically looking for the same thing, but you cannot squash love. Sometimes you think ‘this is really the match’ and then it doesn’t work out at all. Other times you have a slightly worse match and suddenly there are fireworks. That keeps going in all directions, which is funny to see.”
Do you have any fun plans for Valentine’s Day?
“No actually not. My girlfriend is abroad for work and I usually work on Valentine’s Day, that’s how love can go. We just went on holiday to Gran Canaria, so we celebrate love plenty of times.”
The first episode of the First Dates Valentine Special can be seen on NPO 3 on Monday evening at 7:25 PM.
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