Channel 4's First Dates waitress Laura Tott told The Sun that the new series will include influencers and daters who hold "bizarre jobs" and that viewers can expect several twists.
Returning for the show's 26th series after originally appearing from 2013 to 2021, the paramedic-turned-waitress said familiar faces will walk through the restaurant's door.
She quoted, "We have a couple of familiar faces coming through the door. People with very bizarre jobs. There's a guy coming in with a job that's a talking point. There's a few influencers, I would say, that people will know. And yeah, there's definitely some twists and turns and a few surprises."
Tott also described the current First Dates location in Bath's Octagon Chapel, a grade-II listed building that replaced earlier London and Manchester sites, noting the set remains unchanged.
According to her, the restaurant operates as a normal eatery with cameras positioned only in the background, allowing staff and diners to act naturally.
"Genuinely, it is like a restaurant, it is like a shift. The cameras are in the background," she said, adding that this setup helps daters feel at ease and enables intimate conversation.
She explained a typical shift starts before opening with team meetings, continues through service, and ends with clear-down, mirroring a regular restaurant routine.
Tott mentioned meeting colleague Cici Coleman for coffee before work and sharing pints with Merlin after a shift, emphasizing that the job feels ordinary despite the TV setting.
