I was on First Dates and ‘broke the show’ with ‘most sexual moment’ ever – only for producers to stitch me right up
AS she took another glug of champagne, Chrissie Wunna told her romantic suitor they would have “really good sex” and playfully branded him “really naughty”.
The cheeky conversations were like nothing seen before on Channel 4’s family-friendly matchmaking show First Dates and went down in show history.
It was even branded the programme’s “most sexually charged date ever”, much to former Playboy and Page 3 model Chrissie’s surprise.
The Doncaster-born star, now 43, claims First Dates set her up as “this crazy, little glamour puss” and even given a different menu to her match Johnny, then 32, which was filled with innunedos.
And as the show returns for a new series, she lifts the lid on how producers play a part in creating the drama viewers see on screen and the ‘fake ending’ that occurs for all of the dates.
Chrissie, who appeared on the show in 2018, tells The Sun: “When I first read it was ‘the most sexually charged date in First Dates’s history’, I thought ‘Oh my god, what have I done.’
“It was because I spoke about sex and how I don’t follow the ‘three date rule’ if I like someone. But that’s normal, I’m not 12 years old.
“I went on the most romantic show on the telly and broke it by being flirty and talking about sex, but the producers did try to set me up to look that way too.
“They gave me a different menu to Johnny. On his, there were loads of nice things like steak and chicken but on mine it had names like ‘sloppy sausage hot dog’.
“All of mine had naughty-sounding names. It would be things like ‘kinky carrot soup’. Sloppy sausage sounds like something you get in a kebab shop at 4am, not First Dates.
“I think they did it deliberately because I was meant to be this crazy little glamour puss, who was outrageous and said naughty things. I didn’t disappoint.
“There were stories of heartache among the other diners and ones where you would go ‘poor Chelsea, if only she had more confidence’.
“For mine I must have looked like some crazy monster, they were like ‘Oh my god!’ and called me all names you can imagine online.”
Booze rules
Before Chrissie went on the show, she had been divorced three times and considered herself “the unluckiest person in the world” when it came to her love life.
She was selected by producers after attending an open casting call in Leeds, which had more than 600 people queuing outside.
Chrissie was selected after multiple rounds of interviews where she “went through every emotion, from really happy to ugly crying” as they probed every inch of her love life.
She says the show is “run like an army operation” with countless clipboard and walkie talkie-wielding production staff racing around at all times.
“They should run the country, it’s nuts. It’s a really well done, slick operation where everything is scheduled to a tee,” she says.
On the day of filming, she showed up at a meeting point near Covent Garden, London, and was ushered into a green room with other women waiting to go on their First Date.
She says: “It’s very bougie in there, there was a whole host of red wine, white wine, lots of beer, teas and every snack you can think of from sandwiches to chocolate bars and crisps.
“There was everything you could wish, it was the best green room in the world and everyone sat waiting to go on their dates. I was probably there for about an hour.
They wanted him to tell me about how he had cheated on her to create drama. It was part of their storyline for us, we were meant to be the misfits who found love
Chrissie Wunna
“There was just one rule, you could only have two alcoholic drinks. A runner was watching so you couldn’t get away with any more and they would have known if you were p**sed.
“They want to make sure you’re not absolutely trashed by the time you reach the bar and start filming your date.”
‘Like The Matrix’
Chrissie says it was exceptionally nervewracking as she waited an hour to be called in to have her date.
“When it’s your time, someone collects you and takes you to the First Dates restaurant. They tell you, ‘Walk up there and turn left’ and that’s when they start filming you walking in.
“It was such a nervewracking experience that I had no clue what was going on, it felt like I was in The Matrix.
“You’re just s***ing your pants. Everything gets really real all of a sudden. It’s a lot to take in and you know hidden cameras are everywhere.”
Chrissie met Fred Siriex “for five seconds” and said he was “sexy and oozed charm” before heading to bartender Merlin for a drink to lessen her nerves.
Around 15 minutes later, her date Derby salesman Johnny was allowed to enter the bar by producers and the two of them kicked it off immediately.
What likely helped was that the drinks were flowing – with Chrissie admitting: “I got really p***ed. I hardly ate anything because I was so nervous and was so drunk.
“I’ve done loads of telly and have never been drunk like that. We had wine, champagne, cocktails and barely a bite of food each.”
‘Producers interfered’
Chrissie and Johnny were enjoying a very flirtatious date – including talk about their potential to have “good sex” – until producers intervened.
She explained: “It was really good fun and then one of the waiters came up to me and said, ‘Your mic isn’t working’ and took me away to the back of the restaurant.
“That’s when one of the producers told me, ‘You need to ask him why his wife left him?’ When I did Johnny’s face was white, he was as pale as a ghost.
First Dates cast
Fred Sirieix
Fred is the charismatic French maître d’hôtel who hosts First Dates. He has a rich background in the hospitality industry, with over 30 years of experience. Fred has been part of the reality show since 2015 and his charming personality helps to put punters going on the dates at ease.
Merlin Griffiths
Merlin is the bartender on First Dates. His friendly presence and expert mixology skills contribute to the show’s warm atmosphere. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Merlin was in the bar industry for over two decades before offering his services to the Channel 4 series. Outside of First Dates, Merlin also owns and operates his own bar.
Cici Coleman
Cici is the show’s outgoing waitress. She trained as an actress before joining the cast of First Dates, which lends theatrical flair to her role. Her ability to make guests feel at ease, coupled with her genuine interest in their stories, has endeared her to viewers. Outside of her work on First Dates, Cici continues to pursue her passion for acting and fitness, often sharing insights into her life and career on social media.
“They wanted him to tell me about how he had cheated on her to create drama. It was part of their storyline for us, we were meant to be the misfits who found love.
“I had been divorced three times, he had done this naughty thing but instead we just drank lots of booze and were a bit of a nightmare.”
Despite looking organic and natural on our screens, Chrissie claims the show is “very produced” but it “makes good TV”.
She added: “They do pull you away and prompt you to say things to your partner to get things out of you and they will get rid of you when they have enough footage.
“If your date has gone on too long or they have enough someone subtly comes cover with the bill and tells you your date is over.
“It happened to us because we had been there for hours – although we were mainly drinking – and far too p***ed to be in a restaurant.”
Fake ending
Who pays is often debated in the First Dates restaurant – but according to Chrissie, the financial burden is lessened as each contestant is given £25 in cash towards their meal.
She says: “So you get £50 in total, if you both put the money towards it, so it’s not a great prize. Ours came to at least £200 because of all the cocktails and champagne we ordered.”
After walking out of the restaurant, Chrissie and Johnny were collared by producers for their post-date interview where they both agreed to see each other again.
Chrissie recalls: “They told us, ‘We need you to get into this taxi together’ which we did and it drove around in a circle a few times before letting us out in the same spot.
“It’s meant to look like you’re being driven off, happily ever after, but really you get out and they say, ‘You’re free to do whatever you want now.’”
She tells us the First Dates team paid to put them up in separate hotels but left them to their own devices after the show.
Half of them hated me, the other half thought I was sexy. Whenever I went on a train people would be like, ‘You’re the girl who talked about sex on First Dates’.
Chrissie
While Chrissie and Johnny continued to party the night away in Shoreditch – they didn’t see each other again after the show.
She reveals part of it was due to them having drank so much that she “couldn’t remember much of the evening” and would have felt embarrassed asking the same questions again.
Chrissie adds: “It was like a fever dream and like it never happened because we were so drunk but everything was documented on film.
“We drank so much that it felt liek we need another to see if we got on properly. It was a bit like the film The Hangover and was a bit awkward but I don’t regret it.”
The mum-of-one, who now lives in Leeds, says it helped to boost her profile, which in turn would later lead to her making a fortune on OnlyFans.
“Back then everyone recognised me – despite only being on a small bit of the show – and I seemed to have made this weird impact on viewers.
“Half of them hated me, the other half thought I was sexy. Whenever I went on a train people would be like, ‘You’re the girl who talked about sex on First Dates’.”
But Chrissie has no regrets, claiming it’s led to her earning an impressive £30,000 per month, which she says is more than she earned during her younger days as a glamour model.
The former model, who also went on Naked Attraction last year, says: “Back then I was the Playboy centrefold and had loads of shoots. I was making around $10,000 (£7,000) a month for eight days work.
“That was pretty good money but now I’m making like $40,000 (£30,000) a month on OnlyFans. It’s crazy but I love it.”
Channel 4 declined to comment after being approached by The Sun with Chrissie’s claims.