First Dates fans say 'wasn't expecting that' as love hopeful reveals STD minutes into date
First Dates fans were shocked as a brave love hopeful opened up about their medical history and revealed they had an STD minutes into their date. Care worker Abbie, 24, from Cambridge, was looking for love on the Channel 4 show and was paired with 26 year old Matt from Winchester on his 'first proper first date'.
But when he asked why she thought she was single, viewers were taken aback by her very honest response. Abbie told her date: "I think there's a mixture of things. I have got quite particular tupe and I think...when I became single I was like 'Hot girl summer, I'm going to live my best life' and I basically ended up getting herpes."
Abbie said she had 'a lot of anxiety around when is the right time to tell someone', adding: "I really want to be honest with my date from the get go to see if they're the right person for me."
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She talked about the stigma surrounding the STD as it remains in your body forever and added: "I just felt so embarrassed, dirty, regretfult," She told Matt: "To be honest I know that any normal person would think 'Oh my god, I don't want to get that."
But she reassured him: "Because I take medication and with protection, there's only a 1% chance. I just worry about that rejection. That's why I find it really hard to meet someone in person because I don't know when I'm supposed to tell them."
She admitted to the cameras you don't normally tell someone about your medical conditions. But Matt told her he was refreshed by her honesty.
He said: "I don't think there is a right time. It depends on the person, it depends on how you think you're getting along with them." But he hinted it may have been too soon, adding: "I don't think you owe it to anyone in advance of you exchanging phone numbers or anything."
"It must have been difficult for you to have told me that," he continued. "Thank you for being honest and being upfront with it." Abbie admitted she fancied Matt but when it came time for them to both decide whether to meet again Matt said he just wanted to stay friends.
He admitted he had been thrown by the herpes admission, saying: "I appreciated you being really honest about the herpes with me. I think the initial attraction wasn't there...that may have held me back."
Viewers were stunned by the admission, with one saying: "Omg! I wasn't expecting that!", while another added: "Not often I’m speechless." A third added: "#FirstDates nah ya don’t say that on your first date .. Herpes."