From WhatsApp group chats to fake garlic breath: What we learned from going behind the scenes at Take Me Out

From WhatsApp group chats to fake garlic breath: What we learned from going behind the scenes at Take Me Out

Metro.co.uk went behind the scenes at Take Me Out and here’s what we learned (Picture: ITV) It’s tim..

14 things you might not know about Take Me Out
Metro.co.uk went behind the scenes at Take Me Out and here’s what we learned (Picture: ITV)

It’s time to let the hanky see the panky – Take Me Out is back for a new series, and this time there’s a very special occasion.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Paddy McGuinness dating show (really!), and the show is set to throw in a few twists to celebrate, including a role reversal where one lucky lady will have her pick from an all-male Flirty Thirty.

Metro.co.uk was invited along to a taping of an episode of the ITV show at Maidstone Studios, and we picked up a few inside secrets along the way.

Here’s what we learned.

You can apply for the show online, but if you’re chosen, there’s a next stage

You’ve gotta get through a phone interview – but we can’t tell you exactly what you’re asked…

Not all the girls apply online – some are approached

Lorae, one of this year’s thirty flirty, said she decided to give it a whirl when she was approached on Instagram.

All the girls have a massive WhatsApp group chat

The girls use a WhatsApp group to keep in touch and send each other messages of support – plus to congratulate the lady who gets whisked off to the Isle of Fernando’s.

14 things you might not know about Take Me Out
Paddy with the Flirty Thirty (Picture: ITV)

There’s more to the contestants than meets the eye

It’s easy for the women who go on Take Me Out to get stereotyped but there’s more to them than meets the eye. Previous contestants have been trainee doctors and lawyers.

This year there’s a wedding planner, a trained classical singer and a fitness instructor who can speak three languages.

The ‘walk and wave’ entrance is harder than it looks

Coming down those pink stairs is a tricky business, so the entrance has to be rehearsed to make sure no one takes a tumble like poor Emma did in 2013.

But things can still go wrong as Lorae told us she managed to lose her shoe during rehearsals!

14 things you might not know about Take Me Out
Lorae nailed the walk and wave entrance eventually (Picture: ITV)

The girls are stood in a specific order

When you see the ladies behind their podiums on screen, they have all been carefully positioned according to factors such as height, appearance and what they’re wearing (in case anyone has something particularly sparkly on, FYI).

14 things you might not know about Take Me Out
The girls are stood in a particular order (Picture: ITV)

B.Y.O.W.

That’s Bring Your Own Wardrobe. The girls bring exactly what they want to wear, but their hair and make-up comes courtesy of the ITV team. Lucky ladies!

The boys don’t meet the girls beforehand

They are given a totally separate building to wait in in between takes. The first time they meet the girls is when they come down the Love Lift as the episode is filmed in front of an audience. It’s like getting married!

Sometimes the girls are given quips

There’s always comedy to be found in real life, and the show does its best to bring that out. Lorae told us she likes to eat garlic for its health properties, but it was suggested she made it into a gag about having garlic breath.

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The top of the podium isn’t as glamorous as the front

There’s a big red button and that’s about it – but that’s all you need really.

Paddy McGuinness is a dream

As expected, all the girls we spoke to praised host Paddy as ‘very supportive’. We saw him in action during rehearsals and you can tell he really cares about the show and everyone on it.

There’s a rehearsal run with a practice boy

Before the actual single lad comes out, there’s a dress run, usually with a lucky male member of crew stepping in – and they really go for it to get the ladies pumped up. They even get to pick their own song to come out of the Love Lift to.

14 things you might not know about Take Me Out
Student Olivia is looking for love on the new series (Picture: ITV)

The studio is not as big as it looks

The stairs, however, do look as high as they seem on telly.

And the best way to get a date to the Isle of Fernando’s?

Take Me Out contestant and religious studies student Olivia told us: ‘Just be yourself and don’t try too hard’.

Take Me Out returns tonight at 7pm on ITV.

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