First Dates Christmas Special: Macy Brown, from Yorkshire, opens up about what it was like to be on the Channel 4 show

The 21-year-old recruitment consultant from Barnsley decided to take the plunge and applied to the show after her last relationship ended in January this year.

The show was filmed in Manchester in October this year.

In an exclusive interview, Macy tells The Yorkshire Post what she’s looking for in love, on the show and out of it.

“I go for the things I don’t look for, if you know what I mean, the things I wouldn’t want and the things that I pick up. So I don’t like somebody who’s arrogant, loves themself too much,” she said.

“I like someone who’s really humble, definitely someone who is funny - that’s my main thing I would say. [Someone who has] good manners, is nice, kind, quite confident and doesn’t take themselves too seriously. That’s what I look for because I’m not a serious person, I like to have a laugh. Someone who is also carefree.”

“This might sound a bit shallow, but I always go for tall guys or someone who looks tall, but the main thing I look for [in a partner] is personality.”

As a First Dates superfan, Macy admits that this was the perfect timing to apply for the show.

“I constantly watch the show, I’m a massive fan and I have been single this year,” Macy said.

“But in previous years I’ve either been too young or I’ve been with a boyfriend so I never applied for it before. So I thought, do you know what? I’m going to go for it.

“I was ready to meet someone and find a boyfriend, so I just applied for it and I was lucky enough to get on the show.

“I really enjoyed my experience. I absolutely loved it. From start to finish, it was great, there was nothing I could fault with it. Everyone was so lovely. I did love the date and it was a very surreal experience. I didn’t want it to end.”

When asked what her ideal first date looks like, Macy reveals that she prefers a fun activity over a traditional formal meal at a restaurant.

“My ideal first date would definitely be something fun; I don’t like stereotypical dates where you get properly dressed up and go out for a really expensive meal,” she said.

“I like my first date to be something really fun, like playing golf or somewhere where you can have a laugh whilst having a drink to calm the nerves.

“There’s a place close to where I live called Junkyard Golf; it’s like mini golf but you can have drinks whilst playing the game. Something like that would be really fun, or going to the zoo. A date where there’s not too much pressure and a bit laid back.”

When Macy first told her friends and family that she would be on the show, they didn’t believe her.

“They’re absolutely obsessed with the show. All of my family and friends watch it religiously, so when I broke the news to them, they couldn’t believe it, they’re so happy for me. They can’t wait to watch the episode and everyone’s really excited,” she said.

“To be honest, quite a lot of people didn’t believe me, they thought I was joking. Because they’re such big fans of the show, they were just like, ‘oh shut up, no you’re not, you’re obviously lying’.

“A lot of them just gasped and screamed and they asked me a million-and-one questions. Everyone has been very supportive and looking forward to watching the episode which is nice.”

Since her breakup in January, Macy says that she has learned a lot about what she looks for when dating.

“There’s so much I’ve learned if I’m being honest. I think after splitting up with my last partner in January, I realised that I needed to be more myself when meeting somebody,” she said.

“I think in the past, I’ve acted like myself but for that person, so from being single and looking for love again I learnt that it’s ok to be yourself and that person will love you for you.

“You don’t have to change who you are to please someone else or you don’t have to adapt the way you are to please someone else. Just be yourself and one day you’ll find that one person who loves you for who you are.”

Macy then reveals her New Year’s resolutions in terms of dating and whether she has any plans for Christmas.

“For the future in general, my resolutions are to just enjoy dating; not see it as some sort of chore or something to be nervous about, just go with the flow,” she said.

“Don’t force anything. When you meet someone new you might feel forced to make it work. A rule of thumb for anyone, I’d say, is to go with it, don’t force it and just enjoy it while it lasts.

“I can’t divulge too much [about how I’m spending my Christmas] because obviously that’ll reveal how my date went, but I know I’ll be having a nice Christmas this year.”

The Christmas Special will air on Wednesday, December 22, at 9pm on Channel 4.