When Alex and Sue Tatham sat down on a recent episode of BBC Breakfast, the couple found themselves reflecting on a love story that, even by the standards of reality television, has stood the test of time. Their tale began not in a candlelit restaurant or via a dating app, but under the bright studio lights of Blind Date—the iconic British television show that first aired 40 years ago. As the programme celebrates its milestone anniversary, their journey has become an emblem of the unexpected magic that can happen when entertainment and romance collide.
It all started in 1988, when Sue’s friends, acting on a whim, submitted an application for her to appear on the biggest dating show on TV. Sue herself had no idea about the submission. Alex, meanwhile, was at work when a colleague waved the application papers in the air. Instead of spending the afternoon auditing payroll, he joined in filling out the forms. Neither was searching for love; both, in their own words, were in it “for a laugh” and out of curiosity about how a television show was made. “Definitely for a laugh! Also, to see how a TV programme was made, I was quite intrigued if it was as glamorous as it came across on the television,” Sue told the BBC Breakfast hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty. “But no, it wasn’t actually. But, delighted to meet a man and delighted that he was the man I married, who knew!”
Six months after applying, both Sue and Alex were called for auditions—Sue in Birmingham, Alex in London. The process was as quirky as the show itself, with questions like, “If you were a fruit, what would you be?” and “What sort of animal would you be?” The producers went to great lengths to keep the contestants from meeting before the cameras rolled, even sending Sue diving into a cupboard if Alex happened to be walking by in the corridor. “Great, I thought—it’s a real surprise!” Sue recalled, according to the BBC.
The show, hosted by the late Cilla Black, was a Saturday-night juggernaut, instantly recognizable to millions across the UK. Its format was simple but effective: one person would pick a date from three suitors hidden behind a screen. When Alex appeared as the chooser, he admitted, “When I picked Sue, number two from the West Midlands, I had absolutely no idea why I’d done that. It was just eenie meeny miny moe.”
Their first date, chosen at random on the show, was a medieval banquet in Ireland. In a nod to the more innocent era of reality TV, the couple were put in hotels five miles apart, and when they suggested going to a nightclub after their date, the production team swiftly declined. “I think these days, they basically film you getting in the same room!” Alex quipped, highlighting just how much reality TV has changed over the years.
Despite the lighthearted beginnings and lack of romantic expectations, something clicked. Over time, Alex and Sue discovered they shared similar values—honesty, kindness, and a love for family. “We found we had plenty in common,” Alex reflected. “I think that when you grow together, as any couple will, you’ll find that actually you begin to share a set of values.” Sue added, “Open honesty is the best thing. And be kind.”
Their romance blossomed off-camera, and three years after their televised meeting, Alex and Sue tied the knot in a wedding that was broadcast as a special episode, ‘Blind Date Wedding of the Year,’ on London Weekend Television. The ceremony was attended by Cilla Black and her husband Bobby, TV crews, police, and thousands of well-wishers outside the church. “It was amazing to have them there,” Alex said of Cilla and Bobby. “The whole wedding was filmed, they kept themselves very much in the background as they possibly could. Then they made the TV show and they screened it the following day—it got 17 million people!”
Imagine the nerves of giving a groom’s speech in front of 300 friends—now multiply that by millions. “It was an amazing day. It did allow us to invite just about everyone we’ve ever met to our wedding, which also helped,” Alex joked. “They wore the brightest clothes they could because you wanted to get your face on TV. It looked like a really good edition of Songs of Praise.”
Looking back, Alex described the moment he first met Sue as a “true sliding doors moment.” He told the BBC presenters, “That moment, as you’ve just seen, is the moment that I very first laid eyes on my future wife and of course, our children’s mum. What an amazing thing to show your children that very first moment, very few people have that particular luxury.”
Now, 34 years after their wedding, Alex and Sue remain happily married, having built a life together centered on shared values and family. “The love of family, I think that’s a really important factor. The caring of every part of the family and friends. Ambitions to get on in life, the joy of going out and having a good time,” Alex explained. His admiration for Sue remains undimmed: “She is sensitive and kind, a wonderful mother and still extremely beautiful. In fact most people fall in love with her, so it wasn’t hard for me. I am just lucky to have picked her. To this day, we say we love each other a lot to each other—and still do.”
While their love story is remarkable, Alex and Sue are not the only couple to have found lasting happiness through Blind Date. As BBC Breakfast hosts pointed out, two other couples who met on the show also went on to marry, proving that sometimes, television matchmaking can lead to the real thing.
As the show marks its 40th anniversary, the legacy of Blind Date continues. After its original run from 1985 to 2003 and a revival from 2017 to 2019 with Paul O’Grady, the format is set for yet another relaunch—this time on Disney+, “reimagined for a contemporary audience,” according to the streaming giant. The enduring appeal of the show, and stories like Alex and Sue’s, speak to the timeless hope that love can be found in the most unexpected places—even in front of millions of viewers, with a bit of luck and a lot of laughter.
For Alex and Sue Tatham, what began as a bit of fun on a Saturday night has turned into a partnership that has lasted more than three decades. Their story is a reminder that sometimes, the best things in life really do happen when you’re not looking for them.
