A First Dates contestant left her date in shock when she explained that she loves nothing more than making penis-shaped candles in her spare time.
A 61-year-old finance worker named Sandra was matched with a 60-year-old part-time DJ Lance on the long-running Channel 4 dating show. And as the pair sat down to get to know each other, the conversation took an unexpected turn - with one of the restaurant staff landing Sandra in a hot situation.
During the meal, barman Merlin Griffiths wandered over to chat with the couple who hoped to get to know each other better. The 48-year-old hospitality worker pointedly thanked Sandra for a gift she had given him - a candle in the shape of a naked woman.
When Merlin declares that the design is “wonderful,” Lance becomes intrigued and asks Sandra what the barman was talking about. Sandra initially replies with a coy statement, saying simply: “I make candles.”
However, it doesn’t take long before she is coaxed into saying more. Asked to say more about the candles, Sandra states they are “exotic” - prompting Lance to then ask: “Are you saying they are erotic?” In the scenes - that Metro have shared as a sneak peek at the upcoming new season of the show - Sandra then gets to the point and declares: “I make penis candles.”
Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel give exciting news as fans beg for returnLance then gasps in disbelief: “Penis candles?” The footage then cuts to Sandra in the confessional booth where she produces one of the candles in question. Speaking to the camera, she declares: “That is my co** candle… Look at that! When it starts to melt, it starts to dribble.” She later tells one of the waiting staff that she sells her candles ensuring that the penis shape is twelve inches - and confirms that they are designed with balls attached.
Fans of the Channel 4 show will be happy to see Merlin back in the restaurant as he has battled health issues in recent months. He has undergone chemotherapy and two operations to remove a tumour in the past as he battles bowel cancer.
And while Merlin has been given the all-clear, he has opened up about the impact his battle has had on his body. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he said: ”As anyone who has been through cancer and come out the other side knows, there are always consequences to something like this.
"It's life-changing. I have a condition called Low Anterior Resection Syndrome now to deal with, but that's all right. We live with it, we move forward. The main thing is, one is live and able to smile and able to work at the bar in the restaurant."
Low Anterior Resection Syndrome is described by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence as "a collection of symptoms that people who have undergone a partial or total resection of the rectum might have... symptoms include, for example, faecal incontinence or leakage, frequency or urgency of stools, loose stools, incomplete bowel movement, or tenesmus."
First Dates airs on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 10pm.