I'm Doing It For Cilla

With the blessing of Cilla Black’s family, Paul O’Grady has stepped into her iconic matchmaker role in Blind Date

- Susan Watson

It’s going down a storm with viewers – adding a hefty dose of nostalgia to our Saturday nights, Blind Date is back after a 14 year hiatus, this time with Paul O’ Grady at the helm, replacing host Cilla Black who passed away in 2015.

However, Paul admits it could easily have been someone else hosting the dating show, saying he wasn’t keen when the idea of him presenting the show was first brought up.

“I turned it down flat. I don’t do studio stuff anymore, I’m always out in the muck with my animals or crawling around in dog kennels. I also thought it was so synonymous with Cilla and such an iconic show.”

However, after some gentle encouragement from close friends, including Cilla’s children, Paul changed his mind.