First Dates contestant spooks viewers with uncanny resemblance to sitcom hero Ben Elton
Viewers remark on how strongly Martin from Essex resembles the Blackadder writer — or perhaps Monty Python's Terry Jones
FIRST Dates viewers were wondering what the hell had happened to comedy icon Ben Elton when one unlucky-in-love contestant walked through the restaurant's door.
Martin from Essex — a self-confessed nerd whose last girlfriend dumped him and became a lesbian — bore an uncanny resemblance to stand-up, known for writing Blackadder, Love Actually and The Young Ones.
While we know Ben can't be looking for love as is married with kids, some watching thought Ben must have a doppelganger with more hair and a bigger waistline.
Viewers regularly spot lookalikes on First Dates, and Jo Wood went on an awkward date with someone who looked just like her rocker ex Ronnie.
And while Martin made an impression on Ben Elton fans, some other viewers actually reckoned he was the secret love child of Monty Python comic Terry Jones.
It's clear both men must have somehow had a hand in the creation of poor Martin, who had zero success with his date Susie, as she ended up not fancying him.
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Martin and Susie, a burlesque performer with a stutter, agreed to be friends in the end, the only couple of the episode who didn't share a romantic spark.
Maybe if he'd had as much comic banter as either of his lookalikes it might have worked out better.
- First Dates continues next Tuesday at 10.00pm on Channel 4.