When Matthew Stredwick started his new job he told colleagues he was about to appear on Blind Date.

But the 21-year-old sales executive was stunned to discover workmate David Sizer had already beaten him to it.

The Brighton lads will both become TV stars on the prime-time Saturday night dating show a week apart. Not only do Matthew and David both work for IT companies based in the same office in Ditchling Road, Brighton, but they were both seated as number two on the show and picked for a date.

David said: "It was a total coincidence. When Matthew started he said 'By the way, I'm going to be on Blind Date' and I said 'Yeah? So am I!'."

David, 20, is a business and computing student at Brighton University and works part-time. He spotted an advert for Blind Date auditions at a Brighton hotel as he walked along the seafront last summer.

David said: "I just thought 'why not go for it?'."

After an interview and filling in a questionnaire, David left, never expecting to hear from the Blind Date team again. But six weeks later he was asked to be a stand-by picker for the show and a short time later David's big chance came when he actually got to appear.

He said: "I was so nervous going up on the train. Filming is carried out with military precision so you don't bump into one another. We were told the questions in advance so we had time to prepare, and they changed some of my answers because they didn't like them.

"I'd had a few drinks to steady my nerves beforehand and I was quite tipsy when it was being filmed which was quite embarrassing. I was really shocked when I got picked, I thought she'd pick number one."

David's date was ex-bouncer Susie from Scotland and his party piece was a story about the time he had told the doormen at Brighton's Beach nightclub that he was chart-topping singer Ricky Martin and they had let him in.

David said: "They just said 'Hello Ricky' and let us all in." Susie was an instant hit, although the two have agreed just to be friends.

David said: "When the screen went back I saw she was very attractive - tall and blonde. I had told the researchers that I didn't like northern girls and she's Scottish. I did fancy her and we got on really well but as she lives in Scotland I think we'll just be really good pals."

The couple went off to Buenos Aires where they enjoyed tango dancing, horseriding and a boat trip. David said: "We were miked up almost constantly so we couldn't really act normally. And they kept getting us to say cheesy lines to get laughs at our expense."

Matthew's date was not quite as exotic - he went to an airshow in Duxford, near Cambridge. Matthew, from Denton, near Newhaven, said: "I'd told them I was scared of heights but part of the date was to go wing-walking on an old plane at the airshow.

"It was the most fantastic experience but absolutely terrifying. We were staying at a beautiful country mansion where Posh and Becks had been a few weeks earlier though, which made up for it.

"My date, Katrina, was fantastically good looking - I couldn't have asked for better, but there was no romance and we'll just be friends. God knows what my face looked like when I was picked!"

Now the lads are back on the hunt for their perfect women. David's would have "long, straight hair, a cute smile and a bubbly personality," while Matthew wants "a blonde with a sense of humour".

David added: "I just try and be myself and make girls laugh. If you can make a girl laugh, you're halfway there."

David's first appearance can be seen on Saturday, while Matthew will appear the following week.

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