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''Take Me Out'' was a
dating game show Dating game shows are game shows that incorporates a variety of matchmaking systems and services in the form of a game with clear rules. Human matchmaking is involved only in selecting the game's contestants, who are usually selected more for the ...
that was presented by comedian
Paddy McGuinness Patrick Joseph McGuinness (born 14 August 1973) is an English actor, comedian and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of Peter Kay, who invited him to appear in his programmes ''That Peter Kay Thing'', ''Phoenix Nights'' and ''Ma ...
. Based on the Australian show ''
Taken Out ''Taken Out'' is an Australian television dating game show that was originally broadcast on Network Ten between 1 September 2008 and 26 February 2009. The format was developed by FremantleMedia (now Fremantle) and was hosted by James Kerley. In ...
'', it first aired on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
in the United Kingdom and simulcast on TV3 in the
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
on 2 January 2010. An unscreened pilot episode was made for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in 2009, but it was
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
who picked it up for a series. The show was produced by
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
(formerly
Talkback Thames Talkback Thames (stylised as talkbackTHAMES) was a British television production company, a division of Fremantle (part of the RTL Group, which in turn is owned by Bertelsmann). It was formed by the merger of Talkback Productions and Thames Tel ...
). On 10 February 2020, ITV announced that the show was axed after eleven series. The first series was recorded at
Granada Studios Old Granada Studios (known simply as Granada Studios and previously known as The Manchester Studios) is a television studio complex and events venue on Quay Street in Manchester with the facility to broadcast live and recorded television programm ...
in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, but all series thereafter were recorded at
The Maidstone Studios The Maidstone Studios, formerly called TVS Television Centre, is the UK's largest independent television studio complex, and is based at Vinters Park in Maidstone, Kent, UK. It has been home to a varied selection of independent British televisi ...
in
Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the c ...
,
Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
, as it offered increased space and capacity for audience members. In 2012, the show introduced a spin-off show entitled ''Take Me Out: The Gossip'', which aired on
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
and was co-hosted by
Zoe Hardman Zoe Kristi Hardman (born 16 November 1982) is a British television presenter and actress. She first appeared on TV in Channel 4's reality game show ''Playing It Straight'' in 2005. Career Hardman was born in Kent, England. She was a presenter ...
and Mark Wright in 2012 and 2013. It did not air in 2014, but returned in 2015 with Wright joined by new co-host Laura Jackson. On 10 February 2020, ITV announced that the show was axed after eleven series. Eight couples who met on the show subsequently got married and six babies were born to contestants who met on the show.


Format

The objective of the show was for a single man to obtain a date with one of thirty single women. The women stood on a stage underneath thirty white lights, each with a button in front of them. A single man was then brought down on stage via the 'Love Lift' and tried to persuade the women to agree to be his date in a series of rounds, playing a prerecorded video discussing his background, displaying a skill (such as dancing or playing a musical instrument), or playing another video in which the man's friends or family reveal more about his virtues and philosophy. At any point during the rounds, the women could press the button in front of them to turn off their light if they did not want a date with the man. If this occurs, their area of the stage turned red. If, at the end of three rounds, there were still lights left on, the bachelor would turn off all but two of the remaining lights himself. He would then have a chance to ask one question to the last two women, before choosing which of the women he wanted to go on the date with by turning off one more light. If the man was left with two lights at the end of round 3, he would just ask his question to the two remaining women and if there was only one light left at the end of round 3, he will go on the date with that girl without asking her his question. There were usually four men brought on in the course of a single episode, though on some occasions segments were cut and only three men were shown. If all the women turned off their lights before the end of the third round - this was referred to as a "blackout" - then the man would have to leave the show without going on a date, accompanied by the
Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
version of the hit
Eric Carmen Eric Howard Carmen (born August 11, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. He was first known as the lead vocalist of the Raspberries. He had numerous hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Rasp ...
song "
All by Myself "All by Myself" is a song by American singer-songwriter Eric Carmen released in 1975. The verse is based on the second movement (''Adagio sostenuto'') of Sergei Rachmaninoff's circa 1900–1901 '' Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor'', Opus 18. The ...
". In the first series, the successful couples conducted their date at FERNANDO'S! in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
, which is actually Club Bijou on Chapel Street, the outcome of which is shown as part of the following week's show. For the second series, the date took place abroad on the Isle of FERNANDO'S!, a fictional location based in
Puerto de la Cruz Puerto de la Cruz is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It was formerly known by its English translation, "Port of the Cross", although now it is known by its Spanish name in all lang ...
,
Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...
. Previously the date took place in
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
. Successful couples left the programme upstairs on the opposite side of the studio to the 'Love Lift', and a song, usually from the
latin pop Latin pop (in Spanish and in Portuguese: Pop latino) is a pop music subgenre that is a fusion of US–style music production with Latin music genres from anywhere in Latin America and Spain. Originating in Spanish-speaking musicians, Latin po ...
genre, was played. Comedic value was mostly provided by McGuinness's array of
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
s such as "Let the (object) see the (object)", "No likey, no lighty!", "If you're turned off, turn off", "If he's not Mr Right, turn off your light", "Get out there, turn one girl off and take one girl out!", "Come and get some Paddy love!", "The isle of...FERNANDO'S!".


Round 1

In this round the man comes down the love lift. He meets the girls and then says his name and where he is from. Paddy repeats but afterwards with one of catchphrases. Then the girls can turn off their light. From series 7 onwards, they have to write down a 'love at first light' from the girls who had left their lights on.


Round 2

This includes a pre-recorded video presented by the man. It sometimes includes interviews with his friends and family. It describes his personality and what they do. At any point the girls can turn off their light.


Round 3

In this round the man shows a skill in the studio. Alternately their friend or family can say a secret. At any point the girl can turn off their light.


Round 4

In this round the man turns off the lights of the remaining girls until just two are left lit. Alternatively, if there is only one or two girls left from round 3 then round 4 is skipped entirely.


Round 5

In this round the man asks the girls who are remaining a question. The man then turns off the light of one girl. Paddy questions the chosen girl if they would rather know the man's 'love at first light' or not. Then they meet, go up the big stairs opposite the love lift and have a backstage interview. Alternatively, if only one girl remains lit from round 3 then the man gets to choose between her and a "mysterious girl", who remains unseen until he makes his choice.


Episodes and ratings

:''Episode viewing figures from
BARB Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves * The Barbs, a band Places * Barb, ...
.'' Key: : – Successful dates : – Got a blackout, but later dated another contestant


Series 1 (2010)


Series 2 (2010–11)


Series 3 (2012)


Notes

* : The date segment of contestant Wen scoring a date with freelance journalist Aaron was axed from the programme. * : Two blackouts occurred in one programme, becoming the first time this had ever occurred on the show. * : The studio segment of contestant Judi scoring a date with builder Mike was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Mike was known to the police as a suspected sex offender. Judi did not return to the show. * : The studio segment of contestant Jade scoring a date with banker Rory was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Rory was serving a suspended sentence for common assault. Jade did not return to the show. * : Chelsea revealed on the 7 April episode of ''Take Me Out: The Gossip'' that she and Ben, the first contestant of the series, were getting married. * : David set a record for having the highest number of girls left in the final round in the third series, with 27 leaving their light on after round three.
Amy Childs Amy Andrea Childs (born 7 June 1990) is an English television personality and model. She appeared in the first two series of the ITV2 reality series ''The Only Way Is Essex'', and subsequently starred in her own reality series '' It's All About ...
also later went on to date David.


Series 4 (2012)


Notes

* : Ben was the only contestant this series to receive a blackout on the second round. * : Will and Henry became the first pair of twins to come down the love lift, and go on a double date with their chosen dates. * : In the final round, Yinka let his little brother, Jono, choose which of the two girls he should pick out of all of the remaining lights. * : Despite the fact that Myko got a blackout, he later began dating Erica (who originally got a date with Jim from episode 6). Erica admitted that she regretted turning her light off for him. * : Jase set a record (at the time) for having the highest number of ladies left in the final round in the fourth series, with 23 girls leaving their light on after round three. * : Jordan became the first contestant in the history of ''Take Me Out'' to still have all 30 girls with their lights on in the final round. * : Damion and Daniella returned to ''Take Me Out: The Gossip'' in October, and revealed that they were getting married. Lisa Jade Janet Victoria Priscilla Jessie Yuki Carol Emma Michelle Jeanette Chelsea Rose Alison Canadace Sandy Cinderella Claire Melinda Jess Claudia Andrea Marsha Rita Trudy Grace Doris Jasmine Harriet Vanessa


Series 5 (2013)


Series 6 (2014)


Series 7 (2015)


Notes

* : On the last episode of the series, whilst looking at the dates from the episode, Scott and Kat returned, saying that they were celebrating their 10-week anniversary in Fernando's. Nicky Michelle Wendy Sarah Marsha Yuki Julia Kony Janet Cinderella Karen Lindsay Jasmine Izzy Maggie Courtney Fancy Cathy Sandy Angela Amanda Winter Molly Priscilla Chloe Bridget Doris Cheryl Harriet Ruth 1ST Couple Lexi And Luca 2RD Couple Celine And Seamus 3RD Couple Jessie And Romeo 4TH Couple


Christmas Special (2016)


Valentine's Special (2017)


Series 9 (2017)


Series 10 (2018)


Notes

* : Bella was going to turn her light off during Round 3 but was so engaged in Phil's performance, she never did.


Anniversary Special (2018)


Notes

* : This episode was a celebrity special, and for the first time ever, females got to pick the males they wanted to date. This was also the show's 100th episode. * : This episode featured a number of people from previous episodes who did not receive dates.


Golden Girls Special (2018)


Series 11 (2019)


''Take Me Out: The Gossip''

''Take Me Out: The Gossip'' was a behind-the-scenes sister show that began airing weekly on
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
from series 3-5 and 7–9, following the broadcast of the main programme. Most recently, it was presented by Laura Jackson and Mark Wright.
Zoe Hardman Zoe Kristi Hardman (born 16 November 1982) is a British television presenter and actress. She first appeared on TV in Channel 4's reality game show ''Playing It Straight'' in 2005. Career Hardman was born in Kent, England. She was a presenter ...
previously hosted the show with Wright. A similar format, previously broadcast online, featuring backstage gossip and interviews with the contestants, was regularly made available on
itv.com itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 13 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV brand (or the UTV brand in Northern Ireland). The website offers online streaming, ...
just hours after the broadcast of the main programme.


International versions


Reception


Viewership

''Take Me Out'' has proven popular with the public, generally pulling over 3 million viewers per episode.


Critical reception

In its early days, ''Take Me Out'' was reviewed negatively by critics. Shortly after the second series began in December 2010, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''s Tim Dowling said that, "When you strip away its tired, utterly false premise, all that remains of ''Take Me Out'' is a lot of flashing lights and some scripted innuendo delivered in a range of regional accents." Reviewing the show after the second series concluded in March 2011, Manchester Grouch of Manchester Central wrote: "ITV should consider renaming the show 'Desperate Moron Lift Disco'" and concluded the review by comparing it to " .. drunken Saturday night out that ends up in a dodgy club having a quick fumble with that girl from the hairdressers you’ve been eyeing up all week." Writing for the ''
Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...
'' during the third series of the show in January 2012, Rachel Tarley said that ''Take Me Out'' was the "death knell for feminism disguised as entertainment". However, after the beginning of the fifth series in January 2013, Julia Raeside, also writing for ''The Guardian'', admitted that the show had become "must-see TV" and was "a worthy successor to ''
Blind Date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...
''": " ..hen Take Me Out noisily barged its way on to the Saturday night schedules in 2010, it was too much for me. The little I'd seen of it put me off trying a whole episode. But about a series ago, Take Me Out really started to grow on me. One night, out of sheer laziness, I didn't bother to switch over – and now they've got me. I don't like nightclubs and I cover my upper arms at all times. But the women behind those podiums, however much I fail to identify with them for wanting to be on TV with their armpits constantly on show, make it gripping viewing."


Jim Brown

Wrestler Jim Brown, the first contestant on the first series, was accused of continually harassing his date Caroline Mellor despite the fact that their date did not work out. Caroline claimed to receive numerous phone calls and texts from him for over four months. Jim was later also charged with possession of child pornography on his computer. Prior to this, Jim was caught pleasuring himself in a Wishaw Sports Centre cubicle, which alerted the police to investigate him. On 21 March 2014, Jim was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for flouting a ban on going near children.


Damion Merry

The studio segment of contestant Chelsea Stewart scoring a date with model Damion Merry caused controversy when broadcast. During the third and final round, it became apparent that Damion used to date reality television series personality
Jodie Marsh Jodie Louise Marsh is an English media personality, model and bodybuilder. She has appeared on numerous reality television shows, such as ''Essex Wives'' (2002), ''Back to Reality'' (2004), '' Love on a Saturday Night'' (2004), ''Celebrity Big ...
, and he later told one of the girls who had turned her light off, Lucy Harrold, that he would have picked her, offending all the girls who still had their lights on. It later transpired that not only was Damion not single at the time the programme was filmed, he was also about to marry his girlfriend Sarah Ann Gras; the segment was broadcast a month after the wedding took place. On '' This Morning'', Marsh later denied having ever dated Damion, saying: "I tell you what, this guy - I went on one date with him, one date...We had pictures in a nightclub, he sold the pictures to the TV show or whoever and gave 'em away and now, it's being told that we had a whole full blown relationship and that I was his ex-girlfriend."


Rory Alexander

The studio segment of contestant Jade scoring a date with banker Rory Alexander was axed from the programme, after it transpired that Rory was serving a suspended sentence for common assault. Jade did not return to the show.


Jarvis Walters

The studio segment of contestant Hannah Reville scoring a date with semi-professional footballer Jarvis Walters was axed from the programme.


Param Singh

Many viewers were extremely offended when one of the girls, who had left her light on for contestant Param Singh, made a joke about contestant Param's turban, saying she was interested in him because she could use his turban to store her phone. Despite the fact Param himself took it light-heartedly, many Sikhs found this remark to be extremely offensive. Param later went on to describe the backlash that he received from sections of the Sikh community.


Fakery claims

In 2012, several of the contestants accused the show's producers of telling them whom to choose on each episode. Female contestants complained that they were forced to choose men who they didn't find attractive, while some of the show's male contestants went home without a date after the girls were told not to choose them. "The whole thing is totally misleading and leaves a whole lot of people feeling humiliated and exploited afterwards," one girl who had appeared on the show told the media. "The producers pulled some of the girls in and said, 'If you’re waiting for
George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
or
Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
, they’re not coming'," "They told us to keep our lights on for the next contestant, who was more than 10 years younger than me. I refused and was taken off." Other female contestants reported that producers had told them to reject certain men even if they liked them because it made better television.


Influences

''Take Me Out'' is cited by the creators of the website tubecrush.net as being an influence for their website, as they saw it as an example of how the sexual objectification of men had become part of mainstream culture in the UK.


10th series anniversary

On 24 February 2018, ''Take Me Out'' celebrated its 10th series anniversary on ITV with a special edition of the show where the roles were reversed; with four women choosing from 30 men.


''Take Me Out – The Album''

''Take Me Out – The Album'' is a 60-song compilation album, which was released 18 November 2013.


Track listing


Board game

A board game was released on 3 August 2011 by Rocket Games which features host
Paddy McGuinness Patrick Joseph McGuinness (born 14 August 1973) is an English actor, comedian and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of Peter Kay, who invited him to appear in his programmes ''That Peter Kay Thing'', ''Phoenix Nights'' and ''Ma ...
on the cover of the box. It contains: light and buzzer number unit, 100 single man cards, 50 the power is in your hand cards, 1 single girl pad, 12 isle of FERNANDO'S vouchers, coloured dice and rules.


References


External links


FremantleMedia's Site
* *. *. {{DEFAULTSORT:Take Me Out (Game Show) 2010s British reality television series 2010 British television series debuts 2019 British television series endings British dating and relationship reality television series 2010s British game shows English-language television shows ITV game shows Television shows produced by Thames Television Television series by Fremantle (company) British television series based on Australian television series