Blind Date star played ‘eenie, meenie’ to pick partner and they’re still married 30 years on

Blind Date contestants Sue and Alex Tatham have opened up about the moment they first laid eyes on each other on the dating show, and the secret to their 30-year marriage.

The pair, who met in 1988, held the very first Blind Date wedding – with host Cilla Black on the guestlist – and were one of the very few success stories from the series.

It was up to Alex to pick the woman he wanted to date, choosing between Sue, Lynne from Middlesex and Kate from Essex – and he confessed he played ‘eenie meenie minie moe’ to make the decision.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain today, they spoke to Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid of the unusual start to their relationship.

‘If I’m honest with you Susanna, I did a sort of “eenie meenie minie moe” on my card, so I actually was very fatalistic,’ he admitted to the host. 

‘When I was choosing, you’ll see what I was saying, I didn’t know which one to go for. But what was really important was Graham’s [Skidmore, voiceover] quick reminder. 

Sue and Alex Tatham met on Blind Date in 1988 (Picture: ITV)

Sue and Alex have been married for 30 years (Picture: ITV)

‘I think that actually he would be very important on any dating app.’

Thanks to the ‘game’, Alex picked Sue and they have never looked back, enjoying a long-distance relationship upon their return from their date, until they eventually got engaged two years later.

‘I was absolutely delighted,’ he said of his choice. ‘The whole thing looked as though we’re going to have a fantastic time. When we walked off the show, we really made sure that we had… We both said to each other, “We’re going to remember this for the rest of our lives”. 

Cilla joined the couple at their 1991 wedding (Picture: Alex and Sue Tatham)

‘It’s a wonderful moment, of course. And that moment is the very first moment that you can show your children [when] mummy laid eyes on daddy.’

Cameras were invited into their big day, in 1991, for a Blind Date special, with 17million tuning in to witness their nuptials.

Alex and Sue started a family following their wedding, welcoming daughter Emily and son Charlie together.

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Lifting the lid on the ‘secret’ of their marriage, which has spanned three decades, the groom added: ‘Shared values are really important. 

‘I think that if you have similar values, you have similar outlook on life, and you want the same things for life, you grow towards each other.’

Good Morning Britain continues on weekdays at 6am on ITV.

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