FIRST Dates star CiCi Coleman is ready to be laughed into bed this Christmas as she sets her sights on finding herself a fella.
The blonde bombshell has been a waitress on Channel 4’s hit dating show for over a decade, helping unlucky-in-love singletons find their match – but now it’s her turn.
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After recently splitting from a man she met in the gym, Cici’s on the hunt for a new lover.
And the 39-year-old, who has been romantically linked to Welsh hunk Gethin Jones, reckons Christmas is the perfect opportunity because she’s partial to a festive fling.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun ahead of the First Dates Christmas Special this week, she laughed: “I’ve definitely had a festive fling!
“When I used to work in a bank, the Christmas parties were always the most favourite time of year for some reason.
“I don’t know if it’s the tequila, but we suddenly grow a set, and we think that we should tell the person that we fancy at the Christmas party that we fancy them.
“So, yeah, there’s definitely been a few mistakes! But you’ve got nothing to lose.
“If the person’s not right, you’ll find out very quickly, and then you will move on, and you don’t have to spend another year gawping at them across the office or whatever.
“I definitely think it’s a brilliant time. I really do love it. Christmas just adds that element of a love bubble.
“You want to be wrapped up with the love of your life whilst that snow is coming down with a glass of wine just being a couple.”
Despite being linked to TV presenter Gethin, CiCi’s kept her love life largely out of the spotlight.
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But she admits she’s nursing a broken heart following a split from a guy she’d been in a relationship with for seven months.
She admitted: “I’ve just gone through a break-up. I think I’ve met some wonderful people on my relationship journey and I learned something in every relationship I’ve been in.
“I guess I’m quite lucky because I’ve chosen good partners and, you know, for whatever reason, it hasn’t worked out, but it doesn’t mean that they’re a bad person, it doesn’t mean I’m a bad person.
“It’s just if you’re not compatible, you’re not compatible. Break-ups hurt. They’re horrible. You have to cry it out. You have to really feel the feels.
“Heartache feels like the worst pain in the world, but you can’t rush it. It will get easier. There is always a silver lining, and there’s always a light on the other side of the tunnel.
“So I just always make sure I look forward and stay hopeful. I’m really looking forward to whoever that person is.”
When it comes to what’s on her list of things she’s looking for in her next boyfriend, the key for CiCi is a good sense of humour.
So does she reckon she can be laughed into bed? She smiled: “Definitely, yeah! It’s a skill as well, somebody that’s funny, right? Because not everybody can get it.
“You can sometimes come across as sarcastic. But actually, a genuinely funny person is really attractive.
“I like that sort of deadpan humour. If I’m on a date with someone who owns that, then I’m done! That’s me. I’m sold!”
‘Very flirty’
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She’s spent years watching others from the sidelines as they try and meet their match, and that’s given Cici a better understanding of the dos and don’ts of dating.
But while she admits she’s learnt not to put on a show like some of the daters who turn up to her restaurant, she admits she can’t help but be a big flirt on a date.
“I don’t know if I actually have a technique,” she laughed. “I just know that I’m very, very flirty. I think I like to laugh, and I love being in that space where someone’s either made me laugh or I laugh with them.
“But I probably laugh more because I’m into the person. On reflection, maybe the joke wasn’t that funny, but because I’m in that zone, it’s hilarious.
“You know, my head’s rocking back, and I think they’re brilliant. First Dates has definitely made me aware of what I do, and maybe sometimes too aware, because I think, ‘oh, I’ve done that. Well, don’t do that. Hold on a minute’.
“So I don’t know if it’s helped or hindered me! For example, me with a glass of tequila, I’m very flirty. My hands are in my hair, and I am a bit sweaty and gross.
“And God, if I saw that on TV, I don’t think I’d live that down! So I’ve learned to drink less. You don’t need to consistently cling to your hair, and the sweat that you think is shiny over your face, it’s actually not.
“I think there’s lots of things that I used to be paranoid of, whereas now I’ve kind of learned, OK just chill, shoulders down, leave your hair alone, you’re not sweaty, you’re fine.
“If you spilled some food, just trust that the person will tell you, it’s as simple as that.”
Big 4-0
As she prepares to turn the big 4-0 next year, Cici admits her outlook on dating in her fourth decade is very different to her care-free 20s.
She said: “In my late 20s, I did not care. I did not give a s***. In some ways ignorance is really, really blissful.
“And it’s lovely because you don’t have that self awareness, you just roll with it. You’re like, ‘no, he’s not right, next!’
“But with age, you do become more aware. You understand what you like and what you need. You understand what the word boundary means.
What your sexual fantasies say about you
By Emma Kenny, a TV presenter and psychologist
Raucous Role Play: If your partner enjoys dressing up for fun, it shows creativity and a desire to keep things exciting. However, it might signal that he struggles with responsibility.
Multi-Partner Fantasies: Craving variety doesn’t always mean he wants to cheat. However, it could indicate deeper feelings of unfulfillment.
Power & Control: A little dominance is normal, but if it’s always about control, it may hide insecurities.
Adventure: Men seeking thrills may push boundaries, so be sure your comfort zone is respected.
Passion: If he’s romantic, he’s emotionally tuned in—though occasionally avoiding tough conversations.
Flexibility: Openness to new experiences is great, but constant novelty-seeking could mean avoiding emotional connection.
Red Flag: If control is his ultimate fantasy, it may signal a deeper struggle with power dynamics.
“And all those things come together when you’re trying to find this person. And then to remind yourself also that perfect doesn’t exist, remember that people aren’t perfect.
“So it feels sometimes like a little bit of a contradiction. You’ve got to try and work out what’s really, really important and what your values and non-negotiables are.
“I think in my 20s, I didn’t have non-negotiables. It was just, ‘he’s hot, he makes me laugh. Done’.
“Whereas now it’s like, ‘okay, is there more to it than this?’ Like, let’s get the foundation right first and then build on top of that.”
Sunday swipers
Just like millions of Brits across the country, Cici has turned to dating apps to help her find love.
However, a tip from her life coach has changed the way she uses them. Gone are the hours spent swiping and doom-scrolling.
She explained: “My life coach banned me from using the apps on a Sunday night. She said Sundays are like your kind of hungover swipers, everyone’s like, ‘oh, you know, just come around for a hug’.
“Whereas if you do it after the gym on a Monday at 10am, you feel happy, you feel high, and you’re like, ‘oh my God, I’m ready, I feel really confident’.
“You’re not in this negative mindset of lack, instead you’re like, ‘let’s swipe for people that are actually matching what I want. Not Sunday night swipers’.
“That’s what I used to do. Now it’s all about going on a date after the gym, the endorphins are going, you just feel better about everything.”
Watch Channel 4’s First Dates Christmas Special Thursday [19th] at 9pm.
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