Fred Sirieix talks to Gemma Dunn ahead of the return of dating show spin-off, First Dates Hotel.

As First Dates Hotel returns for another series, manager Fred Sirieix reflects on what was a joyful summer of love for its British singletons. And at a time like this, that hope is more important than ever, he tells Gemma Dunn.

First Dates Hotel is back, and the timing couldn't be better.

With sunshine breaks and cocktails a distant memory, another summer season of love - and a much-needed dose of la dolce vita - is surely just what the doctor ordered.

Opening its doors for a fifth run, the dating show - a spin-off from Channel 4 mega-hit First Dates - is once again packed with unlikely chemistry, roaring rivalries and heartwarming stories.

But will the British singletons find love in the Italian heat? We find out more from returning manager, Fred Sirieix, 48.

FIRST, HOW ARE YOU COPING WITH THE LOCKDOWN?

I woke up again today - and I'll tell you one thing, every morning I say to myself, 'I am happy to be alive'. I'm happy inside my head; I have happy thoughts. I'm lucky, nobody in my family has been affected, or my friends. I've got food on my table and when I go to the toilet, the toilet flushes and hot water actually runs - and a lot of people in this country and around the world don't have that luck.

YOU'RE ALWAYS SO BUSY, SO THIS MUST HAVE BEEN A REAL CHANGE OF PACE FOR YOU?

It makes me laugh when people say, 'Oh Fred, you've got to have more balance in your life'. I always say, 'I can't have balance because I either work or I don't work'. And if it's a project and it's exciting, I want to do it. And if there's another one, I want to do it as well. Right now there's no work, so the balance is either you do something, or you don't. But when everything starts again, it's probably going to all start in one go!

ONE SHOW WE'RE PLEASED TO SEE BACK IS FIRST DATES HOTEL...

Me too. It's just so joyous, and the nice thing about it is it can be very unexpected. [This series] two girls are meeting two guys on a date - they're with boys but they've been with girls before - and they actually fancy each other! It can only happen in the First Dates Hotel because people come and stay for a few days; if it were a restaurant, it wouldn't happen because it would focus on their date. The way they look at each other, incredible.

DO YOU FIND THE SINGLETONS ARE FAR MORE RELAXED IN THE SUN?

Yeah because when you go on holiday - I don't know if you've ever had a holiday romance - you don't have to worry about work or getting up, it's just about today and having fun. [This] is a bit like a nature programme, like David Attenborough, watching humans mating and their dance routine to seduce each other.

SO WHO ELSE CAN WE EXPECT TO MEET?

[Septuagenarian] Alexandria is very funny and she meets a lovely man who looks like Sean Connery. And then we have a beautiful couple - she calls herself 'The Padstow Mermaid' and she really wants to meet a nice person. She is head over heels with it; you can see the body language. But it's good because why go on a date, like somebody, and don't show it? There are so many people who don't wear their heart on their sleeve enough, don't say what they want. Come on, just dare to show your emotions and your feelings and go for it - if it doesn't work out, there's plenty of fish in the sea.

IT'S BEEN SEVEN YEARS SINCE THE ORIGINAL FIRST DATES INITIALLY AIRED. CAN YOU SEE IT GOING ON AND ON?

I don't see myself stopping doing it - it's gone so quick and I really enjoy it. I'm not bored of it. The nice thing is the people who come on the dates, the daters, because these people are really excited about meeting you and they really do think that you're going to find them the love of their life. So we have a responsibility for that, and that is really exciting. Every year it's the same, but every year it's completely different.

THE FIRST DATES FRANCHISE HAS ALWAYS CATERED TO ALL AGES, ALL WALKS OF LIFE ETC. IS THAT'S WHY IT'S STOOD THE TEST OF TIME?

Yeah, because it appeals to everybody and it shows us that love is ageless, that everybody needs love, and everybody wants to find love. It gives hope to everybody. That's what's important in life; when there is no hope, there is no life. As long as you're alive and as long as you hope and as long as you've got love in your heart, then life is beautiful and worth living. When it's not like that any more, that's it.

YOU'RE EXPANDING WITH TEEN FIRST DATES [FOR 16-19 YEAR OLDS], TOO. IS THAT STILL IN THE PIPELINE?

Yeah, as soon as we're out of the lockdown. It's going to be good to see kids dating. Kids are very different, you know, some of them are shy and others are more confident, so it's going to be very interesting. But it's also about what they want: do they know what they want? Are they able to understand themselves and their own feelings? Are they able to convey what they think of somebody? Of course they're kids, so the approach will be very different; we have to be very careful, very nurturing and very protective of the daters.

GORDON GINO & FRED: AMERICAN ROAD TRIP HAS ALSO JUST FINISHED ITS RUN. HOW MUCH FUN WAS THAT?

I had the best time of my life with those two, so I watch it and I relive the memories, and I laugh, and I laugh, and I laugh. In fact, last week I watched it and I cried because I was just thinking about the time that I had and how beautiful it was and all the people that we met. It's just so sad that we can't do that any more and those people there are stuck and don't have a job anymore - it's heartbreaking.

WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TICK OFF - WHEN PERMITTED?

Everything. The thing is, with the lockdown, I had a super exciting year ahead of me and now everything has been postponed, so I've got wait for 2021 or 2022. But on the other side of the coin, I get to spend more time with my kids, spend more time with my fruitcake [Sirieix's fiancee], and I'm enjoying that. I just worry about the world and how it's going to affect us going forward.

First Dates Hotel is on Channel 4 on Thursdays.