A BOURNEMOUTH girl is looking for love with the help of TV matchmaker Paddy McGuinness.

Singleton Sophia Smith appeared on ITV1’s Saturday night entertainment show, Take Me Out, alongside 30 other single ladies, looking to find the man of her dreams.

Sophia, a 28-year-old media consultant at the Bournemouth Daily Echo, said: “I applied for genuine reasons, even though it’s a strange way to meet someone.

“But sometimes life’s strange, so I thought I’d give it a go and see what happens.”

The series, which started on Saturday runs for 14 weeks and sees four brave bachelor boys try to impress the panel each week and the girls compete to bag themselves a date. If Sophia and the other girls don’t like what they see, they can vote to send the boys home alone.

“I told my Mum but not my Dad until I’d finished filming it. They were quite surprised, as they didn’t think I’d actually go on the show. My brother was a bit embarrassed.”

She will remain on the show for the duration of the series, which has already attracted millions of viewers, or until she wins a date.

Sophia said: “It was a really fun experience. Paddy was really lovely and it’s weird as the set looks exactly as it does on TV. You have a podium with your name on it, which is cool.

“For a girl it’s amazing. I applied because I like dressing up and going out. You have the best make-up artists who do the X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing.”

Sophia, who filmed the show last month, is sworn to secrecy about how far she got.

This year, the lucky couples will be whisked off on a dream date to the exclusive sun-kissed ‘Isle of Fernandos’.

They'll get to indulge in a range of activities including horse riding, wine tasting, helicopter rides and spa treatments.