WhenJames Brace was shown stepping on to the set of Blind Date on Saturday, female viewers may have marvelled at his strikingly good looks.

But what they did not realise was James, 21, had just been dumped by his girlfriend after she found out he had applied to be on the TV show, hosted by Cilla Black.

Jodie Collier discovered a letter from London Weekend Television while sorting through James' laundry.

It said he had been picked to appear on the programme following a successful audition.

And she was so annoyed she dumped James two weeks before the show was recorded.

Jodie, 24, said: "We started going out together in October 1998 when I was working at a gym. He is a very good-looking guy and although he doesn't go looking for it he gets lots of female attention."

Last spring Jodie was sorting through her boyfriend's laundry when she discovered the letter from LWT in a rucksack.

"I opened it and it said, 'I can confirm you will be appearing on the next series of Blind Date'. I didn't read any further. It was a complete shock because I knew nothing about it.

"He said he applied before we started going out, but the letter had his job on it as a barman, which he had only started a little while before.

"I dumped him a couple of weeks before they filmed it in the summer because I was thoroughly annoyed with him.

"But right from the start, even to this day, he says he has undying love for me."

James was one of three men selected to appear on the programme, but was not picked for a date by a female contestant who asked the hopefuls questions from behind a screen.

Since the programme was filmed, James and Jodie have been reconciled and now live together in Hove.

Jodie, who works at Shape Health Club in Fonthill Road, Hove, said: "I made sure I didn't watch the programme.

"In fact, if I hear the Blind Date jingle on the television I have to turn over."

Also appearing on the show was Claire Hamburger, 24, who used to work as a PE teacher at Eastbourne College.

She was picked by a male contestant and the pair flew to the Seychelles. They will recount their experiences on the programme on Saturday.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.