Girls Aloud beauty Sarah Harding turns matchmaker in her new role as presenter of Dating In The Dark, where eight single guys and girls grope for love in a darkened room…

A lot of the contestants on Dating In The Dark have inflated egos…
I know! They think they’re the absolute bee's knees in the dark, and then the lights go up and it’s like — you’re not all that! It’s really funny. I think it’s great entertainment — and a reality check to some of them as well.

If your career hadn’t turned out the way it has, is this the kind of show you could have imagined taking part in?
Mmm… maybe just for an experiment. It’s worth trying out just to see how shallow you are! Because in this day and age everyone’s obsessed with looks, and it’s nice to know that you can really get to know someone and like them for their personality, and looks come second.

People do things differently these days, like online dating…
That’s not true values! They put fake pictures up, and all sorts. It’s so bad. I think some of these web sites are dangerous.

What do you think makes the show so addictive?
The jeopardy of it, the excitement. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, he thinks she’s going to be blonde, she’s so not blonde. Did you see his face when the light came on? Are they going to meet?’ And then you kind of put yourself into someone else’s position and think, ‘Oh God, would I be like that?’

Did things get quite bitchy between the guys and the girls sometimes?
Yeah, especially when two of the guys liked one girl. They’d banter, but underneath it all you’d know there was a battle of the egos going on, definitely. And the girls a little bit as well.

Do you think the girls are a little more realistic in their expectations?
Yeah. No offence, lads — girls, in general are a little bit more in touch with their emotions and intuition, and I think Dating In The Dark shows guys can be a lot more shallow!

Martina Fowler