Sara Cox to host TV dating show with a difference

The BBC has unveiled a new dating show – with Sara Cox helping farmers to find love.

The DJ and presenter, 42, will host the series,  matching singletons in the countryside with city dwellers looking for romance – as well as a new life.

Airing on BBC2, Love In The Countryside is being billed as a “warm-hearted show… that promises life-changing romance”.

Wendy, a 59-year-old pig farmer, Ed, a 25-year-old dairy farmer who wants to have his own family, and Heather, a 28-year-old equine vet are among those on the show.

They’ll be dating city dwellers who will have to cope with “the wild outdoors and woeful wi-fi.”

Host Cox said: “As a farmer’s daughter living in the capital I’m really excited about uniting rural folks with people from the city.

BBC Entertainment commissioning editor Rachel Ashdown said the programme was “more than a dating show”.

“Love In The Countryside shines a light on the realities of life where the land and farming is still at the heart of the daily routine,” she said.

The BBC’s announcement came as Channel 5 brought back Blind Date, with Paul O’Grady, and ITV2 unveiled a new dating series, Dress To Impress.

Edmondson joked: “Those who know me know that I’m considered an expert in both fashion (have you seen my knitwear?) and dating (have you seen me at a bowling alley?)

“So, it was only a matter of time before I had an idea for a TV show that covered both areas.”

:: The rural singletons looking for a perfect match on the BBC show, and details of how to apply to date them, can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/love.