So, 57-year-old Trevor from Umhlanga has an intense story (Trigger Warning: sexual assault, drug addiction, arrests, HIV).
But despite an abusive previous relationship, he was keen to get back into the dating pool – and Finding The One presented him with a great opportunity, seeing as though he’s over dating apps and the party scene.
“I have noticed in the gay scene that at a certain age +/- 50 you become ‘invisible’”, he informed us. “You are no longer noticed. It’s all about being young and in-shape. There is an expiry date in the gay scene.”
Here are the motley crew of matchmakers he enlisted to assist.
And from a very promising pool, they chose Leiam, Lloyd and Zane for the group date.
But did Alistair simply choose Zane because he and the potential date shared an ex? It certainly seemed that way to Trevor, who told us, “There was one matchmaker who deliberately sabotaged the process and chose one guy purely for entertainment. This, in my mind, was a lost opportunity.”
It turned out that, coincidentally, Leiam had dated Trevor once, more than a decade ago, but as a young man he’d been scared off by Trevor’s admission of being HIV positive. Unaware of this, Trevor was hoping, based on their homes, that the chef was the one his matchmakers had chosen.
And he was! After the initial awkward, “It’s a pleasure to meet you – again,” it turned out that they’d had that first date at the exact same restaurant! And the coincidences continued: they’d pre-ordered the exact same main meals and desserts!
So, with their stars seemingly being aligned, was there a second date? “Yes, there was,” Trevor tells us. “It lasted about four hours, and he did most of the talking.” So did we find the one? Er, no. “We have not been in contact since,” is the word from Trevor.
Alas – it seemed so promising for our last love-seeker, but it wasn’t meant to be. We hope everyone we matched (or didn’t) during the season are happy with where they’re at – and maybe even riding out the 21-day lockdown with a new love.
It’s a difficult thing to find.