First Dates Ireland: An interview with Edgy V & GG Carma

Season 11 of First Dates Ireland has begun with a bang, and as usual, it features a unique and vibrant set of guests. We sat down for a chat with two of them, musicians Edgy V and GG Carma.

​Not only are the ladies in a music group together, but they are also twin sisters, and this brought an interesting flavour to their episode.

​In fine spirits, both Edgy and GG spoke through gleaming smiles as they recalled what an exciting and fun experience for them.

​On the initial process behind applying for the series, GG said: “Funnily enough, I had never actually watched First Dates, and I knew nothing of the format of it.

​“It was just something that people kept bringing up, saying you're single; you should go on First Dates.

​“Then one day, I was at home having a glass og wine, watching Netflix, and I was like, yeah, why not First Dates.”

​GG explained why she decided to actually apply, saying, “I was at the stage where I had been dating for a couple of months, and I had dating app fatigue. So I just said to myself, how different could this be?”

​GG was shocked to hear back from the team, but once they called her back, she had a phone interview, and this is where her sister Egle managed to get roped in.

​“They were just kind of chatting to me, asking me to tell them about myself, and then they asked me if I had any siblings, and I said, yeah, I have a twin sister.

​“They kind of clung to the whole idea of this; they asked me if she was single, and I said yes, but let me talk to her first.”

​This is where Edgy comes in; she described her initial doubts about it and how she needed some time to really think about going on the show.

​“GG came to me about the whole concept, and I had to take a whole weekend just to think about it. Eventually, though, I said why not do this with your sister.

​“I think the idea of having GG there was much more comforting, because the nerves of a blind date when you're going on your own is so different, but when your sister is there with you, you are sharing that experience.”

​Edgy and GG spoke about what it was like behind the scenes on the show, and what the overall process is like when they are trying to find you a match.

​Of course, they already conducted their initial phone interview, where the team would aim to see how good a fit they were, but after that, they invited them for a filmed interview.

​This is where they were asked different questions, like tell me about yourself and " What kind of relationship are you looking for. Following this, around two weeks later, the date actually happened.

​Edgy spoke about what this was like on the day, saying “you are waiting in a hotel room where the TV Crew were looking after us, with all of their walkie-talkies and everything.

​“They let you just walk around where people are coming and going, and that's where they just say off you go, little birdie fly! From then on, you are on your own, and anything after that is being filmed.”

​Speaking about the date itself, Edgy said: “There isn't any scripting, and there was an element of nerve wreck, because you don't know who is coming through the door.

​“Are you going to like them? Are they going to like you? Luckily, though, we got lovely lads. But the nerves were there, but GG had me, and I had her.”

​The ladies explained what it was like being on the set, and how that felt in real time, detailing what the cameras and extras were like.

​Edgy said: “The tv crew were fantastic, from the beginning of the process to the end. They would give us so much support and were really good at keeping us at ease.

​“The cameras are set up in different places, but they aren't as hidden as you think; they are actually quite large.

​“I even have photos on my phone from being on the show; they are pretty large and set up everywhere. They are not as covered because they have motion sensors and need to pick up when you are moving around the room.”

​Edgy discussed how interesting it was to be on a set like that, saying: “The extras were fascinating. You have dates happening at different times in the schedule, but it could be edited together so that it looks like it's all happening at once.

​“So you could be sitting here, and somebody is sitting over there, and it's all intentional so that when they edit it, it looks like it's happening simultaneously, which is really interesting.”

​When asked if they would ever do anything like it again, GG said, “So I'm actually in a relationship now myself. Unless there was one for couples, but i don’t know if he would be up for that.”

​Edgy said, “I would say, why not? If you're not camera-shy, why not?”

​Both Edgy V and GG Carma share an enthusiasm which is unmatched, and take most endeavours with a smile, and a unique witty humour, so tune in to RTÉ Two on Thursday, February 4, to catch what is sure to be an entertaining show.