He’s known as the charming French maître d’hôtel who welcomes hopeful singletons on Channel 4’s First Dates.
However, Fred Sirieix has revealed he was charmed by Britain at just 13 when he found himself surrounded by much wanted female attention.
The TV star, 52, confessed that during a school exchange trip to Stratford-upon-Avon he fell in love with England after kissing 10 girls in just 15 days.
Speaking in an interview with The Mirror, Fred admitted: ‘I was 14 or 13… I was there 15 days and kissed 10 girls. In France, I couldn’t kiss as many girls as that. So suddenly it was like, “Wow, this is like paradise!”‘
Honouring one of the special ladies, he added: ‘One girl I kissed, her name was Belinda. When I came home, my parents had bought me a guinea pig… I called it Belinda.’
Fred Sirieix has revealed he kissed 10 girls in just 15 days on school trip to England as he recalls falling in love with the country
Fred admitted: ‘I was 14 or 13… I was there 15 days and kissed 10 girls. In France, I couldn’t kiss as many girls as that. So suddenly it was like, “Wow, this is like paradise!”‘
Fred has lived in the UK since he was 20-years-old and he added: ‘I’ve always felt welcome here. I’ve loved it since the very first day.’
Commenting on the difference between the bluntness of French people and the British, Fred said he notices that the two cultures are completely opposite.
He observed that while Brits are typically more introverted and shy, the French will just say it how it is.
While his love affair with the UK began as an early teen, Fred has since found love with his fiancée Fruitcake.
Fred previously revealed that he and Fruitcake had cancelled their wedding due to the Covid pandemic but are hoping to marry this year.
Fred also revealed that due to lockdown he couldn’t present his fiancée with a ring when he popped the question, but luckily she still said yes.
While in the I’m A Celebrity jungle last year, Fred said the pair were planning to say ‘I do’ in Jamaica.
Fred said: ‘I’ve never had a bad date. But the way I met Fruitcake, I met her in Peckham…
Fred has lived in the UK since he was 20-years-old and he added: ‘I’ve always felt welcome here. I’ve loved it since the very first day’
While his love affair with the UK began as an early teen, Fred has since found love with his fiancée Fruitcake (pictured in December)
While in the I’m A Celebrity jungle last year, Fred said the pair were planning to say ‘I do’ in Jamaica this year
More recently Fred spent his summer in Paris, supporting his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, at the Olympics
In the post he shared a video of his daughter’s dive before a picture of the two of them hugging afterwards alongside a heartfelt message of love and support
‘I was walking up and she was smiling at me and I was smiling at her and I liked her eyes… I just had to talk to her…
‘I asked for her number, I said, ”Shall we go for a drink tonight?”
‘That was nine years ago. We’re getting married next year in Jamaica.’
More recently Fred spent his summer in Paris, supporting his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, at the Olympics.
His daughter won a bronze medal in the 10m synchronised dive, but only finished in sixth place in the Women’s 10m Platform for the second Olympics in a row.
The Team GB diving star has previously disclosed how she struggled with anxiety following her Games debut in Tokyo 2021 and almost gave up the sport.
And while the diver was visibly upset by the result, her father Fred posted an emotional Instagram message praising her.
In the post he shared a video of his daughter’s dive before a picture of the two of them hugging afterwards with the pair beaming at the camera.
The proud father captioned the post: ‘Thank you for this incredible adventure and the inspiration Andrea. What a beautiful moment! You and your brother are the best thing I have ever done and will ever do ❤️ #lavieestbelle’.
