The TV star’s new show sees him putting young people to work in the demanding world of hotel service. He talks about the excitement of his early career, the joy of first kisses, and why he still believes in hard work
In a cream suit, with a sharp new haircut, Fred Sirieix appears entirely at home in the bar of a glitzy London hotel. And that’s as it should be. First Dates’ host-cum-matchmaker spent his career in high-end hospitality before being “sidetracked”, as he puts it, when telly came calling. Now his new show is taking him right back to his roots: the nitty gritty of hotel and restaurant service.
In Fred’s Last Resort, 12 young Britons looking to change their lives are dropped into a five-star resort on the Côte d’Azur – glittering sea, white parasols and glossy one-percenters in massive shades – to learn every aspect of the hospitality business. There’s £10,000 and a job for the last one standing. Predictable havoc ensues as, thrown in at the deep end, the recruits spill drinks, tell one guest: “Your arse looks amazing”, and are equally revolted by waxy discarded cotton buds and oysters. Many Apprentice-adjacent tropes are present: tasks and team leaders, speakerphone recriminations, terrible decisions and professionals watching in mute horror as the chaos unravels. But the kids, with all their insecurities and anxieties, are very endearing – those you would employ in a heartbeat but also the ones who could age you 10 years in a single lunch service – and it has heart and humour.
