Gogglebox favourite Daniel Lustig Webb is officially back on the dating scene following his split from husband and former co star Stephen.
And in a twist fans will not want to miss, he is turning to First Dates: Be My Valentine in the hope of finding the love of his life.
The 50-year-old hairdresser is putting his faith in Fred Sirieix and the First Dates team to help him meet The One.
In tonight’s Valentine’s Day special on Channel 4, Daniel sits down for dinner with Simon, 49, a paramedic who lives just 20 minutes away.
As viewers will see, conversation soon turns to Daniel’s marriage and what really led to the break up.
And he makes a very surprise admission.
Why did Gogglebox’s Daniel Lustig Webb split from Stephen?
Long-time Gogglebox fans will recognise Daniel instantly. He appeared on the Channel 4 hit from 2019 alongside Stephen and their beloved poodles.
Before Daniel joined, Stephen had starred with his ex and friend Chris Ashby Steed.
The pair confirmed they were leaving Gogglebox in September 2023. Stephen later said he had grown ‘bored of his jokes’.
He told The Mirror: “I got to the 10th anniversary of Gogglebox. I started feeling like Ken Barlow… there from day one. I was churning out the same old [bleep].”
Six months later, Daniel and Stephen announced they were getting divorced. Daniel has since stressed there was nothing “scandalous” behind the decision.
Speaking on Best’s Suddenly Single podcast, he explained: “There was nothing underhand happening, no one had slept with anyone else.
“Stephen was the complete opposite to me, and we’d say opposites attracted, but fundamentally that was our problem in the end.”
Stephen later tried his luck on E4’s Celebs Go Dating. However, he did not find a new partner on the show.
Daniel Lustig Webb takes a chance on First Dates
Now it is Daniel’s turn to look for romance on television.
Arriving at the First Dates restaurant, he admits dating apps have not been his favourite route to love.
He jokes that he is after “George Clooney, Brad Pitt vibes, not Norman soon to be retired”.
Daniel reveals: “I have been single for about 10 months. In the summer I had a little bit of a dating frenzy. In one month, I went on about 17 dates.
“I’m looking for funny and kind, fit and healthy with hair.”
He is matched with Simon, who has two grown up children and three grandchildren. It doesn’t take long before Simon wonders if he recognises Daniel from somewhere.
Daniel tells him: “I was on Gogglebox with my ex. We were the guys with poodles, sitting on the couch. I was married up until last year. We were together for 12 years.”
Daniel admits he still lives with Stephen
Away from the table, Daniel speaks candidly about how much the split affected him.
“When you break up with someone, especially if you’ve been married and you’ve given your heart to it, it’s upsetting. And it was upsetting,” he says.
“I definitely felt like I was grieving for a good six months. It was very hard to get over it.
“If you’re going to get married, you think you’re going to be together forever. Your heart is stuck on that. So, when you separate, it’s very hard to get out of that funk.”
Back at dinner, he drops a revelation that leaves Simon visibly surprised.
“It is difficult, because we still live together,” Daniel admits.
Simon raises his eyebrows and responds: “Oh, okay.”
Daniel quickly adds: “But we’re not sharing a bed. He’s in the other room, I’m in this room. Eventually we will sell our place and move on.”
It is certainly a lot for any first date to take in.
The big question now is whether Simon sees past the complicated living situation and focuses on the chance of something new?
- First Dates: Be My Valentine airs at 10pm on Channel 4 on Wednesday February 11, 2026.
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