LEGENDARY dating game show Blind Date has been given the kiss of life by two match-making friends who are organising their own live version of the popular programme.

Kate Treleaven and Julia Sweeney, from Kingsbridge, said they initially suggested the idea of a Blind Date event as a light-hearted way to solve a single friend's dating drought.

Kate said: 'We weren't that serious at first but whenever I mentioned it to people there was so much nostalgia for the original TV show that the idea of a Blind Date revival in Kingsbridge really seemed to capture people's imaginations.

'Now we've set the date we're looking forward to pulling off a hugely entertaining night out for both the audience and the contestants.'

The one-off charity event is set to take place at the Kings Arms, Kingsbridge, on Saturday, June 23, at 7pm.

Following the famed TV format as faithfully as possible, two plucky singletons will each get the chance to quiz a panel of potential partners hidden from view behind a screen.

The successful couples will then be sent on an imaginative date and will return later the same evening to report back on how they got on.

The inimitable Cilla Black will be replaced for the evening by Dave Cornthwaite, a record-breaking adventurer, comedian and author of Date, the best-selling book which documents Dave's attempt to find a girlfriend by dating 100 women in 100 days.

Dave will keep the audience amused while the couples are enjoying their dates, aided by live music from Blurred Vision.

Tickets for the event can be purchased online with group bookings for eight people guaranteed a private table for the night.

More information, including details of how to become a contestant, can be found via the Blind Date Live Facebook page at http://www.face">www.face book.com/BlindDateLive or by emailing [email protected]">[email protected].

All proceeds raised from the event will be donated to one of two charities.

They are Coppafeel, which raises awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, and Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides free overnight accommodation to parents with sick children in hospital, a charity which has helped friends of Julia in the past.

Julia said: 'Two years ago my friend's five-year-old son, Joe, was rushed to Bristol Children's Hospital where he spent the next two months fighting for his life. His parents and baby sister were given a room in a Ronald McDonald house just up the road from the hospital which allowed them to stay close to Joe and helped them get through those two difficult months.

'This family is not the only one I have personally known to have benefited from the use of this amazing facility and there are many, many more families in similar situations that rely on the support of this terrific charity.

'I really hope people will get behind our Blind Date event and have some fun while helping us to boost their coffers.'

Kate and Julia are also appealing for sponsors to help cover the event's expenses. If you are able to help, contact Kate at blinddatelive@ gmail.com or 07833 586733.