AN Alton girl beat off two fellow contestants to capture her quarry during the first showing of the newly revamped series of ÔBlind DateÕ.

Laura Beech (22), a third- year student at Hertfordshire University, was among the first trio of girls to experience Cilla BlackÕs new-look programme.

Entitled ÔDitch or DateÕ the new programme contains a novel twist to the selection process as Laura and her screen debut partners were to find out!

A former pupil of Robert Mays School at Odiham, where her parents are both teachers, and later of Alton College, Laura is currently studying graphic design at Hatfield and has her sights fixed either on joining the police force or becoming a childrenÕs TV presenter.

According to Laura, she was watching Blind Date in the student house with her flat-mate, Neil, when an invitation flashed on the screen, inviting people to audition for the next programme.

Bored at the time, Laura resolved to Òhave a goÓ and rang for an audition.

She was one of around 16,000 to audition and one of a handful picked to go on to meet Cilla Black. Apparently she was able to impress with a demonstration of her skills as a cocktail waitress.

The demo was enough to get the Alton girl through to the second audition when she was asked to act out a scene in which she was chatting someone up in a bar - Ònot too difficult for a cocktail waitress,Ó according to Laura who then had to perform a party trick.

Unprepared for such a request and having done a Òbit of gymnasticsÓ as a child, Laura performed an Arab spring which landed her in a group of five, of which one only would go forward to appear on the show - and she was that person!

ÒI didnÕt know at the time that this was going to be a new style Blind Date,Ó said Laura who was delighted to be told that she was to be one of the three girls vying to be picked by a guy on the very first programme of the new series.

While not lucky enough to be chosen to select a date from the members of popular boy band, ÔBlueÕ - an honour bestowed upon a girl called ÔSallyÕ who had admitted to being a passionate ÔBlueÕ fan, Laura did manage to wrestle her own date away from the clutches of a fellow contestant by answering a last-minute question to persuade northern lad, Andy King, that she was in fact the girl of his dreams.

And so the pair were whisked off on a Ôholiday of a lifetimeÕ to sunny Granada where, with cameras following their every move, they had time to find out just what the other was really made of.

According to Laura, while Granada was Òreally lovelyÓ, and the pair enjoyed such decadent activities as water skiing and a honeymoon massage, theirs was not a match made in heaven.

ÒHe was just not my type,Ó said the Alton girl who was able to reveal that, contrary to popular belief, contestants might know what questions they will be asked during the Blind Date programme but that they do have to make up their own answers, and that hours of filming goes on during the ensuing holiday to produce just a few minutes footage for the following TV show.

Another new addition to Cilla BlackÕs long-running dating game is ÔKiss and TellÕ - a follow-up programme filmed on the couplesÕ return during which they are encouraged to Òreveal allÓ.

During their trip abroad, Laura and Andy were also equipped with a video camera each, on which to record a personal diary which, Laura admitted she had found ÒstressfulÓ.

In fact, while she enjoyed the experience and particularly the filming, the Alton girl admitted that she was pleased to get home. ÒBeing part of the show was very scary at times and youÕve not got to be afraid to go out and enjoy yourself, but I would love to do more TV work,Ó she told the Herald.

While describing Cilla Black as Òreally sweetÓ, Laura was not so enamoured with her Blind Date - of Andy she said: ÒI wouldnÕt go all the way to Rochdale to see him again.Ó