First Dates Ireland maitre d’ Mateo Saina reveals exciting baby news

Huge congratulations are in order.

First Dates Ireland maitre d' Mateo Saina has revealed he is going to become a dad. The Croatia native, who welcomes nervous daters into the First Dates restaurant, and his partner of almost eight years are expecting a baby in just three months. He told The Today Show on RTÉ: 

“I’m now seven-and-a-half years with my lady and she’s a neighbour from where I come from. “And I have an exclusive for you, I’m going to be a dad – in three months time.”

Mateo - who works as a restaurant manager when he's not filming the RTÉ dating show - also revealed how he came to join the programme. He explained:

“I was lucky enough to be invited by the producers, the COCO TV owners. “I was recommended by Paul, who was my roommate and he used to work with them. “So he said ‘would you like to do a TV show?’ and I said ‘no man, I wouldn’t be for that’. “But then I went to do an audition and here we are. “This is my job, I work as a restaurant manager. This is what I do for a living so I’m in a safe place.”

The dad-to-be recalled some of his favourite moments of First Dates Ireland while he was on The Today Show, including season two's Paddy and Lauren - who were both on their first ever dates. And there's going to be a couple like them on the way. Mateo added:

"We are going to have another couple who are on their first date for the first time, and that was really, really lovely to see. That’s what we’re here for. “The whole show has a purpose when you see these kinds of moments.”