Blind date: 'My dad burst into the room – he likes to do that when I’m on Zoom'

James on Elizabeth

What were you hoping for?
An evening’s break from my family.

First impressions?
Confident.

What did you talk about?
Cheap theatre tickets, the rise of James Corden, being the youngest person at a Rod Stewart concert, books written by Khaled Hosseini and hayfever being a legitimate excuse to cancel a meet-up.

Any awkward moments?
Her electric gates wouldn’t open for the delivery driver (first world problems).

Good table manners?
We both ordered pizza but my food arrived after hers and, although I tried to get her to start before it went cold, she insisted on waiting, which was nice.

How long did you stay on the call?
Two and a half hours

Best thing about Elizabeth?
She was open and very easy to talk to.

Did you introduce her to your housemates?
I’m living with my family during lockdown so my parents were under strict orders to stay out of the way.

Describe Elizabeth in three words
Easy-going, funny and kind.

What do you think she made of you?
Probably that I spoke too much.

Any connection issues?
I think half the conversation might have been filled with “I can’t hear you” or “No, you carry on speaking…”

And... did you swap numbers?
Yes, we moved away from Zoom and on to WhatsApp.

How did the call end?
I think it came to its natural conclusion.

If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
Ideally, we would have enjoyed a meal at a nice restaurant.

Marks out of 10?
7.

Would you meet again in person?
I enjoyed the evening and would happily meet up again as friends.

Elizabeth on James

What were you hoping for?
Either someone I could meet up with at the end of lockdown or a story to tell.

First impressions?
James seemed really warm and friendly. It was easy to get the conversation going.

What did you talk about?
Trump, Hitler, dating colleagues and James having just come back from working in China.

Any awkward moments?
My dad burst into the room – he likes to do that when I’m on Zoom.

Good table manners?
It was strange to eat on camera, but I feel as if this is one of those things that I’m getting used to, months into a pandemic.

How long did you stay on the call?
About two and a half hours.

Best thing about James?
He was funny! I was quite nervous beforehand, but he made the whole thing feel more natural than it was.

Did you introduce him to your housemates?
No, it would have been a lot to introduce him to my parents on the first date.

Describe James in three words
Entertaining, charming and kind.

What do you think he made of you?
I hope he thought I was bubbly and kind but I was probably frozen for a lot of it, so that’s TBC.

Any connection issues?
Loads!

And... did you swap numbers?
Yes.

How did the call end?
Wifi and Zoom were a struggle, so in the end we had a call on WhatsApp.

If you could change one thing about the evening, what would it be?
That it wasn’t on Zoom.

Marks out of 10?
7.

Would you meet again in person?
I would, but I live in Hull and James in Essex and I don’t know if he would feel comfortable going further north than Loughborough.

• Fancy a blind date? Email blind.date@theguardian.com.