What drew you to becoming the Varsity matchmaker?

I didn’t read Varsity much in first year, but then my friend showed me the blind date section one term and I thought it was so fun! You get to be incredibly nosy and it’s always painfully awkward, but you can experience the awkwardness second hand – just by reading the details without having to actually go on a date.

Do you consider yourself a romantic?

I think so. Whenever people tell me stories about how their parents met, I always say ‘aw, that’s so cute! ’, and I do like romcoms – though they’re often terribly done. So yes, I think I’m a romantic, but I don’t think that translates to me being particularly optimistic about dating…

“You’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs!”

On that note, do you think being the Cambridge Cupid has made you more or less optimistic about dating?

I think my thoughts have stayed the same, because the majority of the dates are quite mediocre which reflects real life experience, especially on Hinge. It hasn’t worsened my idea of love, but it has confirmed that you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs!

What’s been your favourite blind date that you’ve set up?

One of the first two I set up. It was just laughably bad. There was no one else in the pub, she thought he was classist … I really enjoyed that one. And then my other favourite is a more recent date which was actually really successful. They went on a couple more dates afterwards – who knows where they are now.

Do you think they could get married one day?

I hope so, it could be written about 20 years from now in Varsity.

“There was no one else in the pub, she thought he was classist … I really enjoyed that one”

What do you look for when setting up potential couples? Do you look for common interests, or do you believe that ‘opposites attract’?

I try to go off of the general vibe, but asking someone who their celebrity crush is also really helps (I make a note at this point to ask later whether they can set me up with a Tom Hiddleston lookalike). I don’t think I’d pair up two rowers who just did maths – they’d just talk about their commonalities rather than getting to know each other – but I don’t purposefully try to match up opposites. A lot of people who sign up say they’re shy, so I try not to pair them up with overly confident people, otherwise I think the conversation would be very one-sided.

What’s the core demographic of signups?

I’d say it’s about 90% straight women.

Why do you think that is?

I don’t think many men know about it and read the section. (Men, if you are reading this, go and sign up, especially if you are a Tom Hiddleston lookalike).

What do you think is the biggest dating faux pas someone can make?

I went on a date once and, after a pleasant hour of chitchat, the guy said he didn’t know whether he’d have voted for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. That was a pretty big red flag.

“Asking someone who their celebrity crush is really helps”

Would you ever go on a blind date yourself?

I would! I think I have already done that in a way considering how most of my Hinge dates haven’t looked like their profile picture. But having experience of being the Cambridge Cupid, I’m not sure whether I’d feel too optimistic about the outcome… but I’d 100% go for the craic.

With the dating scene shifting from real life meet-cutes to dating app hell, do you think blind dates are a good middle ground?

Yeah, I think it’s a good alternative to using apps. I get why people use them, because they’re so quick and easy, but I think it takes some of the magic out of it. I’m a big advocate of blind dates where your friends set you up, so there’s an element of mystery, but you also know that they (hopefully) won’t be a complete weirdo.

Have there been more signups since the Christmas period?

I checked the other day and there had been 4 new signups – that’s big! But I don’t know whether it’s to do with the festive spirit or just that people have more time on their hands.

“You get to be incredibly nosy”

What do you think is the best setting for a blind date?

I like a little bit of a dander at some point, but I think a pub is a good go-to. A pint always makes me feel more chill.

Describe your love life in 5 words.

Ooo, I’d say: part-time (I’m a part-time hinge warrior), weary, disappointing (to my family members), and occasionally optimistic (promptly followed by more disappointment).

If the dates clearly aren’t all successes, why should people sign up for a blind date?

In Cambridge, it’s so easy to get lost in essay jargon and all the work you have going on, but it’s important to remember that you’re at university and you should have fun! Signing up for a blind date is easy, you don’t need to spend ages messaging someone because I will find you someone. The worst thing that will happen is that it’s not great, but you’ll leave it with a story and get to read what they thought about you in a Varsity article. How often does that happen?