My name is Daniel Francis Forman.
I am 38 years old.
I am very ro... romantic.
I love holding hands. I love hugs.
[producer] What would you like to do on a date?
We would look up at the stars, at the moon.
Have a drink or two.
[producer] What is love to you?
For me... Love means to me,
uh, the heart.
The compassion.
The need to love for others.
Love is like a feeling that
calms me... calms me down.
Like, I want to be on a date for the very first time with a girl.
[whimsical music playing]
[narrator] We all want love, companionship, and affection.
To love and be loved.
Will you be my boyfriend?
Hi.
[narrator] But finding that special person isn't always easy.
I don't like to break too many hearts.
[narrator] This series follows New Zealanders living with Down syndrome
as they go on a series of dates...
God, my legs are shaking.
[giggling]
...exploring the ups and downs of romance.
I had my very first kiss with my boyfriend.
She is... Mwah.
Al dente.
And the complexities of relationships...
[producer] Do you two want to have children?
Um, no.
...in the search for true love.
- Boop! - Oh, you're so cute.
- I don't like her. - [producer] What?
I love her.
Echo, play the Seasons, Vivaldi.
- [classical music plays] - Let's go to the lounge, in my lounge.
[narrator] Daniel lives independently in Christchurch.
My favorite music would be classical.
I like Beethoven,
Chopin, Mozart,
Strauss.
Those kinds of things.
I'm going to show you around the rest of my house.
And in here is my bedroom.
[sighs contentedly] Get on my bed.
You see this is a big bed.
It's built for two.
For a romantic cuddle or a kiss or two.
Here I've got my photos.
This is me and my brother Joel fishing.
I love catching fish a lot.
This is me and my brother again.
That's us walking. I love hiking around the hills.
The girlfriend that I'm looking for who is active like me,
doing lots of stuff.
[narrator] Daniel shares his home and life with his younger brother, Joel.
[Daniel] I definitely love to have a brother
who lives with Down syndrome
because we can understand each other.
It is easygoing. I'm very lucky to live with my brother.
[narrator] But in one aspect of life,
Joel has the edge over Daniel.
Joel has got a girlfriend called Maria.
They've been in love for about 15 years.
What's the best thing about having a girlfriend?
[Joel] I love her with all my heart and soul.
[narrator] Although he's 38, Daniel's never had a girlfriend.
Something he's looking to change.
Daniel will be a great boyfriend.
- Thanks, bro. Love you too. - Thanks.
[vacuum whirring]
[Daniel] They're so lucky to have each other.
If I were to have a girlfriend, I would love her deeply.
My dream is to be with a wife
that sees me who I am.
[wistful music playing]
[narrator] Over the years, Daniel's tried many ways to find love.
[Daniel] I've tried it on the dating site.
I wrote, "Hi, all, it's Daniel here."
"Is there any girls out there who is interested in me?"
I had about two comments.
No, I had no luck at all.
That make me feel disappointed.
I am so ready to get one.
[narrator] It's been several months since Libby let Josh down
after their second date.
It made me really feel, um... very bad.
I don't like upsetting anybody.
[narrator] At home in Whanganui,
Libby's had some upsetting news of her own.
[Libby] Last month,
my grandmother ended up having
a mini-stroke.
It was actually very traumatic.
[narrator] With Grandma in hospital, Libby's uncle Shaun is helping out.
Libby, you know, she's had a rough life losing her mum.
Watching that was pretty hard for all of us.
Because of her mother,
Libby was quite good at picking up the phone
and ringing ambulances
'cause she's had a lot of experience, unfortunately.
[Libby] I did what I had to do for Grandma.
Yeah, I just had to hold it together for her.
I've been doing my best to look after her.
I have to act like I'm perfect all the time.
[voice catching] I don't want to lose her because I've lost my mum.
[sniffles]
[Shaun] She's definitely not gonna be left on her own.
I'll be here forever for her.
It's something I had to promise my sister, that I looked after her.
So how it's always been, family first.
[narrator] Today, there's news from the doctors.
Okay, I went up the hospital, Libby.
They're just taking blood tests,
and they're waiting for the results to come back.
We should be picking her up to come home tonight.
Yeah, sounds good.
[narrator] Facing a difficult time for her family
has made Libby even more determined to find love.
I would love to find someone that loves me for who I am.
[narrator] In Christchurch, family is also central to Daniel's world.
- Hello and welcome. Come on in. - Hello, Daniel.
[narrator] Once a week, the whole clan gets together.
- Daniel. How are you? - Hi, Mum. Doing good.
- How are you, Colin? - [man] Hi, Daniel.
- Hey. - Great to see you.
I have a huge love for my family.
At the moment, we've got nine all together.
I've got four brothers and four sisters,
with twenty nephews and nieces
and ten grandnephews and grandnieces.
[mum] Chardonnay, Seb?
- No, I didn't. - I did it.
Oh, fantastic.
We never dreamt that we would have 75 offspring
when we got married 55 years ago.
[man] And once the family started,
we never had time to think of what might happen.
[chuckles]
[man 2] I'm only after the sausage.
Oh, good on you, buddy. Thank you very much.
Can I leave?
[mum] We actually had seven children.
We thought we'd finished our family,
and along came little Daniel.
And, um, so that was about six years later,
and he was an absolute delight.
- [woman] There's some egg there. - Oh, that's it.
I got to get this. No offense!
Thanks, Dan.
[mum] Daniel was about four,
and we had a phone call from a friend who said,
"We'd love, um, a home for a little baby who happens to have Down syndrome."
What about you guys?
[mum] And would we know of anybody?
So that's why we adopted Joel.
[chuckling]
- How's it going, guys? - Good.
Good, the chicken's coming along good.
[narrator] Daniel's family are as keen as he is for him to find a girlfriend.
You're a very lovable fella. You know that. We love you lots.
- You do. - You're a good man.
- Yes. Yes. - And they'll see that.
- Yes, they will. Yes. - Yeah.
[indistinct background chattering]
[girl] Okay, Daniel.
- Yes? - [girl] Left hand, yellow.
Left hand, yellow. Oh!
[mum] We would love Daniel to have a girlfriend
and have a relationship with someone
that would love him as much as what we love him.
And I think that would just be the icing on the cake
for him to have someone special for himself.
[laughter]
[solemn music playing]
[narrator] Over the months since her date with Josh,
Libby has had time to reflect.
[Libby] Since the date with Josh,
I started to figure out a lot about myself and what I like.
I'm not just into guys.
I am also into girls
because I feel like I am more myself around girls.
Girls are better at emotional support than some guys.
Yeah, I would love to meet a lovely girl
to get involved with my family and my friends.
I was very scared to come out about it.
I was struggling at the time,
but in the end, I just felt, like, huge relief.
Hi!
So...
[Libby] But I remember Grandma telling me,
"I don't care who you love as long as you are happy."
She said she would support me no matter what.
Uncle Shaun also said he loves girls too.
So that's really good for me. [chuckles]
[narrator] This week Libby will be flying to Auckland
to go on her first date with a woman.
[Libby] The stuff that I offer to a girl is... communication,
trust,
loyalty.
It is actually all about me finding a really good friendship
that could blossom into something even bigger.
[jaunty music playing]
[narrator] Also looking forward to a date this week,
Daniel has high hopes.
I'm looking for someone who is respectful,
someone who has my taste,
being ourselves, being honest, being truthful,
trusted, respected.
I want to see a love spark.
I feel excited to be here
looking for a date, looking for a girlfriend.
I feel excited on the inside and on the outside.
Anything could easily happen.
There is definitely love from me
for any girl who wants to have me in their lives.
[whimsical music playing]
[narrator] Lily-Mae's first date with Luca was a resounding success.
For their second date, she's flown to his hometown, Christchurch.
[Lily] Room service, Mum.
How are you feeling about the date?
More than excited.
He doesn't know that I have feelings for him,
but I feel like he has feelings for me.
- Why do you think that? - Because I can read minds.
[chuckling]
- Just give him a try. - Also, I wanna date Harry Styles.
[girl] You can't have both of them.
- You can only have one boyfriend. - If I had to choose, it would be Luca.
[chuckling] Oh, that's quite nice.
- It's a big choice. - Yeah.
So, Lil, if you do feel like, you know,
you feel like the date's going well,
and you feel like kinda starting to feel comfortable with Luca,
you might feel like you wanna hold his hand or...
- Yeah. - [girl] Give him a kiss.
Have a little kiss.
Like, how will you know if that's what Luca wants?
[Lily] Okay, well, I feel 100% amazing about it.
[girl chuckles]
But I'm gonna ask Luca before.
- Gonna check it out with him? - Yes.
- Why? - And if he says yes, we will do it.
And if he says no?
- If he says no, I will accept it. - Brilliant. That's good.
And I will die a little bit inside, but I'll be okay.
[Hayley laughs]
- You'll be all right though, eh? - Yeah, I'll survive.
- Because he might not be... - I will survive with chocolate and movies.
[laughter]
[Hayley] Enough girl chat.
- We need to get moving. - [Lily] Going.
You gotta get ready for the date, Lil! You don't wanna be late.
- [Lily] Let's go. - Let's...
[whimsical music playing]
[bird chirping]
[narrator] At home, Luca is also raring to go.
We better actually get a gear on, love. Otherwise, we'll be late.
Have a brilliant time, sweetheart.
- You think you're sorted? - [Luca] Yep.
[mum] Yup. Excited?
- [Luca] I am. - Yes!
I am feeling awesome to see Lily-Mae. [chuckles]
[mum] Mmmmwah!
He adored meeting Lily-Mae.
He was proud, and I think he felt really mature.
See ya!
Sort of the puff of the chest and sort of like, "Oh, Lily-Mae!"
[whimsical music continues]
[narrator] It's been two weeks and several miles
since the young pair last saw each other.
[romantic music playing]
Oh my God.
- Hi, Luca. - Hi, Lily.
[exhales nervously]
Welcome to Christchurch.
Thanks. It's really fun here.
Yeah.
So, what have you been doing since I have not been here?
Um, I just had br... had bre... breakfast.
Oh. That's nice. I haven't had breakfast yet.
- Just a smoothie. - Yeah, same.
Yeah.
- Yeah. Uh... - Um...
So...
Um...
- Yeah. - So...
- I like your shoes. [giggles] - Yeah.
Thank you. Nice color shoes.
- Thanks. They're pink. - Yeah.
So, shall we?
High five.
Oh, okay.
Let's go. Want to hold my hand?
Thanks!
[narrator] Because they both love to be active,
Luca's organized a date at an indoor climbing wall.
[woman] All right, come around this way.
Pin it to the right.
- [Lily] Are you ready, Luca? - I was born ready.
[Lily] Oh, okay. Let's go.
- [woman] Go. - [Lily] This is so hard.
- Oh God. - [woman] Good work, Lily.
- Luca's doing a different technique. - [Lily] This is really, really fun.
Are you afraid of heights, Luca?
[Luca] Um, when I was young, I was a little, yes.
But not anymore.
[Lily] 'Cause here, I'm definitely not scared of heights.
- [Luca] Well, I'm scared of snakes. - [Lily] I'm scared of spiders.
Well, my thing for today is not be inappropriate,
let him talk, and listen to him.
Three things. And have fun. That's the main thing.
- Are you okay there? - [Luca] Yeah, I'm okay.
[Lily] Yeah, hang on.
- [Luca] Whoa. - [Lily] I'm gonna jump, okay?
[shrieks]
Well, you're really going good.
Like, why is he so good?
[puffs] Wow!
[Lily] Go strong!
Yeah! Yeah, I did it.
[woman and Lily cheer]
- [Lily] Just one jump, Luca. - [Luca] Yeah.
- [Lily cheers] - [Luca panting]
- [Lily] You're better than me. - [Luca] Thanks.
I'll tell you that.
Should we try this one here?
[narrator] So far, so good, but Luca's keen to step things up a level.
I'm Superman. I can fly.
[woman chuckles]
I'm Spider-Man.
String!
[woman and Luca laughing]
- Oh, looking good! - [Lily] Yeah!
Can you do the floss?
- [funky music playing] - [Lily] Okay.
- [woman] What's this one? - Oh, we're doing the moon?
[Luca singing under breath]
[Lily giggles]
[Luca continues singing]
[Lily] I'm bad at Michael Jackson dance moves.
♪ Now beat it! ♪
- [woman] Who's going first? - Luca.
[woman] Luca. So, brilliant. Do you wanna hop on here for me?
- Okay. - [Lily] It'll go really well, Luca.
[mechanical whirring]
- [woman] Let it pull you up. - Okay, uh, stop.
[woman] Stop here?
Okay. Whee!
[woman] Woo-hoo!
[Lily] Whoo!
He looks handsome.
What number are we going for today, Lily?
- Eight. - Whoa! Number eight! [laughs]
And there we go. Good work, Lily.
Woo-hoo!
[Luca] Yeah!
[Lily] That was fun.
[woman] Well done!
- Yes. - [woman] There we go.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] On the coast of Wellington,
Daniel's preparing for his first-ever date with the help of his sister Vicky.
[Daniel] I feel excited. I can't wait to see her.
Oh yeah! I'm going out with a girl. Oh yeah!
All right. All set?
- All set to go. - Ready for your date?
- Yes. - Yes.
- [Vicky] Have a great time. - I will.
- [Vicky] Love you. - Love you.
- [Vicky] See you later! - See you, big sis.
[narrator] With his love of walking,
Daniel hopes his date will also enjoy the great outdoors.
Across town,
Daniel's date, Emily, is getting ready with her mum.
[mum gasps] Look at that.
- It matches my hair color. - [mum] Matches your hair color.
Are you excited about the date?
- Yes. - [mum] Yeah?
What will you do when you first meet him?
First thing, you say hello to other people.
Yeah. Beautiful, Em.
You're so pretty.
What's important about a young man?
He's nice.
He has to be nice, yeah.
- I wanna be a queen someday. - You wanna be treated like a queen.
- Yes. - Yeah.
And someone to do all my cleaning for me.
[mum] Emily's been hanging out to have a date with someone special.
He would need to be patient,
and, um, he'd have to be Emily-centric.
So he'd have to, um, focus on her wants and needs.
[chuckling] Um...
If he's gonna treat you like a queen, how... how are you gonna treat him?
When I first talk to someone, be my friend.
[Carmen] You want him to be your friend first. That's right.
I think this is going to be a fabulous date.
[romantic music playing]
[narrator] It's a fine day on Wellington's waterfront.
Perfect for a romantic ride on a bicycle built for two.
Hi. I'm Daniel.
- Hello, it's me, Emily. - Hi.
- Hi, Emily. Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you. [clears throat]
- These are your flowers. - You got flowers.
We can go on a bike ride together.
- Smell delicious. - It is.
Her hairdo is so nice, the way she does it.
[bell ringing]
[Emily] Do you play any sports?
I love tennis, soccer.
I like soccer and tennis.
It's cool, isn't it?
- And basketball and bowling. - That's good.
[Emily] What is your favorite dinosaur?
My favorite dinosaur would probably be... a stegosaurus.
- Cool. - Yeah.
Well, you know, my favorite dinosaur is T. rex.
Oh, okay. That's cool.
[Emily] What's your favorite chocolate?
Caramilk.
- That's me. [giggles] - Cool.
It's going very good.
We do see things in common.
I'm getting a sore bum.
[chuckling]
Do you love camping?
- Yes. - Yes, I love camping.
I've been camping a long time ago with my dad. I was a little girl.
Oh, okay, that's good.
- What about fishing? - [Emily] I love fishing.
So, what's your favorite fishing?
I love gurnards. I love cods. I love trouts.
- Trout. - I love all kinds.
It would be a good idea for us to go on a fishing date. Yes.
Thumbs up for date number two.
[narrator] It seems that Daniel and Emily may be in sync.
[romantic music playing]
[narrator] Leisel and Brayden share a love for a warm spa.
As a treat for Brayden's 21st birthday,
they're headed to some natural hot pools.
- Ready to have some fun? - Yeah, how about you?
[Brayden] I am super ready.
Yeah!
Hi, how's it going? I'm Shiloh. Nice to meet you.
- Hi, my name is Leisel. - Nice to meet you.
- My name is Brayden. - Nice to meet you, Brayden.
Perfect. Would you like to hop down first? Just take your arm there.
- [Leisel] Ow. - [Brayden] Don't worry, babe. I got you.
- [Shiloh] Shall we do it? - Yeah!
- [Brayden] Let's do it! - [Shiloh] Cool.
- Are you excited, baby? - Yeah, are you?
Very.
[romantic music playing]
- [Leisel] We are living the dream. - [Brayden] We are in paradise right now.
[sighs contentedly] I love you.
I love you too.
Your cutie eyes.
[Leisel] We are so romantic.
[Brayden] I know.
Oh, it's my birthday.
Happy birthday! What are you gonna do later?
I'm gonna hang out with my baby girl, get lots of kisses.
Maybe some movies.
- [Shiloh] Netflix and chill, I love it. - Yeah.
[Shiloh laughs]
- I love how I sleep with you. - Really?
On your birthday.
Oh yeah?
[Shiloh] We are just coming up to the Lake Rotoiti Hot Pools.
[narrator] But the hot pools must take second priority
because there's hot chips on the menu.
- [Leisel] Best day ever! - Oh yeah.
- How's that? - [Leisel] This is nice.
I love this paradise.
[Brayden] Do you? What date would you like to go next?
Okay, um, I'm thinking Cook Islands.
- Ooh! - Like, Rarotonga.
[Brayden] Okay.
I'd like to go to Hawaii.
- [Leisel] They got hot chips there too. - True.
- And Macca's and hot dogs. - [Brayden] Oh yeah.
- Do you want to jump in the pools after? - [Leisel] What?
Yup.
This looks like a busy hotel.
[Brayden] It does.
We could fit, like, 35 people.
Or just us.
True.
[Leisel] Come here, you hot drink of tea.
I'm loving this place. My girl loving this place.
We are vibing. We are chilling up here.
Come here, Mr. Ooh.
[Leisel laughs]
[Brayden] Tonight we're spending the night in the same bed.
And guess what? We're finally going to do it!
What would you like for breakfast in bed?
- I'm thinking, like, pancakes. - Oh, what about chocolate chip pancakes?
- Oh, that's good too. - I've never tried that before. I want to.
- Let's go to the Airbnb. - [Leisel] Let's check it out.
[romantic music playing]
[narrator] In Christchurch,
Luca has invited Lily-Mae home for lunch.
He's cooking his signature dish,
pad Thai noodles.
[Lily] Why do you like cooking?
I do a lot of cooking videos for my fans
on my YouTube channel.
If we were flatting together, I'd make pasta, and you'd make this.
- Yeah, good idea. - Okay.
- I think that's... - This is what Jamie Oliver does.
[Lily] Okay, that's enough noodles.
[Luca] Do you like eggs or not?
Luca, just be nice. Can I not have egg?
- Fine. - [sizzling]
- Look, this sauce is sort of yummy. - [Lily] Okay.
[Luca] Okay, it's done.
[Lily] I know how much I like. I won't steal all of it, Luca.
Um, just leave some for me.
Yeah, I will. I definitely will.
You're a very good cook.
- And one more tomato. - [Lily] Wow, that's really colorful.
Thanks for cooking this.
- [Luca] Mm! - - Oh, yum.
[Luca] Yum.
[narrator] Inside, there's someone special
that Luca would like to introduce to Lily-Mae.
Hi, puppet.
Hi, my name is Sam.
Do you have a question to ask?
Yes, I do. Um...
Luca here's asking, "Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
Yes, I do.
- [Luca] Me too. - [chuckles]
This is really funny. Should we go and see your tree hut?
Ah.
Okay.
[Lily] Question. Are there any spiders in here?
- [Luca] No. - [Lily] Whoa.
This is cool.
[whispers] Can we close it?
- [Luca chuckles] - [whispers] Goodbye.
So, I was thinking,
since this has been really good, do you want to go on another one?
- [Luca] Wow. - [Lily] Like skiing?
- [Luca] Yeah. - And have a sleepover?
- [Luca] That's cool. - Yeah?
[lively music playing]
[narrator] On the south coast of Wellington,
Daniel is also hoping his second date will be a success.
Today he's taking Emily on a fishing trip.
[man 1] Here we go.
[narrator] It's his favorite activity.
The question is, will it be Emily's?
- [man 1] And we're off. - Yes, we are.
I feel awesome and ready to catch fish.
Yeah, we got a dolphin here!
- [Emily whooping] - Yeehaw!
There it is!
- Look at the dolphins. - [Emily] My favorite.
Yeah, they are our favorite.
- [man 1] Been fishing before? - [Emily] It's been ages.
- My favorite is clownfish. - [man 2] Clownfish?
[man 1] Clownfish. Oh, we catch clownfish here.
- Yes. - [man 1] Okay, here we go.
All right, so free spool. Let it go. That's the story.
That's it. Just wait. They'll come.
[Daniel] Be patient.
Oh, they're biting already, look!
[Daniel] Go, Emily. You can do it.
Keep on going. You can do it.
You're doing good. Won't be far away now.
Yeah! Look at that there, mate!
Cool.
- [man 2] Isn't that cool? - Yes.
- You have. - [Daniel] Got a fish!
[man 1] You got a fish. So that's perch or scarpee.
- This is a keeper, right? Yes. - We'll keep that fish, yep.
Oh, look at the rod. Look at the rod go!
Well, here we are. Woo-hoo! Blue cod!
[Emily] Keep going. Keep going!
- [Daniel] Look at that biggie! - Look at this!
[Daniel] Look at that!
Beautiful!
- [Emily] I hope I got a snapper. - [Daniel] Yeah, you got one too.
Catch of the day.
- [man 2] You got fish for tea. - [Emily] Fish for me!
Beautiful. Very nice.
Here it comes now.
Do you like crayfish?
Yeah, so delicious. I had it before a long time ago.
Yeah, same.
- Very nice. - [man 1] You gonna hold it?
Look at that!
I love it.
Yeah, cool.
[narrator] It's been a good day's fishing, but what about the date?
I'm gonna head back inside. So cold.
[Daniel] Oh, okay.
My date with Emily's going good.
Loads of fun, loads of laughter.
[narrator] Despite the joy of the sea, though, there's something missing.
I can't see any spark.
Are you having fun today? Hanging out today, catching fish?
I'm very seasick.
Yeah... I know, I know.
I know. Don't worry. I'll give you a... a helping hand.
[man 1] Righto, we're going back to the mooring in Island Bay.
- Thank you. Have a good week. - [Emily] Yeah, bye.
Yep, see you.
She's not a cuddler like me.
[chuckles]
[indistinct chatter]
[Daniel] If I was speaking honestly, I'd say
no, she's not a good girlfriend to have.
But still, we can be friends.
[narrator] Daniel likes cooking fish almost as much as he likes catching it,
and it's a great opportunity to chat with the locals.
Beautiful!
I want romantic love.
Oh, look at that. Excellent.
For me, it means trying to be more intimate with each other.
You need more eye contact all the time.
- [man 3] Oh, wow. - [Daniel] Get some fish, guys.
- Yeah. - Wow!
- [Daniel] Yes! - [man 4] You're a legend.
- Oh, look, they're perfectly cooked. - Yes.
- [man 1] Whoa, beautiful! - Yes, very nice.
Any advice, guys, for me?
Yeah, keep trying. Never give up.
What about you, Joe?
I'm too old now.
- [snickers] - [man 3] Too old for girls?
I just look at them and that's it.
That's why I come... always be on the beach.
[men laugh]
- Cheers! - [Daniel] Cheers, guys.
Well, Dan. All the best. Good luck in love.
- Keep fishing for fish and women. - [Daniel] Yeah.
- To love. - To love.
[Daniel] I'm still down for love.
I'm feeling excited for another date.
[jaunty music playing]
[narrator] In Whanganui,
Libby is getting ready for her first-ever date with a woman.
Got this really cool jacket that I could wear.
Girly but androgynous.
Well, for me, sexuality is very fluid
in that you can love who you want to love
and be out and proud about that.
When I think about going out on a date with a woman,
I feel warm, fuzzy, excitement feeling.
[suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] In Auckland, also getting excited
about the day that lies ahead is Libby's date, Meimi.
My gifts are I'm an outgoing person,
I love having adventures,
and yet I'm really creative as well.
Family is very important because it's how I've grown up.
And also, in Italian culture and Māori culture, family comes first.
I am bisexual.
Only this year did I really decide to come out
because I felt comfortable with myself,
and I knew that I could be 100% myself.
[woman] Hi, how you going?
[Meimi] Good.
- Hey, have you got butterflies? - A little bit.
[woman laughs]
[narrator] Meimi lives with Williams syndrome,
a rare developmental condition.
[Meimi] I'm missing my microdeletion on my seventh chromosome.
It's also, like, loud noises and also heart conditions.
One of my heart valves isn't connected properly to my heart.
I would like to meet somebody who is adventurous,
who loves traveling, and can adapt to different situations.
- Have a fabulous day, gorgeous! - Thank you. Goodbye, Mum!
So excited. I can't wait to hear all about it when you get home.
[sweet suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] Libby has invited Meimi to join her
at a flower-arranging workshop today.
She's hoping it'll be an ideal way for them to get to know each other.
Oh my God! Hi!
[Meimi] Hi.
It's so good to meet you. My name is Libby.
I'm Meimi. It's nice to meet you.
Oh my God. It's so good to meet you too. [chuckles nervously]
Your outfit is stunning, by the way.
Thank you. I've got a flower for you.
Oh my God, that's so sweet of you. I got a flower for you as well.
- Okay, ready? - Yes.
- Thank you. - Oh, that's so sweet.
[laughs]
[woman] Welcome, ladies.
[both] Hi!
I'm Bridell from Dellrian Gardens.
- Would you like to sit down at the bench? - [Meimi] Yes.
[Bridell] Yeah, we'll get into it.
This is so exciting. I can't wait for this.
All right. Today we're gonna make a flower crown.
Let's start with our bases right here.
Yeah, we're just gonna wind it, and that's gonna hold it.
- [Meimi] Uh... - [Libby] Need any help with anything?
- [Meimi] Yes, please. - [Libby] Okay.
There we go.
- Thank you. - No problem.
[Bridell] How you going?
It kinda looks like a hat, don't you think?
It does. I kinda love it.
Symbolizes love.
- It does symbolize love, doesn't it? - [coyly] Yes.
To be honest, this is my first date with a girl, so...
- Oh, that's cool! - Yeah.
Well, so it's really big for me.
I accept you for who you are.
Oh, that's amazing. And I accept you for who you are.
[Meimi] That's awesome. That's really beautiful.
Yeah, because love is love,
and I feel like that's really important.
- In this generation. - [Meimi] Yeah!
What was life when you were growing up like?
Well...
So, um, growing up, my mum had brain cancer.
She has sadly passed away from that.
So I don't get to have the experience that most people have
when coming out to mothers.
Oh, I'm sorry for your loss.
Thank you.
In 2018, I lost my dad.
[Libby] Aw!
Yeah, he was just a really loving man.
He was real genuine, too,
and he had a really good heart.
Yeah, loss is hard.
One thing I do say is
that don't let your past affect your future.
Because your future,
you can decide how you want your future to be.
That is absolutely true, and I think that love is for everybody.
[narrator] Firmly focused on their future,
Leisel and Brayden have arrived at the lake house
where they'll be spending their first night away together.
[Brayden] A celebrity house!
[Leisel] I bet you this house is like a paradise resort.
Famous, famous, famous!
- Oh, look at that yummy cake. - Ooh!
Wait a minute, is that a cheesecake?
[whimsical music playing]
- [Brayden] Wait a minute. - Hey! Is this our bedroom?
It's great.
Oh, okay. You're on!
Oh, man, this is relaxing, man.
Oh yeah!
[Leisel giggles]
[Leisel] Whoa, look at that amazing view out there.
[Brayden] Oh yeah.
[Leisel singing] ♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
♪ Happy birthday Dear my boyfriend Brayden ♪
♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
[takes deep breath in]
Whoo!
And there's your birthday wish.
I know my wish, but I'm not going to say it.
Okay, okay. I have to tell you, but I can't.
But I have to say to you.
My wish
is to not just be with you,
but I want to marry to you.
That's what my wish is.
I want to marry to you right now.
- That's what my wish is. - Aw!
I don't mind that wish. You're having a really good wish.
Is it?
- You're the birthday boy. - Thank you, baby.
Best day ever.
Oh yeah. This is the best day ever with my baby and my cake.
- Babe? - Mm?
[Brayden] Violets are red
Violets are blue
You're my princess
And you'll always be my princess
[Leisel] Aw!
You are my blue Romeo.
[Brayden] Thank you, babe.
[Leisel] Okay, Mr. Fancy.
[Brayden] Ooh!
[Leisel laughs]
- [gentle music playing] - [narrator] Back in Auckland,
Libby and Meimi have nearly finished their crowns.
[Meimi] So, what new things have you tried recently this year?
Coffee making.
Wow, what kind of coffee do you like?
I like flat whites, iced coffee.
[Meimi] Wow, that's quite cool.
What star sign are you?
[Libby] Most people would assume, um, Leo
because I was born in July,
but I'm actually a Scorpio rising.
What other star signs do you think would be compatible for you?
Other Scorpios.
- Yeah. - Um...
- Sagittarius people. - [Meimi] Yup.
- Geminis. - Yes.
Oh my God.
Yeah, but what's your star sign?
I'm a Taurus.
That is so cool.
[Meimi] Thank you.
[Bridell] It's looking beautiful.
[Meimi] Very proud of it. Are you?
Yes, I am, actually. You did such a great job.
Thank you, yeah.
- Are you ready? - Yeah.
[Meimi] You got your head down.
There you go!
Amazing!
[romantic music playing]
Beautiful!
[laughs] You look amazing.
Thank you so much.
[giggling] No problem.
She is such a great person.
I would absolutely love to go on another date with her.
[narrator] Across town,
Libby's former date, Josh, is also hoping that a new chance at romance today8
may be third time lucky.
[Nicola] What might be a good idea to make her feel comfortable if she's shy?
Make her laugh and make it funny and...
[Nicola] Yeah, make her laugh. Yeah, that's a good idea.
After the disappointment of Libby,
I really do hope it goes well for him today.
Fingers crossed.
All righty.
Right, give us a hug.
Ooh, have a fantastic time, sweetheart.
Hey, make her feel super comfortable.
- Yep. - And don't kiss the penguins.
- Okay. - There you go.
- See you later. - Bye!
- Love you. - Bye. Love you too.
[narrator] Nearby, Josh's date, Sophie,
is getting ready for her first date ever.
[woman] You have a lot of dresses. Such pretty colors.
I do love red, but I do love... this one.
[woman] Blue is pretty cool.
Blue is very summery. Oh yeah, that's pretty, isn't it?
[laughing]
Sophie has her calm, reserved, more shy side,
and she also has a really fun-loving, mischievous side
that she reserves for her favorite people.
Let's see. Put on a little bit of foundation.
So, how are you feeling?
Excited and nervous?
She knows what she wants, and, unfortunately for her date,
I think he's going to be told if he does not make the cut.
- You look beautiful. - [chuckles]
[sweet suspenseful music playing]
[narrator] On Auckland's waterfront, Sophie is waiting to meet Josh.
She's brought him a piece of her homemade cake.
[Josh] Hi.
My name is Josh Bradley.
I got you a gift.
Thank you, Josh.
Thank you.
[tentatively] My name is Sophie.
High five.
[Josh] Yeah, high five.
[zipper opening]
[penguin toy squawking]
Hmm.
Would you like to hold hands?
[Sophie] Do you like dancing?
[Josh] Yeah, I like to dance.
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
[nervously] Sisters.
[narrator] At the gardens,
the day is drawing to a close for Libby and Meimi.
- [Meimi] It's been a good experience. - Yeah, it has, actually.
Yeah, it's really... it's really nice to meet new people.
Yeah, and that's why I love life because you get to socialize.
[Meimi] Yeah, I agree.
- [Libby] Yeah. - It's really cool.
You got... And the best part about socializing
is that you get to find love at the same time.
Yeah. How do you think this went? How do you feel?
I feel absolutely amazing and happy,
and I feel very excited.
That's good, yeah.
Yeah, so how do you feel?
I feel really good. Um...
It's really nice to get to meet new people.
- [Libby] Yeah. - And, yeah, um...
Is it okay if we remain friends?
Yeah, sure.
[Meimi] That's... is that okay with you?
Yeah, absolutely. That's all I want, is a really great friendship.
- [Meimi] Awesome. - We could go out in a friendly way.
[Meimi] Yeah.
I think that's really good.
- [Libby quietly] Yeah. - Yeah.
- [Meimi] Cheers to friendship. - Cheers to friendship. [giggles]
[narrator] It may not be the outcome she dreamed of,
but Libby has no regrets.
It was different from a date with a boy.
It was a lot more comfortable.
A lot more easygoing.
Yeah, and a lot more exciting and fun.
[narrator] Across the harbor,
Josh has brought Sophie to an underwater aquarium.
[Josh] There's a shark!
- Whoa! - Whoa.
[Josh] Are you having a good time, Sophie?
[Sophie] I'm not shy anymore. I feel good.
[uplifting instrumental music playing]
Whoa!
[Josh] Whoa.
[Josh giggles]
[quacking]
[gasps] The penguins! Hello.
[Josh] You wanna go in there?
[Sophie] Josh!
[both snicker]
[narrator] But Josh isn't joking.
Today he and Sophie will be getting a close encounter
with the penguin conservation program.
- [woman] Like to meet the penguins? - [Josh] Yeah.
[woman] Awesome. Come on in, guys.
- [Sophie gasps] - Hi, everyone.
- There we go. - [squawking]
[woman] That's how they say hello. So they're very excited to see you guys.
They're coming out of the pool, checking you out.
[Josh] And what's up with the big penguins?
They are the beautiful king penguins.
They've actually got a baby right now,
so they are over there protecting their little baby, yeah.
We're gonna walk through this way. It can be a bit slippery.
[narrator] Amongst the penguins, it seems love is in the air.
[Josh] And the penguins have girlfriends and boyfriends?
[woman laughs] They sure do!
And our oldest couple is Ninety-Nine and Buster,
and they've been together for about 27 years.
[Josh] Wow!
Penguins are down for love, just like me!
[laughs]
Are you down for love?
[romantic music swells]
[contemplative music playing]
[narrator] This just might be the beginning
of a whole new journey ahead for Josh and Sophie.
[Josh] Do you have a favorite music?
[Sophie] Taylor Swift,
Miley Cyrus,
Westlife.
[Josh] I like Macklemore,
Stan Walker, and...
Michael Jackson.
Jack Johnson.
Sophie, do you want to go swimming
on Thursday night?
[Josh] I enjoyed the day today.
It's so fun with you.
I had fun with you, Josh.
Aw!
- [heartwarming music playing] - [smooching]
[jaunty music playing]
- [Josh] Hi. - [woman] Hello.
[seagulls squawking]
[Josh imitates squawking]
Shoo, seagulls.
[snickers]
[Sophie] Josh!
[jaunty music playing]