Advice from an expert in dating disasters.
Photo: Supplied
Web series Auckward Love follows four unlikely friends Alice (Holly Shervey), Vicky (Luci Hare), Grace (Jess Holly Bates), and Zoe (Jess Sayer) as they stumble through the mess and misfortune of their local dating scene.
The series is based on the experiences of Shervey, who as well as playing the series’ main character is also its creator. She gave us five of her own dating tips, gathered from her history of disastrous dates.
1 - DON'T TRY TO BE CHRISTINA AGUILERA
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As a desperate teen, Holly couldn’t resist layering up on fake tan every week, despite living in wintery Queenstown. She wanted to look like Christina Aguilera.
“I used to think it was a great idea.”
Her at-the-time highschool boyfriend and his mates approached her at school one day and told her she must stop.
Holly also thought a lot of cleavage was super sexy. Turns out not everyone agrees. “My now-fiance one told me that too much cleavage is off-putting. He said, you don’t need that, you’re enough.”
2 - KNOW YOUR LIMIT
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Before a romantic Valentine’s Day date one year, Holly downed a few wines. Her date picked her up in his mum’s flash car.
“He took me to a beautiful pizza place where we drank more wine and smoked cigarettes afterwards. I was trying hard to impress him. We were sitting in the car - which was his mum’s car - and then all of a sudden, I just vomited all through it.”
Alcohol is a wonderful way to take the edge off an awkward date, Holly says. But you’ve got to learn your limits.
3 - LEAVE MUM AT HOME
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Holly worked at a retail store when a guy she vaguely knew came into the store with his mum and asked her on a date. “I had just finished eating a Turkish kebab and had the juice all over my face. I couldn’t say no cause his mum was there.”
“A while later I had forgotten I had agreed to the date, when he showed up to work again in a suit. He had set up a romantic dinner down by the lake with flower petals leading to the water.”
“It was way over the top.”
4 - MAKE THE MOST OF FREEBIES
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Holly once went out for coffee on a blind date with a guy who worked at Telecom. “I tried really hard to tell a joke, he laughed, and he spat coffee all over my face.”
“There wasn’t a second date.” But she did come away with some free prepaid Telecom cards.
5 - STOP TRYING SO HARD
Holly Shervey Photo: Supplied
“I took dating by the balls and tried really hard to find my match.” Holly says love didn’t come along until she stopped looking so hard.
“I absolutely believe there is someone for everyone, just learn to have no expectations about age, gender, or even how many people you can be in relationship with. Keep your expectations low, but not too low!”
Prince charming was just around the corner after all. Holly eventually met Emmett Skilton, also the series’ director. She says love is a bit of trial and error.
“If it can work out for me, it can work out for everyone.”
*The Auckward Love crew have just launched their second season on TVNZ OnDemand.