Très romantique! Kate Gosselin plunged back into the dating scene on the Tuesday, January 19, episode of TLC’s Kate Plus 8. “I’ve gone on less than a handful of dates in history since I’ve been divorced,” the 40-year-old mom of eight said hesitantly as this episode opened. She was getting ready to go on her first-ever blind date, orchestrated by her friend Deanna, but no one knew how it would turn out!
Blind Date, Visible Anxiety
Kate’s arranged date, Vann, is from New York City, runs and was on a submarine in the Navy, so it was clear Deanna had her friend’s interests in mind when selecting a potential suitor. Still, “The only reason I’m agreeing to it is that he’s a friend of Deanna’s,” said a clearly nervous Kate.
“I think it’s good for her to put herself out there and find a husband, so she doesn’t die alone,” contributed Mady, who was on hand to help her mother pick out an outfit. After finally selecting one, Deanna did Kate’s hair while they discussed how grown-up Mady had become. Kate’s focus is always on her kids, after all.
Kate lamented how difficult it is to find someone through the “normal means” with eight kids, especially given her notoriety after spending the last decade on TV.
“In my quietest moments, I sometimes believe I will have to grow old alone … and that’s sad,” the mom admitted.
Kids’ Night In
“I don’t know why people get nervous for stuff like dates,” Cara mused as her mom prepared to leave. “I get nervous for, like, presentations and stuff.”
“Yeah,” concluded her twin. “If you don’t like me, that’s your loss!”
Kate walked out, unsteady on her heels, as Aaden waved from the window. There was no turning back now! Andrea stayed in with the kids, helping them make pizzas and play outside. When pressed by the producers, the kids all agreed they would be OK with Kate getting married again, though the little girls insisted they wanted to get to know any possible husbands very well before the nuptials.
Leah and Hannah decorated their pizzas with pepperonis in the shapes of their initials, and Joel won the game they played afterward, so they were all clearly unbothered while their mother was getting ready to board a helicopter with a strange man!
Kate Plus Date
“This is, like, really awkward,” Kate said, gesturing to the camera crew as she was introduced to Vann. He laughed and agreed while Deanna made the introduction. Then, she departed and the couple got into the helicopter Vann had chartered! Too bad that Kate was uneasy in her heels, telling the camera later that she tried to “act like [she does] it every day!”
From there, their helicopter tour of New York took off, quite literally! Vann called out landmarks, and Kate was uncharacteristically speechless. She and Vann laughed and joked, and it was obvious the date was going well.
Then, they went to a nice dinner and kept up their conversation. Though she had been worried they wouldn’t find anything to talk about, the conversation flowed freely, as did the wine! Soon, the conversation turned to marriage and whether Vann could hypothetically handle eight kids. Heavy convo for a first date, no? When you’re Kate Gosselin, though, it’s pretty necessary!
Kiss Cam
Ultimately, Kate concluded that if she were grading Vann, she’d give him an A, but even though she was enjoying the night out with an adult — she said it was nice “not to have to cut someone’s meat” — there was one last hurdle to jump: the departure from the date.
They agreed to see each other again, took a selfie to send to Deanna and then stood there uncomfortably. As Kate later said in the confessional, the end of a date is always awkward, but being in the streets of New York with a camera crew really compounds it.
“I have kids who are going to be watching this. There can’t be any good-night kisses here!” she told the camera. Then, she sighed, “Cameras or no cameras, I don’t know what the rules are. I’m not good at this dating stuff.”
Tell Us: Do you think Kate and Vann are a good match?
Kate Plus 8 airs on TLC on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. EST.
