The Love Doctor will see you now

Turn on the radio in the evening and you'll hear Late Night Love's Graham Torrington solving the nation's relationship problems

Running for almost 12 years, the show is interactive, allowing its listeners to discuss both contemporary and personal dating problems. Little Miss Blind Date decided it was time to talk cheesy chat-up lines, scuba-diving and Jeremy Kyle with the King of Agony Uncles.

How did you get started?

“I worked at BRMB for years and did lots of different shows, from the lunchtime slot to drivetime and there was this love-show on a Sunday night. It was awful; the presenter used to read poetry out on it. When I inherited the show I said I’d only do it if I didn’t have to read poetry. I wanted to get people on the phone and speak to them, which I think in those days was quite ground-breaking.”

Over the years you’ve set up lots of couples; is it more or less than Cilla Black?

“There have been lots of successes. It always sounds cheesy when you’re talking about things like this, but you really do have a direct input into people’s lives.”

What’s the strangest dilemma you’ve had on the air?

“We’ve done everything from domestic violence to more light-hearted topics like swingers’ parties!”

What’s the worst chat-up line you’ve ever heard?

“I can’t stand them. Anyone who comes up with them, (and let’s be honest it’s often blokes), need to be more original. If you can’t be bothered to think of anything more original, you’ll make a fool of yourself.”

Sex on the first date: good, bad or ugly?

“I think you’ve got to work out why you’re on the date. If you’re going because you want a shag then great, but if you want something with this person then I think you should hold back. Always decide before the date what you want out of it.”

If you only had a fiver to spend on a date, what would you do with it?

“Oh god. I would actually spend the money on wine and invite your date over. Then you’ve got the romantic surroundings, mood and music, so yeah, I would spend the money on alcohol.” (LMBD-Good answer!)

Lots of students are either moving to uni or graduating and contemplating long-distance relationships. What’s your advice for sustaining long-distance love?

“My first thoughts on this are that if you get the chance to go travelling when you’re young and have no responsibilities other than a relationship, then do it. But be honest with your partner; tell them this is a trip of a lifetime. It’s very important that you speak to them face-to-face. You need to be able to trust each other.”

What’s your advice for shy people looking for love?

“This is something we always come across on the show. No-one likes to be rejected. If you’ve got the hots for someone, at some stage you’ve got to find it in yourself to go for it, ‘cause if you don’t, someone else will.”

Have you ever considered joining forces with Jeremy Kyle and do you think that together you could save the world?

“Actually, Jeremy’s a friend of mine, but he does his thing and I do mine. I’m very flattered though. I suppose you could say that between us, we’re just trying to sort people out.”

In true Cilla style, Blind Date asks our Graham three quick-fire questions:

What was the first thing you thought of when you got up this morning?

“Better check my emails!”

If you were a superhero, who would you be?

“I don’t know, Superman? To be honest, I’m happy being me doing what I do. Hang on, that’s a crap answer isn’t it? What I mean is that I’m not into celebrity or anything like that; I’m a normal bloke who likes going down the pub with his mates.”

What is the definitive love song?

“We did a Valentine’s Top 20 on the show and number one was Robbie William’s Angels which I like. Also, I like Brenda Russell’s Piano in the Dark and Chicago’s If You Leave Me Now.”

You can catch Graham on Late Night Love Monday to Thursday from 10pm to 1am on Red Dragon FM. For ‘The Best of Late Night Love’ tune in on Sundays from 9pm-Midnight.