More than half of first dates in Australia end early due to an ‘ick’

The dating game isn’t easy, but more than half of Australians are ditching a first date early for one very simple reason.

First dates can be daunting – you have to make sure there is a vibe, that the person you’re meeting isn’t a total creep and that you also look and feel good.

But, sometimes, you put in all the effort only for it to be a dud, and if you’ve ditched a date before its over you’re probably not the only one.

In September, OpenTable surveyed 1000 Aussies and found that 64 per cent of people have finished a date early because of an ‘ick’ — or a turn-off.

The biggest dating turn-off was someone who is rude to waitstaff, followed by having terrible table manners such as chewing loudly, spending way too much of the date on their phone, talks about their ex or orders for the table without asking.

The turn-off leading to first dates ending early. Picture: iStock

But, it isn’t just these acts that could cause a date to be over before dessert. Certain topics of conversation – like badmouthing your family, bragging about money or asking about a person’s ex – could also be the reason why your dates never go to plan.

Not being prepared to pay for dinner, but choosing an expensive venue, also strikes as a turn-off for 40 per cent of people.

Flashiness has also been marked as unimpressive by a whopping 57 per cent of respondents.

“From first dates and anniversaries to crossing paths with someone new at a bar, romance and dining have always been closely intertwined,” Drew Bowering. the senior director of restaurant sales and services APAC, at OpenTable said.

The data is from OpenTable. Picture: Alamy

“And with ‘the ick’ becoming a part of our everyday vocabulary, particularly among Gen Zs, we wanted to uncover exactly what types of behaviour give Australian diners ‘the ick’ today.

“Data from our survey shows that Australians are polite daters, with being rude or pushy to waitstaff topping the list as the behaviour most likely to give their potential romantic partner ‘the ick’, followed by poor table manners. And when it comes to awkward dinner topics, pining over an ex is — perhaps unsurprisingly — the top conversation killer for a second date.”

Drew said that while over half of Aussies have ditched a date because of an ick, the OpenTable research showed being considerate about the restaurant location could go a long way.

Originally published as More than half of first dates in Australia end early due to an ‘ick’