Bad first date? How to pull it back

How to turn a disastrous first date into a fabulous relationship (maybe)

Getting a date with a bloke you've had your eye on for ages may feel like a victory, but the hardest part is yet to come.

First dates are delicate flowers. They can be killed stone dead by the merest mishap - you arrive late, you drink too much tequila or you babble like a lunatic and fall over on the way to the loo. Fail.

None of these blunders would be a problem if you were out with a friend or long-term partner, but first dates are more like job interviews. Any little thing can do fatal damage to your chances, so you need to tread carefully.

But let's not be too pessimistic here. If you've just had a bitch of a first date with a man you like, and wish you could go back and do things differently, you can - sort of. We have ways to put your chances back on track.

1. Put it into perspective

Chances are you're far more aware of your own flaws than other people are, especially a man who's more interested in your boobs and whether you're going to put out tonight than in the mildly embarrassing thing you just said. So relax about it.

If you can't stop thinking about something you wish you hadn't said, or the fact that you had bolognese on your cheek all evening and didn't notice until you went to the loo, take comfort from the fact that it was far more noticeable to you than to him.

When you get home, switch your phone off, stick the on telly and get some sleep. By the morning it won't seem half as bad.

2. Use it as an opportunity

A first-date pratfall is an excellent opportunity to show how cool you are.

Men can't stand high-maintenance women who burst into tears at every little mistake. If you whinge and beat yourself up, he'll correctly think you're hard work. But if you can shrug off even the most disastrous evening with humour and self-confidence, he'll know he's got a catch.

'I tripped up the steps in a club when my date was looking,' says Abigail, 33. 'I landed right on my face. Normally I'd die of embarrassment, but this time I sat down, laughed with him and patted the step beside me. We ended up sitting there snogging all night. Must try that again!'

3. Get a second date

If he is interested in you, a slightly messy first date won't change that. If he is put off by that slightly messy first date, then his attraction to you clearly isn't strong enough to go the distance, and it's better that you find out now.

So if you like him loads but the date went badly, don't sit around moping - ring him up and ask him out.

Don't ring immediately after the date has finished, of course. Have some dignity. Keep yourself busy next day, and ring him the next evening. Be light and friendly, thank him for a great date, and ask him if he fancies meeting up again. If he doesn't, cut your losses and move on.