Fred Sirieix revealed that police visited the First Dates restaurant during filming and quizzed producers on covid rules.
The Maître d’ of the hit Channel 4 show was speaking about the new series of the show on This Morning with hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
The new series of First Dates began last week and for the first time, the show has moved up north.
Filming took place in Manchester at The Refinery in Spinningfields back in September when the region was under strict coronavirus restrictions which heavily impacted hospitality - reports the Manchester Evening News.
Phil asked Fred how the show was able to take place during the pandemic when such harsh restrictions were in force.
Fred said: "Just like you on This Morning, we have very strict protocols.
"People were getting tested, we were operating in bubbles. It was like a military operation.
"But what's really interesting is we're operating in a studio but still, we were considered a restaurant by the police."
Fred then explained how the police had visited the restaurant to remind them of the restrictions in place, causing chaos to the filming schedule.
He said: "On the very first day we were filming back in September, the police gave us a call and they knocked on the door and said 'Sorry, you have got to shut the restaurant at ten o'clock'.
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"We told them we had all these protocols in place but they said 'no, you still have to close at ten o'clock'.
"So we had to reschedule everything and you can imagine the mess with producers in my ear going completely crazy.
"But we adapted because that is what you do and the show must go on. It was like any other restaurant, we had to adapt to the restrictions."
