It turns out you only have 15 minutes to earn a second date - and here's the stuff most likely to ruin your chances

We’ve all been on dates, right? Had to meet up with someone you (usually) don’t know very well, and sit there either having a whale of a time, or a time that involves very serious thoughts about whether or not you can make a swift exit through the bathroom window. But how do you know if it’s a good one? 

Well, supposedly the average singleton knows after 15 minutes. 

Dating app Badoo (“the dating app that’s all about getting you real life dates, not just matches,” FYI) did a bit of research on the subject, and after asking 2000 single people, found that this was the optimum amount of time that it took. Either you see them again and you know straight away, or you immediately wipe their dirty, smelly face from your memory and sit there treading metaphorical water until it’s polite to leave. 

According to the research, the main turn-offs were bad breath (60% of people thought this), being loud and obnoxious (59%) and talking about an ex during the date (51%). So if you’re the type to drink an entire tube of garlic paste before a date, then rip your top off and scream through a megaphone how much you still love your ex - chances are it won’t go down too well.

If we’re looking at time periods here, then 52% of people admitted to calling time on a date in less than half an hour - “Oh, my cat’s just exploded, I can sense it, I’ve got to go and clean it up” - so the pressure is on to make a good first impression. And you better do it fast. Within 15 minutes if you want that second date. Although that said, the survey also found that people only need around 13 seconds to decide if they were attracted to the other person.

Other findings include that a measley 53% would consider a second date if the other person didn’t live up to expectations, so you’ve got to pull it out the bag on the first go if you want romance to actually blossom. And how to do that? Well, apart from the ones mentioned above, here are the next ten most common turn-offs on a first date:

1. Sweating profusely

2. Constantly checking their phone

3. They talk politics all evening

4. Chewing gum loudly

5. Social-media obsessed

6. Vaping indoors/at the table

7. They spend the date blowing their own trumpet

8. Texting or taking a call on the date

9. Being a bit too touchy-feely

10. Failing to ask the other person about themselves

It’s not too hard, in the grand scheme of things, is it? Mostly in fact, sweating aside, it’s just about being polite and not a moron, isn’t it? You can almost certainly handle that.

(Images: Getty)