A ManxSPCA worker has found love while filming his journey to discover it for Channel 4.

Liam Rice from Kirk Michael recently starred on the television series A Year to Fall in Love, which followed the dating lives of 20 people from around the UK and British Isles.

The 24-year-old spent a year documenting the ups and downs of finding that special someone from the perspective of a gay man living in the Isle of Man.

’It’s hard for anybody to find love in the Isle of Man,’ he said.

’Everyone knows everyone in the island. It’s quite bad to say, but you may have heard something about them that’s negative and so you’re reluctant to go out with them.’

One clip in the series showed Liam flick through a small number of available people in the island on dating app Tinder, one of which he had previously dated, before receiving no more results.

Liam explained that he originally applied to appear on Channel 4 series First Dates along with a friend who was also single at the time.

’We both thought it would be fun if we applied. She was accepted and I wasn’t, but she was too nervous to do it.

’I then got a call from Channel 4 saying that they had kept my application and asked if I would like to be considered for a new programme called A Year to Fall in Love.’

Receiving updates from the broadcasting company about his application, Liam was eventually told that he had been selected.

He said: ’I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone. I’m a big gossip and so it’s very difficult for me to keep quiet about something like this. I could tell friends and family, but they had to keep it to themselves.

’I also had to be a bit more discreet while filming, especially in the Isle of Man.’

The series showed Liam on a couple of dates with other people before meeting with London fashion student Jack Smith, who he is still in a relationship with today.

He said: ’I was going to a Kesha concert with a friend, but they bailed. I decided to go to the concert by myself and had a great time.

’On the last day I thought I might as well check Tinder and that’s when I matched with Jack. He asked if I would like to go for a coffee, but I couldn’t as I had a flight to catch back to the island.

’We were both gutted, but he said that if I ever went to London again to let him know. We kept the contact going and spoke on Facetime a lot. On New Year’s Eve we met for the first time.

’At the beginning Jack was very reluctant to be filmed, but towards the end of the series there is a montage of us travelling together.

right person

’Distance wasn’t an issue. It can be hard and you do think "can I really do this?" but if you’re with the right person it’s easy, which for Jack and I it is.’

When asked for his thoughts about no longer having to provide content for the show after a year, he said: ’I miss it now.

’At the time it was difficult to do a full time job and maintain a relationship while filming, but I’m happy that I’ve finished it and it ended positively.

’I went in with the thought of "if I meet someone I do, if I don’t, then I don’t".

’I made a Youtube channel halfway through videoing, which I will use to show our continued story.

’Hopefully anyone who is gay or lesbian or not sure what to identify as, will look at the show and think "that guy’s confident then I can be too".’

You can view the television episodes by searching: www.channel4.com/programmes/a-year-to-fall-in-love