First Dates star Fred Sirieix gives daughter supportive hug as she prepares to compete at Paris Olympics
FIRST Dates star Fred Sirieix gives his daughter an encouraging hug before she goes for gold today as he told her: “You’ve got this.”
Fred – maitre d’ of the restaurant in the Channel 4 dating show – is in Paris to cheer on Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, 19, in the women’s synchro 10m platform.
And while there he visited her in the Olympic village to pass on words of encouragement.
Fred later told The Sun: “It is fantastic for me to see Andrea compete.
“She’s going to fight like a lion and we hope she gets a medal of course but whatever happens she will do her best and that is all you can ask.”
Andrea is competing in her second Olympics after Tokyo when she was just 16.
She developed a bizarre fear of diving a few months later which put her career in doubt.
But she battled back to land World, Commonwealth and European titles and is hoping to grab gold with diving partner Lois Toulson, 24.
Fred, 52, added: “As a sports fan, a Frenchman, and a father the Olympics are amazing
“There are so many different elements to make it so special for me.
“It has been a slow process with Andrea, it has happened very gradually over the years.
“It started when she was eight and then 15, she was a British champion and now she is at her second Olympics which is brilliant.”
Fred is also working for BBC Sport while in France and gets plenty of attention when Brit fans of his show spot him.
While visiting Andrea, the women’s hockey team urged him to invite the single members of their squad onto his show.
He said: “I did not expect that but it was a lot of fun and we are going to open the restaurant again soon so why not?”
Andrea will also compete in the individual 10m platform on Monday.
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