Meeting that one perfect person to spend Valentine's Day with was more than Paul Foster could have asked for this year.'

But meeting two? Or even three?

The British-Chinese TV host started his group date with seven women at Palio restaurant at Resorts World Sentosa with a huge, relaxed smile on his handsome face.

The women were among the 50 who had written in to win a Valentine's Day date with Foster and fellow bachelor, radio deejay Mike Kasem, in The New Paper's date-a-celeb series that was launched two weeks ago.

Foster chose six women - Miss Hailey Loh, Miss Geraldine Loo, Miss Hanisah Ismail, Miss Germaine Ang, Miss Priscilla Su and Miss Kavitha Palaniappan.

Also in the group was Miss Rehanah Bee, who was voted Readers' Choice winner by readers in our online contest which ran on Monday.

They enjoyed the delicious Valentine's Day dinner at Palio, which included fresh oysters, lobster bisque soup, caviar pasta, grilled prawns and scallops, seared lamb loin and chocolate hazelnut gateau.

Foster was supposed to pick his favourite among the seven to continue on a one-on-one date for the rest of the evening.

But as he found out, the mysterious ways of the universe deemed that he be put in a most difficult position.

By the end of the group date, after he had spent 15 minutes alone with each girl, he was so emotionally torn that he took 45 minutes to deliberate and still couldn't make up his mind who to pick.

Like a scene straight out of US reality TV dating series The Bachelor, we had to huddle in a corner with the stressed-out hunk while he talked through his choices.

Foster, 32, who was a picture of nervous excitement, told TNP: "I must admit that I was sceptical going into this.

"I haven't met anyone that I was interested in dating for so long. My last relationship was two years ago.

"Tonight has been incredibly difficult because I have met a few women who I can see being my girlfriend.

Both so attractive

"Geraldine and Germaine are so close in terms of being very attractive and having things that we can connect with, that it's hard to pick either one.

"I also feel very comfortable with Hanisah and it's just so easy to talk to her.

"I don't know what to do, it's so difficult having to pick one!"

After more hushed discussion - which included Foster going to the toilet to compose himself for his final speech during the elimination - he ended up picking both Miss Ang and Miss Loo, whom he affectionately termed the "2 Gs".

He asked them: "Would the two of you be willing to go on further one-on-one dates with me (next week)?

"I would like to get to know you better as I think that there is really something here," he said. Without hesitation, the two babes, who are both 27, agreed, although both admitted it was a little awkward to be stuck in this unusual situation.

They even graciously exchanged numbers with each other after Foster asked for theirs.

And the man has wasted no time.

According to Miss Loo, a model, they were messaging each other from 6pm to 1am the day after Valentine's Day. She was extremely touched by his initiative.

She told TNP: "When I first saw him I thought, oh, he's cute.

"Then he pulled out my chair for me, which I thought was really gentlemanly of him.

"After the date, when he found out that I was going to Busan (in Korea, for work), he did research on the Internet and sent me a list of things to do in Busan.

"I mean, which guy would do that these days?

"It's just so hard to believe that he hasn't found someone to date.

"I think he'll make a good boyfriend."

She had written in because her mum had handed her a copy of TNP with this Valentine's Day contest in it and said: "You don't have a boyfriend, right? Why don't you try?"

Said Foster: "Geraldine seemed a little reserved at first, but opened up later during our private time.

"She's a very attractive girl and doesn't need to be here, I'm a lucky guy.

"I think we're going to have a great time together."

As for Miss Ang, let's just say the potential "in-laws" have already given their stamp of approval. Her mother had asked her to write in to win a date with Foster, but did not know that Miss Ang had already done so the day before.

And the cheeky Eurasian-Chinese nurse, who works for a plastic surgeon, didn't tell her mum that she had already done the deed.

Coincidentally, Foster's mum told him to "pick the nurse" after she saw Miss Ang in last week's TNP article featuring the women who wanted to date him.

During Miss Ang's private time with Foster, he joked about picking her for the group date so she could give him "free Botox".

To which she paid him a compliment by saying he "didn't need it".

She said: "I'm okay with this situation (of being one of the final two girls) because if a person is unattached, he can date as many people (as he wants).

"I don't see Geraldine as competition. If something good comes out of this, then great. "If not, I would have made a friend."

Foster said that one thing he had in common with Miss Ang was that they had both been in long-distance relationships that didn't work out.

He said: "Germaine carries herself very well and she's very mature, I love that about her. "I can't wait to get to know her better."

Related stories:
	She's just too good to be true

Get The New Paper for more stories.