Donna Preston, the vibrant comedian and Celebs Go Dating star, has dropped a jaw-dropping bombshell about her dating history: she once unknowingly wined and dined a murderer! The 39-year-old, currently navigating the wild world of romance on E4’s hit dating show, opened up about her catastrophic love life in an exclusive chat with The Sun, revealing a tale that sounds straight out of a crime thriller.
After ending a long-term relationship, Donna decided to dip her toes into the unpredictable waters of dating apps. What seemed like a promising date turned into a chilling nightmare when the man she met ghosted her—only for her to later spot his face splashed across a newspaper, revealing he’d been jailed for murder. “A real-life murderer!” Donna exclaimed, still reeling from the shocking discovery. “He’s in jail now, so that’s nice.”
Reflecting on her dating disasters, Donna admitted, “I don’t think I’ve had a nice date. My love life is a disaster!” Her ill-fated encounter with a criminal has made her hyper-aware of red flags, and she now jokingly lists “not being a murderer” as her top dating criterion. “I’m aware of boundaries and not giving the benefit of the doubt too much,” she said, with her signature wit. “My biggest red flag? I ask if they’re a murderer!”
Now, Donna is entrusting her quest for love to the expert agents on Celebs Go Dating, hoping they can steer her toward a match that doesn’t come with a rap sheet. The Celebrity Big Brother alum, who joined the E4 show as a late signing in May, is joined by a star-studded lineup including The Chase’s Mark Labbett, S Club 7’s Jon Lee, Love Island’s Olivia Hawkins, Made in Chelsea’s Sam Prince, and Too Hot to Handle’s Louis Russell. The series also saw Christine McGuinness briefly participate before stepping back, realizing she wasn’t ready to date in the spotlight.
Donna’s approach to dating is refreshingly no-nonsense. “I always say don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” she shared. “If we’re not feeling it, we should just go—there’s a pile of washing up waiting at home!” True to her word, Donna admitted to making swift exits during the show when sparks failed to fly. “We’re not always going to connect with everyone,” she said candidly. “Life’s too short to sit through tales of someone’s coin collection. I’ll be gone before the starter arrives.”
Beyond the quest for romance, Donna is soaking up the professional guidance offered by the agency’s experts. “It’s a quiet, intimate space, and these agents are professionals,” she explained. “They’re expensive in the real world, so I’m here to get as much free therapy as I can!” Her humor and honesty shine through as she navigates the dating process, determined to crack the code on what men want—“besides snacks and not being asked what they’re thinking.”