New version of legendary Blind Date to be presented by Janne Kataja!

The renewed Blind Date will be presented by actor and comedian Janne Kataja. The show will air starting from September on Nelonen.

It would not be Blind Date, of course, without a mood lifting pianist. Seated behind the piano in the totally new show will be piano virtuoso Lenni-Kalle Taipale.

Along with Janne and Lenni-Kalle, the show will feature actress and comedienne Niina Lahtinen, who on her part will help Mister and Miss Xs in making, perhaps, the most important choice of their lives.

Janne Kataja takes his new job with vigour and enthusiasm. Now that we are dealing with the bigger things in life.

”Even though we are making entertainment, at the same time we are dealing with the big, meaningful things; when someone’s life can change in a heartbeat. Back in the day Blind Date helped in creating real marriages, babies and all,” Kataja ponders.

For Kataja, presenting Blind date is a huge honour, as the legendary Kari Salmelainen is one of his greatest role models.

”Kari has been my idol since childhood. I admire his skill for live comedy and his way of assessing each situation, where the comedy is born out of the situation itself rather than cue cards. I plan to to carry on in the original Blind Date style, which means chit-chatting nice with the participants. I will also take Kari’s advice and keep in mind that the participants are the stars of this show,” Kataja says.

Salmelainen himself has given his blessing to the new host of the show.

”It was important for me when getting involved with this show that Kari gives me the thumbs up and he has indeed said that he is excited and with us in spirit,” Kataja rejoices.

Blind Date, to be aired on Nelonen in the fall, is a renewed entertainment show with plenty of surprises in store. The basic elements of the show are, however, still in place: Miss or Mister X chooses a suitor to their liking from contenders A, B, and C, who are answering questions from behind a screen.