Stephen Merchant turns US dating disasters into Sky sitcom

Stephen Merchant has said he experienced a 'constant stream' of mishaps while dating in LA.

The British star, 38, has turned his dating disasters into screen fodder in Hello Ladies, his US sitcom in which he plays a British web designer who has relocated to LA.

Stephen said dating in Hollywood was far from easy.

"There are too many attractive people and too many people who are smarter, wealthier and more famous and more successful and powerful than you are." he said.

"Everyone's always looking over everyone else's shoulder - and it's very hard for women to look over my shoulder, but they manage it."

The Office star added: "In LA you can never tell someone you like them because they'll use that against you.

"If you imply that you'd like to see them again on another date? No, they'll run a mile.

"No one wants to pin their colours to the mast because they want to leave their options open in case there's someone better the next day."

Hello Ladies starts on Sky Atlantic tonight (October 16) at 10pm.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.