You can’t help who you’re attracted to, but one woman might be going on a date with her sister's ex-boyfriend.

She told So You Think You’re an Adult she had a connection with the man while she was out with friends. 

“We ended up chatting almost all night, and we had a really good connection,” she told Moncrieff. 

“At the end of the night, he said he'd really like to bring me on a date – but he's my sister's ex.  

“They went out for about two years, but she has said many times they were never really that compatible – this was also a decade ago.” 

The woman is nervous about telling her sister, but she knows it’s likely that if she goes on a date in her small town, she’ll be spotted. 

“I'm thinking of going on a date with them, seeing how it goes, and saying nothing,” she said. 

Actress Mary McEvoy told the woman nobody “owns” anyone. 

“If your sister’s nose is out of joint about that she’d be a very childish person,” she said. 

“I know what you mean about the ‘small town’ thing – but it’s been 10 years. 

“If it was a year, maybe, but 10? Everybody's probably forgotten they were going out.” 

It is still a courteous thing, however, to tell the sister she’s going on a date with her ex. 

“Just sit down with your sister and say, ‘Look, I met this guy, and you know him and he’s asked me out and I really like him’ - don’t ask for permission,” she said. 

“You don’t own somebody – I know people who married their brother’s widow.” 

Dating a sister's ex

Broadcaster Declan Buckley agreed that you don’t own people – but she should be aware of the consequences of dating a sister’s ex. 

“If the letter writer and the man decide to go out, forever the sister is going to be like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s my ex’ or always have an opinion,” he said. 

“All these other things can become niggles – but it depends on the kind of person you are.” 

Mary argued that issues like this could be "grown out of” if the relationship becomes serious. 

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