A male model who asked a woman to split a dinner bill on a British matchmaking show says he's been the subject of death threats since the program went to air.

Manchester man Sam Reece, 22, appeared on Channel Four program First Dates earlier this month.

Reece said he enjoyed himself on his night out with Kathleen but had received a lot of criticism and even death threats over his request that they share the cost of the meal in excess of $650.

"It was a really expensive meal, like £350 ($677), and I knew I wasn't going to see her again, so what's wrong with asking her to split the bill?" the 22-year-old told The Mirror .

"I couldn’t believe some of the reaction from people on Twitter. I had death threats, one person said that the next time I come out in Manchester I'm dead."

Reece blamed the show's editors for the way he was portrayed and the hostile public reaction.

"Obviously the show was edited in a certain way that made me look bad, but I'm really not like that personally," he said.

"They tried to paint me as a typical model."

But the model's perceived parsimonious ways were not the only thing to draw the ire or online critics.

Twitter user Zaira Cross said "Sam isn't half as fit as he thinks he is, with the personality of a porridge oat."