diff --git a/app/main/views/send.py b/app/main/views/send.py
index 6e8b81f44..d53053ed9 100644
--- a/app/main/views/send.py
+++ b/app/main/views/send.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ from flask import (
 from flask_login import login_required, current_user
 
 from notifications_python_client.errors import HTTPError
-from notifications_utils.columns import Columns
 from notifications_utils.recipients import (
     RecipientCSV,
     first_column_headings,
@@ -523,18 +522,12 @@ def _check_messages(service_id, template_type, upload_id, letters_as_pdf=False):
         choose_time_form = ChooseTimeForm()
 
     with suppress(StopIteration):
-        first_recipient = None
         template.values = next(recipients.rows)
-        first_recipient = template.values.get(
-            Columns.make_key(recipients.recipient_column_headers[0]),
-            ''
-        )
 
     session['upload_data']['notification_count'] = len(list(recipients.rows))
     session['upload_data']['valid'] = not recipients.has_errors
     return dict(
         recipients=recipients,
-        first_recipient=first_recipient,
         template=template,
         errors=recipients.has_errors,
         row_errors=get_errors_for_csv(recipients, template.template_type),