its just that standard 1 man backpacking tents that i have been looking at look tiny and awkward to get in and out of
Yep! Thats why I went for a 2 man tent - 1 man tents are OK if you dont actually move or have any kit.
there is just such a massive selection out there i didn't know where to start
There's lots of choice out there, which can be a problem. Have a look over on OM for advice about tents, I'm sure that this kind of question has been asked before! And get yourself a copy of the Cotswold catalogue - its free with their Explorer card, which gets you 10% off your first purchase, etc. Its blatently a data grabbing exercise, but thats the way it goes.
That way, you can see whats in the market, and whats important to you - cost v weight v quality v features. There is a whole thing about inner V outer first (just look at the tread on Alpkits version of the Golite tents..), and porches, etc. However, 'buy cheap, buy twice' is great advice, and its worth looking at them carefully bcause you'll want to use them long term. There are loads of reviews and comments about tents - and a lot of them will cancel each other out! You can only go on what the general drift is, but its your tent, not anybody elses.
As I said, I went for a tent which got good reviews, was within my budget and wasn't too heavy. However, the most important thing I did was to try one out (at a Cotswold tent event). You can look at the diagrams, etc, but its not the same as actually sitting inside one, and checking it for size, shape, the porch, etc. Perhaps see if a store has one assembled, or see if you can borrow one, just tyo see if it suits. Its a lot of cash to spend on something that might not be right for you.