Eight singletons are set to try and find their second chance at love on new reality TV show My Mum, Your Dad.
The ITV dating show, fronted by Davina McCall, will kick off on September 11 and will see eight contestants aged between 44 and 58 enter a West Sussex mansion.
They will appear alongside their adult children, who have nominated them in hopes that they will find love and will secretly play matchmaker from a nearby bunker.
And a late arrival is set to stir things up on the show as she will make an unexpected entrance after the first eight single parents and their children have arrived.
Janey, 47, is a singer and recruitment manager that describes herself as ‘fun, kind, outgoing and creative’ and will shock the singleton’s with her grand entrance.
Cast: Eight singletons are set to try and find their second chance at love on reality TV show My Mum, Your Dad, and new arrival Janey (pictured) will then arrive late to shake things up
Fun: Janey, 47, is a singer and recruitment manager that describes herself as ‘fun, kind, outgoing and creative’ and will shock the singleton’s with her grand entrance
She was nominated to take part on the show by her son Will, who will enter the show alongside his mother and join the kids in the bunker to help his mother to find love.
Asked why she thinks her son nominated her, she explained: ‘Because he’s lost all hope for me, he thinks I’m undateable! He wants me to meet someone.’
As for what people will make of her on the programme, she mused: ‘I think people might get me wrong at first.
‘I’m aware I might be judged on how outgoing I might be, and the fact my job is performing. In reality, I could be the most sensitive person there. And I’m emotional. I’m excited to meet someone that sees that side of me.’
Student Will, 20, told how he nominated his mother because ‘it’s getting a bit desperate now! We need a good chance of getting her to find someone’.
He added: ‘If it takes me to get involved, then that’s apparently how dire things have got!’
Describing his mother’s perfect partner, he said: ‘They’d need to want to dive in the deep end. They need to be confident with me to go and have a day out just the two of us, and to get on with all her friends.
‘Also someone that’s loving in general, and would put her first.’
Dating hopes: Asked why she thinks her son nominated her, she explained: ‘Because he’s lost all hope for me, he thinks I’m undateable! He wants me to meet someone’
Doting son: She was nominated to take part on the show by her son Will, who will enter the show alongside his mother and join the kids in the bunker to help his mother to find love
He sweetly told how he wants his mother to find ‘comfort and peace of mind’ from the dating retreat and admitted she ‘needs to be herself more’.
When asked how he would describe his mother for her dating profile, he said: ‘I’d say an outgoing, chatty lady who is up for a drink!’
The debut episode of My Mum, Your Dad – which will air on Monday – will see eight single parents being dropped off at a West Sussex country house by their children.
As the singletons get to know each other in the house, the children then go to a nearby bunker, where they think they will be filming content about having a single parent.
But they are given quite the shock when they are told that they will be playing matchmaker for their single parents, and will watch every moment in the house on screens.
Over the course of two weeks, parents will undergo dates and bonding workshops while unknowingly being watched by their children from an out-house with ‘pillows over their faces’ in embarrassment.
Among the eight singletons set to enter the house in Monday’s episode are a postman, a PE teacher and a therapist all hoping to find their second chance at love.
Entering the mansion will be postman Roger, 58, PE teacher Elliott, 53, pastoral support officer Clayton, 57, and Decorator Paul, 51.
The women joining them will be relationship coach Natalie, 44, tech advisor Caroline, 51, welfare officer Sharon, 53, and therapist Monique, 50.
Supportive: Will sweetly told how he wants his mother to find ‘comfort and peace of mind’ from the dating retreat and admitted she ‘needs to be herself more’
Love: My Mum, Your Dad will see single parents entering a West Sussex house in a bid to find love, while their adult children will play matchmaker and watch their actions from a bunker
It has been dubbed the ‘Middle-Aged Love Island’, but there will be no cash prize at the end and there will be no eliminations, with the children and the parents deciding when it is best for them to leave the show.
The show, based on an Australian version by the same name, will be hosted by Davina McCall, who wants to see contestants ‘who’ve lived a life’ and show mid-life people looking for love that ‘not all is lost for them’.
Cameras will not be in the bedroom as Davina said: ‘For me, personally speaking, I’d rather watch the hint of love, a moment of tenderness, something amazing. That’s so exciting but like… sha**ing?
‘It’s sort of like once you’ve seen… it doesn’t mean anything. This means f***ing something.
‘When you see people falling, you know this is serious. That’s so lovely. But yes, there are moments where the kids have got cushions over their faces. They’ve never seen their parents in a date situation.’
The former Big Brother host confessed that many middle-aged singletons struggle to understand dating apps, making it harder for them to find their second loves.
‘We’re of that generation where apps are weird, we don’t know how to do apps,’ she said.
‘Like ‘what do you mean you’re still talking to 17 other people when we’re going out?’, I don’t understand how that works! It’s hard isn’t it!’
New show: It has been dubbed the ‘Middle-Aged Love Island’, but there will be no cash prize at the end and there will be no eliminations deciding when it is best for them to leave the show
Concept: Over the course of two weeks, parents will then undergo dates and bonding workshops while unknowingly being watched by their children
Project: Host Davina McCall described the show as a ‘dream come true’ as she spoke about how she has always wanted to see middle-aged love represented on primetime TV
Davina – who recently moved in with her new boyfriend, hairstylist Michael Douglas – went on to describe the show as a ‘dream come true’ as she spoke about how she has always wanted to see middle-aged love represented on primetime TV.
She said: ‘When I walked in, I was literally beside myself. Firstly because it was like a dream come true to walk into an entertainment TV programme, primetime ITV, and see my people.
‘A bunch of mid-lifers, who all look really cool, really fun, culturally at the same place in life, we all understand each other, second time-rounders. It was really brilliant to be in a room with those types of people.’
My Mum, Your Dad starts September 11 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX. The series will run on consecutive weeknights for two weeks.
My Mum, Your Dad: Meet the single parents and their matchmaker kids!
Meet the parents … and their matchmaker kids!
Name: Monique
Age: 50
Location: Winchmore Hill
Profession: Therapist/student
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Kind-hearted, a believer in God and positive. I radiate love!
Why did your daughter nominate you for MMYD? To dip my toes back in the pool of dating, and try and connect with someone and find love, and experience living with other people again.
Name: Sharon
Age: 53
Location: Sunderland
Profession: Safeguarding and welfare officer in education
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Fun, genuine, personable.
Why did your daughter nominate you for MMYD? She was getting desperate! I’d lost all confidence in myself. I think for Tia she was wanting to give me a bit of a helping hand.
Name: Caroline
Age: 51
Location: South Lanarkshire
Profession: Tech advisor/scan assistant at a private baby clinic
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Charismatic, outgoing and fun. I can be a bit fiery at times!
Why did your daughter nominate you for MMYD? I’ve been single for such a long time, it’s probably the longest I’ve ever been single! I’ve always been quite happy being single but I think she thought, ‘Mum, you need to get out there!’
Name: Natalie
Age: 44
Location: Bournemouth
Profession: Self-esteem and relationship recovery coach
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Adventurous, deep and outgoing.
Why did your son nominate you for MMYD? I’ve been on my own for a long time. I think he thinks it’s my time for me now.
Name: Paul
Age: 51
Location: London, lives in Bath
Profession: Owner, decorating company
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Very chilled, laid back and loyal.
Why did your daughter nominate you for MMYD? She feels I need to sort myself out when it comes to dating!
Name: Clayton
Age: 57
Location: Nottingham
Profession: Pastoral support officer
How would you describe yourself in a few words? I’m pretty effervescent. I’m all about balance in terms of fun – I’d say there’s a cheeky side to me.
Why did your son Christian nominate you for MMYD? He’d like to see me settled with someone I could have a future with.
Name: Roger
Age: 58
Location: Derbyshire
Profession: Postman
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Fun, loving, conscientious, struggling to get old – I don’t want to get old. I lost my wife, I know that you can get up and life can be over in a split second.
Why did your daughter Jess nominate you for MMYD? She’s a lovely girl. Her mum was really thoughtful in everything – she could plan things to a detail – and Jess has got that. She is so thoughtful and it was just a lovely thing for her to say, ‘Dad, look, we understand that you’re struggling and it’s been hard and we know that you’ve got a lot of love to give and we’re OK if you were to see someone else’.
Following my wife passing 18 months ago, I didn’t really want to meet anyone. You don’t expect it to be you and you don’t expect it to be your wife. But I’m going on the show to get some confidence. I must have subconsciously wanted to meet someone by saying yes to the show.
Name: Elliott
Age: 53
Location: Essex
Profession: PE teacher/football coach
How would your son describe you? He’d say I am good fun, easy going (I’m not easy going).
Why did your son nominate you for MMYD? He wants rid of me! I think the prospect of me being in his life for too much longer was a burden. No, he just wants me to be happy.
Name: Janey
Age: 47
Location: West Sussex
Profession: Singer/recruitment manager
How would you describe yourself in a few words? Fun, kind, outgoing and creative.
Why did your son nominate you for MMYD? Because he’s lost all hope for me, he thinks I’m undateable! He wants me to meet someone.
Name: Taiya
Age: 21
Location: North London
Profession: Student
Why did you nominate your mum to go on the show? I nominated my mum because I think she deserves love! She’s put everything aside to raise me and my sister for so many years so I thought now is my mum’s time.
Name: Tia
Age: 24
Location: Sunderland
Profession: Social media influencer
Why did you nominate your mum to go on the show? I feel like it’s finally her time to be happy. I think she’s put herself on the backburner to bring up myself and my sister. In the last few years I feel like she’s given up on love, so she didn’t want to try anymore. I hope putting her forward will be the push she needs to put herself first.
Name: Karli
Age: 20
Location: South Lanarkshire
Profession: Flight attendant
Why did you nominate your mum to go on the show? She was single for a while and she doesn’t seem to have any luck with guys. So I thought why not?
Name: Kaliel
Age: 20
Location: Bournemouth
Profession: Gas and plumbing apprentice
Why did you nominate your mum to go on the show? Because I wanted her to find someone and be happy. I saw it advertised and I thought it would be perfect for her.
Name: Mazey
Age: 21
Location: Bath
Profession: University Student
Why did you nominate your dad to go on the show? I want to see him settled. The way he was dating before wasn’t working. I wanted him to date outside of the box.
Name: Christian
Age: 35
Location: Nottingham
Profession: Graphic artist/warehouse employee
Why did you nominate your dad to go on the show? I just want him to settle down, find the right person – he’s getting on now! I want him to live life with someone. I want him to travel with someone and get out there.
Name: Jess
Age: 28
Location: Derbyshire
Profession: Network rail planner
Why did you nominate your dad to go on the show? It was a joint thing with my brother and sister and it was our way of basically telling him that we were happy for him to start dating, if that was something he wanted to do.
It was a cop out on our part really, as it meant we didn’t need to sit down and actually say it. It was a sneaky way of saying, ‘Oh look at this, do you want to look into this?’ Never actually expected anything to come of it.
It was about putting dad first. We’d never really thought about us, or about ourselves in that situation. I wasn’t thinking about how I’d react, I was thinking about him.
The reason for that is he does the same for us, he would always put family first. So it was just a way of saying to him, stop worrying about us. If he wasn’t ready, that was also totally fine. It wasn’t an ultimatum. It was just, if you want to, you can, don’t worry about us.
Name: Zachary
Age: 21
Location: Essex
Profession: University student
Why did you nominate your dad to go on the show? He deserves a chance to be happy and he hasn’t had that. I want him to have what a lot of his friends have done; get married and settle down. He deserves the opportunity to find the ‘end stages’ of love.
Name: Will
Age: 19
Location: West Sussex
Profession: Student
Why did you nominate your mum to go on the show? It’s getting a bit desperate now! We need a good chance of getting her to find someone.
If it takes me to get involved, then that’s apparently how dire things have got!