In 2023, ITV aired a new series called My Mum Your Dad. It only ran for 10 episodes across two weeks, but in that short time it captured the imaginations of millions of viewers.
A second series was commissioned just a few weeks after the first series ended, with a plan to broadcast it in 2024.
The show was essentially a condensed version of Love Island with the young singles swapped out for parents in their 40s and 50s. Love island for old people, as my teenage nephew put it shortly before I clipped him round the ear.
The added twist was that the contestants’ own children had a hand in the proceedings. They were the ones doing the match making, deciding who would go on dates with each other and so on. That’s why it was called My Mum Your Dad.
I have to admit I was a huge fan.
About a year on from the first series ending, and I started to wonder if any of the couples that formed during the show were still together. Had any of them made it in the real world, away from the cameras and the mansion they were all staying in?
Here’s what I found out.
A Look at the Couples Since the Show Ended
There were 6 men and 6 women who took part in My Mum Your Dad, all straight, with the potential for 6 couples to form.
Obviously though, we don’t live in a perfect world so not all of them found a partner during their time on the show.
Carolyn and Clayton were voted off the show on day 7 when all the children had to choose two people to leave, while Martin H and Tollulah left on day 9 after deciding that they weren’t going to find a romantic connection. Then, on the very last day, Monique and Martin M left the country retreat as friends after deciding they weren’t right for each other after all.
That leaves 3 couples who were ‘together’ after the last episode. Well, as together as you can be with someone after only knowing them for 2 weeks.
Natalie and Paul
Still Together: No 😞
Natalie and Paul were the first couple to split.
The show was filmed some time before it aired, so although the pair had left as a couple, they had already broken up by the time the first episode went out on September 11th.
Explaining the split on social media, Paul thanked everyone for their support and investment in his and Natalie’s relationship, going on to describe how they had enjoyed each other’s company over the summer as they continued to get to know each other. However, sometime in August they decided to be friends.
It’s a shame because these guys were the first to hit it off. They had an instant attraction and were snogging after a few days, as well as sharing meaningful conversations and trusting each other with information about themselves that you wouldn’t share with just anyone.
Viewers thought they were made for each other, and so did their kids, but sadly it was not to be.
Sharon and Elliott
Still Together: No 😞
Things were initially looking really good for Sharon and Elliott.
They had a slower build up than Natalie and Paul due to Sharon’s experiences in past relationships where she had been hurt. She didn’t want to jump into anything and found it difficult to fully open up. Elliott was very understanding though, and told her he would take things as slowly as she needed him to.
Despite this their connection was obvious for anyone to see, and they left the show hand in hand ready to explore life as a couple.
After quite a lot of activity on social media such as cuddly pictures and smoochy statements about living together, Sharon unfollowed Elliott on Instagram. I know. Plot twist, right?
It turns out that the move never happened and the distance between them made the relationships impossible. They apparently left things on good terms, but if that’s true, why did Sharon unfollow Elliott?
Janey and Roger
Still Together: Yes! 😊
Thank God for Janey and Roger. They have saved the show from being a total wipe out.
Initially, Roger had been getting close to Caroline, but when Janey entered the show as a bombshell on day 2 his head was turned. I think that’s the expression young people use these days.
It wasn’t just physical attraction either. Janey helped Roger open up about the passing of his wife a year earlier, so their connection felt special from the start. They didn’t exactly rush into it, but they had their first kiss on their final date, and left the show very much besotted with each other.
Since then they have been very active on social media, sharing their adventures travelling and Janey’s career as a singer. They celebrated their 1 year anniversary in July of 2024, and have both been quoted saying that marriage is certainly not off the table.
They have even done some modelling as a couple for Anne Summers.
Kinky.
Children Matchmaking for Their Parents – What Could Go Wrong?
Would you let your kids pick a girlfriend or boyfriend for you?
Mine aren’t old enough yet, but even if they were, it would be a hard no from me! But that’s why this show was such a good watch.
I’m not typically a reality TV kind of guy, but My Mum Your Dad wasn’t like most shows in that genre. It felt genuine, and introducing the contestants’ children as a controlling element wasn’t a gimmick. It was about how well they knew their parents, how they wanted to look out for them, and be involved in their lives.
The kids all hung out in a bunker and watched what their folks were getting up to. They expressed their happiness when things were going well, and their concerns when they weren’t sure if any of the developing relationships were going in the right direction.
For example, at points the kids would decide which two people to send on dates, so they would have to work together to pick the pairing they thought was fair and had a chance of succeeding. They had the chance to ask questions to their own parents’ potential partner via a waitress on a dinner date. They were also asked to help their parents reflect on their time at the retreat towards the end of the show.
Then, at the end when the parents were coupled up, the children were asked whether or not they would give their blessing based on what they had seen, and air any concerns they had.
It wasn’t a show that went out of its way to create tension or drama, it was much more grounded than that, and I can’t wait for series 2.
Even though my mates laugh at me for talking about it!