''My Mum, Your Dad'' is a dating show for single parents hosted by

Davina McCall Davina Lucy Pascale McCall (born 16 October 1967) is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows for Channel 4, including ''Streetmate'' (1998–2001, 2016), ''Big Brother (British TV series), Big Brother'' (2 ...

and broadcast on

ITV1 ITV1 (formerly known as ITV) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the ITV (TV network), Channel 3 ...

and

ITVX ITVX is a British Over-the-top media services, over-the-top and ad-supported Streaming television, streaming service operated by ITV plc. The service offers original content from the broadcaster, livestreams of the ITV television channels, Free ...

Format

''My Mum, Your Dad'' is a dating show that follows a group of single parents endeavours to find love. Each parent has been nominated by an adult son or daughter, each of whom drops their parent off at a country house retreat before converging on a nearby surveillance room or 'Bunker' to witness each mum and dad's bids for love. Each son or daughter plays matchmaker and should their parent find a romantic connection they decide whether to give their seal of approval.

Production

In January 2023, it was reported that ITV were set to commission a new dating series that was teased as a version of "'' Love Island'' for "mid-life single parents". The series was given the working title ''The Romance Retreat'' and

was announced to be presenting the series in March 2023. Following the announcement of her appointment as presenter, McCall said she had "manifested" the show into existence and had "begged elevisionbosses" to give her the role of presenter, adding that she made it happen and "willed there to be an amazing new dating programme for grown-ups." She described the cast as "people who have lived a life, been through experiences ..They've got luggage but they deserve love." In June 2023, the series was confirmed to be titled ''My Mum, Your Dad''. The series format was created by father and daughter Greg and Haley Daniels and a version of the show originally aired in the United States on

HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...

in January 2022, with France and Germany also producing their own versions. The British version of the show is produced by

Lifted Entertainment ITV Studios Limited is a British multinational television media company owned by British television broadcaster ITV plc. It handles production and distribution of programmes broadcast on the ITV network and third-party broadcasters, and is bas ...

. Paul Mortimer, director of Reality and Acquisitions, said of the show's commissioning: "''My Mum, Your Dad''" is set to be a relationship show with a difference, as heyfollow the emotional and inspiring journeys of single parents looking to find love once more." The first trailer for the series aired on 31 July 2023 during the final of the tenth series of ''Love Island''. The series was shelved by ITV in January 2025, but could potentially return in the future.

Location

The retreat is Viola House in the

West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...

village of Stedham. It is set on 45-acres within the

South Downs National Park The South Downs National Park is England's newest national parks of England and Wales, national park, designated on 31 March 2010. The park, covering an area of in southern England, stretches for from Winchester in the west to Eastbourne in t ...

and has a reception hall and 5 reception rooms, a kitchen and secondary kitchen, a utility room, a cellar, a leisure complex that houses an indoor swimming pool, a master suite with a dressing room and bathroom, 8 further bedrooms with 6 further bath or shower rooms—2 of which are en-suite, garaging, workshop and equestrian facilities, and a tennis court.

Music

One of the most popular elements of ''My Mum, Your Dad'' is the music played within it. Series 1 tracks, included: "

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" is a song by the British rock band The Police from their fourth studio album, ''Ghost in the Machine'' (1981). It was a hit single that reached the top of the charts in the United Kingdom in November 1981

" by

The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...

, "

Higher Love "Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP, '' Back in the High Life'' (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. Th ...

" by

Steve Winwood Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician and songwriter whose genres include blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Though primarily a guitarist, keyboard player, and vocalist prominent for his dis ...

, " Hot Stuff" by

Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...

, "

How Will I Know "How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her self-titled debut studio album. It was released on November 22, 1985, by Arista Records as the album's third single. Written and composed by George Merrill and ...

" by

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

, " Keep On Loving You" by

REO Speedwagon REO Speedwagon (originally stylized as R.E.O. Speedwagon), or simply REO, was an American Rock music, rock band from Champaign, Illinois. Formed in 1967, the band cultivated a following during the 1970s and achieved significant commercial suc ...

, and " You Make My Dreams" by

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall & John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, were an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1970. Daryl Hall was generally the lead vocalist, while John Oates primarily supplied electric guitar and ba ...

. Series 2 tunes, included: " A Good Heart" by

Feargal Sharkey Seán Feargal Sharkey (born 13 August 1958) is a singer and environmentalist from Northern Ireland. He was the lead vocalist of punk band the Undertones in the 1970s and 1980s and a solo artist in the 1980s and 1990s. His 1985 solo single " ...

, " Here I Go Again" by

Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1978. The group were originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their ow ...

, "

I Drove All Night "I Drove All Night" is a song written and composed by American songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly and originally intended for Roy Orbison. Orbison recorded the song in 1987, the year before his death, but his version was not released until ...

" by

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

, "

Invisible Touch ''Invisible Touch'' is the thirteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis, released on 6 June 1986 by Atlantic Records in the United States and on 9 June 1986 by Charisma/Virgin Records in the United Kingdom. After taking a break in 1 ...

" by

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...

, " The Whole of the Moon" by

The Waterboys The Waterboys are a rock band formed in 1983 by Scottish musician and songwriter Mike Scott (Scottish musician), Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Britain and Ireland, with Scott re ...

, and "

You're the Voice "You're the Voice" is a song recorded by Australian singer John Farnham released in 1986. It became an immediate hit in Australia as well as several European countries including the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was released as a single in Sept ...

" by

John Farnham John Peter Farnham (born 1 July 1949) is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until the mid-1970s, billed as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...

Series overview

Series 1 (2023)

The line-up of parents and their children appearing in the series were announced on 4 September 2023, a week before the show's launch.

Weekly summary

The main events in the ''My Mum, Your Dad'' retreat are summarised in the table below.

Series 2 (2024)

The line-up of parents and their children appearing in the second series were announced in August 2024. The series began on 16 September 2024. In a change for this series, the parents were aware that they were being watched by their children. It featured the return of Paul Edwards from the first series.

Weekly summary

The main events in the ''My Mum, Your Dad'' retreat are summarised in the table below.

Reception

Anita Singh of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' described the show's contestants as "attractive" and "well-turned out" and noted that presenter

rought"exactly the right level of warmth and enthusiasm". Fiona Sturges of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' noted that the show's producers appeared to have "mistaken the middle-aged contestants for helpless geriatrics who can no longer be trusted to boil a kettle, let alone make decisions about who they’d like to date". The series was described by Lucy Mangan of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' as "hilarious" and "excruciating". She added that "unlike the usual contestants n ''Love Island''these people have real stories, real baggage and ..real emotions. Carol Midgley of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' criticised the series, noting that she'd "sooner eat erown liver than have erchildren spying on erpitiful attempts at flirting or snogging", noting that there was too much focus on the children's opinions. She did however comment that the "saving grace" was the contestants and their "endearing vulnerability" which gave

he show He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

a heart that ''Love Island'' lacks.

International versions of the format

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:My Mum, Your Dad 2023 British television series debuts 2024 British television series endings 2020s British game shows 2020s British reality television series British English-language television shows ITV game shows ITV reality television shows Television series by ITV Studios British television series based on American television series British dating and relationship reality television series