My Mum, Your Dad

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 Davina McCall 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 [television] bosses" 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 in January 2022, with France and Germany also producing their own versions. The British version of the show is produced by Lifted Entertainment. 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 [they] follow 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 village of Stedham. It is set on 45-acres within the South Downs National Park 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" by The Police, "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood, "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer, "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston, "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon, and "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates. Series 2 tunes, included: "A Good Heart" by Feargal Sharkey, "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake, "I Drove All Night" by Cyndi Lauper, "Invisible Touch" by Genesis, "The Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys, and "You're the Voice" by John Farnham. ==Series overview==

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 described the show's contestants as "attractive" and "well-turned out" and noted that presenter Davina McCall [brought] "exactly the right level of warmth and enthusiasm". Fiona Sturges of The Independent 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 as "hilarious" and "excruciating". She added that "unlike the usual contestants [on Love Island] these people have real stories, real baggage and [...] real emotions. Carol Midgley of The Times criticised the series, noting that she'd "sooner eat [her] own liver than have [her] children spying on [her] pitiful 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 [the show] a heart that Love Island lacks. == International versions ==