New dating show, My Mum, Your Dad, helps single parents find love again

Way back at the start of the year, there was much talk about The Romance Retreat, dubbed a ‘Love Island for older people’. Well, it’s got a new name and a lot more class than previous reports suggest.

Created by father and daughter Haley and Greg Daniels, My Mum, Your Dad follows a group of single parents who have been nominated by their grown-up kids for a second chance at love.

Richard Cowles, managing director of Lifted Entertainment, said: “We revolutionised the dating format with Love Island, but dating isn’t just about young people.”

Speaking about the MMYD participants, he said: “they may come from a different age bracket but they share the same, simple aim, to fall in love, and for single parents the stakes are even higher.”

Over the course of 10 hour-long episodes, audiences can watch the singletons, who have come from all over the UK and all walks of life, as they cosy up together at a stunning country house retreat.

It all sounds so simple: against that gorgeous backdrop, this disparate group of people, some of whom have had their hearts well and truly smashed, all hope to find romance.

But there’s a twist, and boy-oh-boy is it ever a mother of one.

Unbeknown to the group of lovelorn parents hanging out in the posh house, their children will be watching their every move from a less glam nearby location known as ‘The Bunker’.

From this surveillance room they will witness all the action (if that’s even the right word) of their parents’ journeys to find new love, get the opportunity to play matchmaker and have a hand in deciding their mum or dad’s dating fate.

So, who is overseeing this sure-to-be-addictive slice of reality telly? The queen herself, Davina McCall. We can’t imagine anyone else doing it. She has the perfect combination of deft and daft that will keep everyone in the house on their toes and the viewing public hooked.

The veteran Big Brother host is also clearly thrilled to have landed the gig. She said: “Thank goodness the secret is finally out! I’ve been bursting to tell! I’m so so excited to host My Mum, Your Dad – this show will have you so invested in the people in it.

“Fascinating, vibrant individuals who have lived incredible lives already, with a million life lessons under their belts, as they search for their perfect life partner but also with the juiciest twist of any show I’ve ever worked on.”

From humorous moments to heartwarming confessions, the kids will see their parents in a whole new light as they are presented with opportunities to select who they’ll be matched with on one-to-one dates, and who could be joining the family celebrations for years to come.

Make sure you have a stack of clean hankies at the ready and charge up the mobile phone so we can all melt down social media, as we soak up the highs and the lows, the tears and the funny moments of finding love again.