My Mum, Your Dad slammed for 'unethical twist' as contestant breaks down

14 September 2023 , 10:11

580     0

My Mum, Your Dad slammed for 'unethical twist' as contestant breaks down

My Mum, Your Dad is finally here - and let's just say, we're already hooked.

Christened the 'midlife' version of Love Island, the ITV dating series has had quite the reaction ever since it premiered on September 11, enjoying high ratings and gushing reviews from critics and viewers alike.

Hosted by Davina McCall, My Mum, Your Dad sees singletons in their 40s and 50s retreat to a West Sussex country house in the hope of finding a second chance at love. Many have praised the ground-breaking reality show for shining a light on romance for older ages, hailing it as a much needed tonic to the glossiness of many of its predecessors.

However, the show has also come under fire from some fans for one unconventional aspect of its format. In a controversial twist, the adult children of the contestants play secret 'matchmaker' for their bachelor parents behind-the-scenes. The sons and daughters even watch their parents undergo therapy with a psychotherapist, completely unbeknownst to the middle-aged contestants.

Janey, far right, opens up about her emotional family past on My Mum, Your Dad

In one clip from the series, contestant Janey Smith tears up while talking to the others parents about her experience of being adopted. "I've got the best parents in the world...so rejection, and abandonment...I'm a pleaser....they're all traits of being adopted," the 47-year-old explains.

Masked Singer's Fawn 'exposed' as girlband star but fans divided

Her 19-year-old son, William, watches on from the surveillance room and admits to the other adult children, "She was debating even saying that."

At another point of the therapeutic process, Sharon Benson opens up to single dad Elliot Davidson about her ordeal of being cheated on. The 53-year-old welfare officer added that she had been "cheated on her whole life", and therefore struggles to trust in new relationships.

The vulnerable scenes has been welcomed by many viewers, with a number of folks commending Janey and Sharon for speaking so candidly about her backgrounds. However, some people took issue with the surveillance aspect of the therapy.

One complained: "What a nightmare for the children to watch /spy on their parents having psychological counselling! Who’s counselling them??" While a viewer pointed out: "This is striking me again with this workshop - should their kids be privy to this??'

Another person questioned the need for the children's intervention altogether, writing, "Why couldn't they have kept it simple and let the adults just get on with it? Why do their kids need to be involved?"

Speaking about the show on the Diary of a CEO podcast, Davina explains how the show's contestants are different to those on many other reality dating shows. "They’ve lived a life," the 57-year-old said. "They’re widows, they’re people who have been through horrific divorces. They are people who have split up with somebody and decided they want to try going out with somebody the same sex as them. They’re like interesting people. I’d watch that show.”

Emma Dooney