my mum your dad

It Happened To Me: I Accidentally Got Hooked On ‘My Mum, Your Dad’

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From a young age, I’ve been a reality TV addict.

I’m no psychologist, but the fact my parents monitored a lot of my TV-watching when I was growing up, meant I rebelled against their strict rules every time I could. When they were out working and I was home, I’d sneak in the TV shows they banned — but probably not the ones they thought. No, I wasn’t sneaking in The Simpson’s or South Park, I was glued to Maury Povich, Jerry Springer, Rock Of Love — the type of American reality TV that probably rotted through my brain and made me think chasing a career in entertainment journalism was a good idea.

After years of covering Australian reality TV, from The Bachelor to Married At First Sight to Love Triangle, I thought I’d seen every angle possible a show could hook me in with: then Nine Network delivered My Mum, Your Dad to our TV screens.

I’m a millennial who, for some reason, still watches free-to-air TV, mainly while I’m eating dinner at night. There’s something about choosing a Netflix show to watch while my dinner is rapidly cooling that stresses me out, so instead I just have something mindless on in the background while I eat my dinner and stare at Indy Clinton’s TikTok.

Which is how I got accidentally into watching My Mum, Your Dad.

Introducing My Mum, Your Dad

The concept behind My Mum, Your Dad is certainly a unique one. Basically kids have nominated their single parents to find love, and the parents are sent off to a retreat to meet, mingle, and let down their walls. There is one catch though: their kids are watching from their own bunker down the road. Yep, they’re literally watching their parents’ every move: good, bad, and embarrassingly awkward (more on that in a minute).

Not only are the kids watching their parents be real people, but they are the puppeteers behind the scenes, playing matchmaker or as the show calls them “dating consultants”. The kids partake in challenges to be able to win dates for their parents and can also be responsible for who gets eliminated.

There are also some hilarious pranks — like the kids going in disguise to be on set and watch the action unfold themselves. In a recent episode Kayla and Milli doubled up as production, driving each other’s parents to their date all while trying to find out the inside tea. What a way to potentially meet your new step-parent!

The awkward reminder your parents are horny people too

In amongst all the heartfelt emotions, there are some hilarious moments that My Mum, Your Dad provides and that’s watching the parents flirt with each other. While at some points it’s adorably awkward, there are also times the rowdy parents get a little too horny and you can almost feel the kids’ embarrassment from the screens.

From Darren saying he was looking for the type of love that would have him bending someone over a kitchen bench, to Shane and Julie’s wet kisses, to Roe’s dare where he whispered naughty things into Carole’s ear much to her horny delight, the episodes are never short of some sort of cringe factor. While it’s great entertainment for us at home to watch, pour one out for these poor children who are having to sit there and watch their parents be horny AF.

But ultimately, the show is about growth

Along the way, the kids cheer on their parents, cry for them, and learn they are more than just the people who raised them — they’re people who have been through love, heartbreak, triumphs, and tribulations. They’re people who are scared of rejection, hoping to find connections, and people whose past experiences have shaped them for the better or worse.

Yep, you guessed it: our parents are humans too!

The kids themselves too are just so excited to watch their parents find love, it makes the whole viewing experience heartwarming. If you haven’t cried at least during one episode of this show, particularly watching Mel make friends and discover her identity again while her son Sam watches on with complete pride, then you’re a monster.

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Now, while we’re not sure how a Season 2 would work, it’s been such a wholesome (and slightly traumatising) viewing experience getting hooked on My Mum, Your Dad. For now, you can catch up on all the episodes of Season 1 over on 9Now.