Davina McCall admits 'it's my fault' as she shares one regret about new ITV show

04 September 2023 , 21:32

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Davina McCall admits 'it's my fault' as she shares one regret about new ITV show

Davina McCall admits she's been trying to "burn" the nickname for her new ITV dating series ahead of its premiere later this month.

The former Big Brother presenter, 55, will be the face of new reality TV series My Dad, Your Mum when the programme kicks off next week, with viewers set to watch middle-aged single parents embark on a journey to find love again - with a little help from their sons and daughters.

Host Davina was actually the one to pitch the idea of a dating show for middle aged to ITV, but the mum-of-three has some regrets about how she went about things - mainly coining the phrase 'midlife Love Island'.

Davina recently revealed that she originally pitched the idea of Love Island for an older generation for ITV Commissioning Editor Amanda Stavri but would very much like to move forward with the show's actual title, My Dad, Your Mum. "It’s my fault that it got called Midlife Love Island - that’s what I called it in an email to Amanda. I’ve been trying to burn that name ever since!"

Davina McCall was the one to pitch the idea of a 'midlife Love Island' (Ash Knotek/REX/Shutterstock)

But the presenter doesn't want My Mum, Your Dad to be called that (Ash Knotek/REX/Shutterstock)

My Dad, Your Mum sees the contestants' kids play matchmaker and have the power to decide whether their parent leaves the country house retreat in West Sussex early if they have no success at finding love. The parents – who have been nominated by their children – include a widower, a pastoral support office, a postman and a singer.

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Speaking ahead of the show premiering on September 11 at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX, Davina says the lack of sex actually makes the format more interesting. "For me, personally speaking, I’d rather watch the hint of love, a hint of something coming, a should I, shouldn’t I, a moment of tenderness, something amazing. That’s so exciting but like… sha**ing?" Davina muses.

She continues: "It’s sort of like once you’ve seen… it doesn’t mean anything. This really f***** means something. When you see people falling (for each other) And you think ‘Oh my god’ and you know that this is serious. That’s what’s so lovely. But yes, there are moments where the kids have got cushions in front of their faces… but it could be over something quite small and intimate because they’ve never seen that in a date situation."

Davina also spoke about how the show is about the "baggage” that people who have lived longer bring to relationships. "What makes it interesting is, does my baggage suit your baggage, or does my baggage clash with your baggage and is our baggage terrible?," she said.

Zoe Delaney