Roger steals the show on My Mum, Your Dad: Man leaves viewers in tears
Roger steals the show on My Mum, Your Dad: ‘Silver fox’ leaves viewers in tears as he shares heartbreaking account of how he lost his wife to cancer just 18 months ago
- The ITV series follows a group of middle aged single parents looking for love
- READ MORE: Davina McCall, 55, says you don’t have to give up on sex as you age
Viewers of ITV’s My Mum, Your Dad were last night reduced to tears when one contestant opened up about the devastating loss of his beloved wife.
The series, which premiered last night and is billed as a ‘middle aged Love Island’, follows a group of middle aged single parents as they head to a romance retreat on a quest to find love again.
But one contestant, widower Roger, left viewers emotional as many said he was not ready for love after the death of his wife 18 months ago.
The first episode featured a date between the widower, 58, and single mother Caroline, which came after the women chose which man they wanted to go on a first date with.
During the date Roger, a postman, opened up about the death of his beloved wife and mother of their three children, Joanne, who passed away aged 52.
Caroline was reduced to tears after Roger revealed his wife went to sleep on the sofa and never woke up after dying from cancer.
Heartbroken: One contestant, widower Roger (pictured), left viewers emotional as many said he was not ready for love after the death of his wife 18 months ago
Emotional: Roger opened up about the death of his beloved spouse and mother of his three children
Tragedy: Roger married late wife Joanne (pictured), a critical care nurse, in 1992, but his partner died aged 52
Sympathy: Caroline (pictured) was reduced to tears after Roger revealed his wife went to sleep on the sofa and never woke up
Support: Viewers of Your Mum, My Dad have taken to Twitter to share their love for star of the show Roger, who lost his wife to cancer 18 months ago
One fan of the show on Twitter wrote: ‘It’s only episode one and I already want nothing but the world for Roger, GIVE THAT MAN A HUG. #MyMumYourDad.’
Another wrote: ‘Aw Roger… What a true gent, big heart and the nation loves you. I think we all want to jump through the telly and give him a squeeze.’
Others thought Roger was not ready to move on after he was left overwhelmed at the end of the episode.
One viewer tweeted: ‘Poor Roger and family. His daughter said this is a way of giving him permission to meet someone. It’s not permission he needs it’s time he is not ready.’
‘He’s not ready,’ wrote another concerned fan.
Unbeknownst to contestants, their adventure is overseen by their adult children who are looking for their parents to find a partner.
The show’s emergence comes as its presenter, 55-year-old Davina McCall, insisted that you don’t have to ‘give up on intimacy and sex’ as you age.
Presenter: Davina McCall, 55, (pictured) insisted that you don’t have to ‘give up on intimacy and sex’ as you age
Review: Viewers of the show took to social media to both slam and spread love for the programme after its first episode
Roger himself admitted he was not ready to date when he first joined the show.
The postman was nominated to appear on the dating programme by his daughter Jess, who also features as he bids to find love alongside seven other mature singles.
During an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday, Roger said: ‘I knew I wasn’t [ready]. I loved it and think I get slightly better as it goes on. It was difficult but it wasn’t something I couldn’t pass up.’
While speaking about his late wife, he explained she wanted him to find someone new: ‘She was perfect. to send a message and she’s still controlling me… it didn’t surprise me hearing what she said.’
Speaking on his first date in 40-years, he told the host: ‘I think I was very lucky it was Caroline, she nursed me through it as I was very nervous.’
READ MORE: My Mum, Your Dad star Roger Hawes admits he wasn’t ready to date when he first joined the show after losing his wife to cancer: ‘It was difficult’
Other viewers of the show took to social media to slam and spread love for the programme after its first episode.
One person wrote on Twitter: ‘A toe curling cringe fest!! I’d much rather watch paint dry.’
Another said: ‘My Mum, Your Dad? Who comes up with this rubbish?’
A third penned: ‘My Mum, Your Dad’ more absolute mind numbing drivel, lasted 5 minutes.’
A fourth said: ‘ITV are really scraping the barrel with ‘My Mum Your Dad’. Never have we seen such rubbish.’
But while some were disappointed by the show, others are eagerly awaiting the second episode.
One viewer wrote on Twitter: ‘My Mum, Your Dad! Loving it already. Wish my kids were old enough to apply for me. #singleparent #MyMumYourDad #love #dating.’
Another said: My Mum, Your Dad…is like Love Island for old people.’
A third tweeted: ‘Already obsessed with My Mum, Your Dad.’
Dubbed ‘Love Island for old people’, parents will keep undergoing dates and bonding workshops while unknowingly being watched by their children from an out-house with ‘pillows over their faces’ in embarrassment.
The singletons will believe they are being matched up by relationship experts, when in reality, Davina has shocked their children by roping them in to help with the dates.
Single: The show, dubbed ‘Love Island for old people’, follows a group of middle-aged single parents as they head to a romance retreat on a quest to find love again. Pictured: Parents Paul and Monique
Davina admitted there were moments in filming where the adult kids were hiding behind cushions from embarrassment, but insisted there will be no sex scenes shown on TV.
She explained: ‘There are no cameras in the bedrooms, I think it’s important to point out that it is different in that way.
‘For me personally speaking, I’d rather watch the hint of love, the hint of something coming, should I shouldn’t I, a moment of tenderness – that’s so exciting – but jumping into bed with each other sh***ing, once you’ve seen it once, it doesn’t mean anything.
READ MORE: My Mum, Your Dad FIRST LOOK: Paul and Monique go on an awkward date as the parents begin their search for love – and one already has his eye on Davina McCall!
‘This really f***ing means something, when you see people falling, you know this is serious. That’s so lovely.
‘But yes, there are moments where the kids have got cushions over their faces. They’ve never seen their parents in a date situation.’
The show’s appearance comes as its presenter Davina insisted that you don’t have to ‘give up on intimacy and sex’ as you age.
She reflected on passion in later in life saying that once kids have flown the nest it can be the perfect time for things to be reignited.
She told The Sun: ‘What I like about the show is it’s a nice reminder to society that you don’t give up on intimacy and sex when you’re in your forties, fifties and sixties.
‘Actually, they could be the sexiest time of your life, when the baggage of kids is gone, they’ve all flown the nest, and you can actually go for it again!
‘With kids it’s like, ‘Shh. Oh my Gosh, they could walk in at any moment’.
‘So when you do have time to yourself and they are around less, that is an amazing time to try to rekindle something.’
Davina herself knows all too well about finding love again when that little bit older.
In 2017, she announced her separation from Matthew Robertson, her husband of 17 years who she shares three children with Holly, 21, Tilly, 19, and 16-year-old Chester.
Two years later she went public with her romance with hairdresser Michael Douglas, 48, who she is still happily dating.
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