WhatsNew2Day – Latest News And Breaking Headlines
Viewers are divided over the middle-aged ‘Love Island’ widowed Silver Fox star, My Mum, Your Dad, who has started dating again 18 months after his wife’s death
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
It’s an age-old dilemma: When is it too early to start dating after being widowed?
The unlikely star of My Mum, Your Dad – called Love Island for middle-aged people – is 58-year-old postman Roger Hawes, who is worried about demand.
Mr Hawes lost his wife Joanne 18 months ago after a short battle with cancer.
Just over a year later, he was nominated by his eldest daughter Jess to appear in the new ITV series – a decision that divided the nation after the first episode.
The dating show, which airs for ten nights, sees single parents in their 40s and 50s trying to find new love, with the added bonus of their young adult children secretly watching every encounter.
Jess told viewers that she and her two siblings signed up their father as “our way of saying it’s okay for you to leave your mother.”
The unlikely star of My Mum, Your Dad – called Love Island for middle-aged people – is 58-year-old postman Roger Hawes
During Roger and Caroline’s date, Roger, 58, opens up about the loss of his late wife
That didn’t seem to resonate with Gen Z viewers – who were aged 13 to 26 – who scolded him for moving on so quickly, saying he “needed time to heal.”
But many of the show’s older viewers praised Mr Hawes for taking part in the show, labeling him as ‘fit’.
X, formerly known as Twitter, was flooded with users clamoring to date the ‘silver fox’ from Derbyshire, who fans say resembles a ‘posh Paul Hollywood’. One viewer wrote: ‘Let’s face it, we’re all a little in love with Roger.’ Another said they were ‘in love’ because of him, while someone else simply wrote: ‘I want to date Roger.’
In contrast, TikTok users – mostly Generation Z – said they felt it was too early for the postman to start looking for a new partner.
One slammed his decision, saying: “So far it’s definitely too early for this guy. He needs to find himself first before he looks for a relationship.” Another said: ‘Why is he here, it’s a waste of space.’
Viewers were first divided over how appropriate it was for Mr Hawes to take part in the show when he was picked by Caroline, a technical consultant from Scotland, for what would be an emotional first date. As they drank champagne on sun loungers in the mansion’s garden, he revealed it was his first date in 40 years after his wife, Joanne, died 18 months earlier.
Caroline was moved to tears as Roger told how Joanne was shockingly diagnosed with melanoma cancer, which spread to her brain at the age of 52.
X, formerly known as Twitter, was flooded with users clamoring to date the ‘silver fox’ from Derbyshire, who fans say resembles a ‘posh Paul Hollywood’
She died shortly afterwards, when she took a nap on the couch and never woke up. In an interview yesterday, Mr Hawes was asked if he was ready for a date when he came on the show.
He told ITV’s Lorraine programme: ‘I kind of knew I wasn’t ready. I loved it (the show) and I think I’m getting a little better as it goes on. It was hard, but it wasn’t something I wanted to pass up.”
The first episode on Monday night showed eight single parents, aged between 48 and 60, arriving at the West Sussex country house, dropped off by their adult children who had nominated them.
After an introductory drink on the lawn, the parents are told by host Davina McCall that they will immediately go on their first date – which made Mr Hawes uncomfortable.
Despite being highly anticipated, My Mum, Your Dad struggled to attract even half the number of viewers that Love Island attracted in its heyday. Monday night’s show peaked at 1.7 million and averaged 1.5 million.