Davina McCall speaks out as My Mum, Your Dad faces contestant backlash

Davina McCall has spoken after the return of a previous My Mum, Your Dad contestant to the show.

The past hopeful called Paul is making a comeback on the ITV show alongside his daughter Mazey and has hinted that viewers can expect to see "more self-development" from him this time around. Hailing from Bath, Somerset, Paul became a firm favourite with fans during last year's season as he and single mum Natalie formed a couple. He confessed their bond was "very genuine", but conceded they're "two very different people", which ultimately led to the end of their romance. Now, he's returning to the dating fray.

And speaking of his comeback, host Davina took to social media to pen: "Wow… they are so sweet … D and Vicky …. Dicky ? No maybe not. great to see Paul back. @MyMumYourDadUK #mymumyourdad"

Having reflected on his time since the first season ended, Paul shared that he took "some time out" and relished in his solitude, which has helped him gain "a clearer idea" of his desires in a partner. Looking back at his journey on the inaugural season, he reminisced: "I didn't think I'd find a connection actually going on. The connection Nat and I had was a very genuine one."

Paul also opened up about personal growth, mentioning: "The experience taught me to open up a lot more about my feelings, whereas beforehand I tended to bury things. Being in an environment where people are all in the same situation, it makes the whole process of opening up very easy." However, his reappearance on the show has sparked mixed reactions among its audience.

Twitter/X lit up with reactions as the latest episode finally unveiled what many were waiting for. One user expressed their joy: "I loved the twist in tonight's new episode. great seeing Paul return #MyMumYourDad." Another voiced similar sentiments saying, "Really glad Paul is back from the last series #MyMumYourDad."

But there was also fume online, with one user blasting: "Why the hell have they brought Paul back, he had his chance. Sure theres loads of men who would have loved the chance #mymumyourdad." "Shocking having Paul back," ranted another. "Lazy from ITV. He met someone last year and had his chance. Plenty of other people must have applied."

When quizzed on why things didn't pan out with Natalie, Paul who runs his own decorating business mused: "I think we are just two very different people. When you're in the house it's very much a holiday environment, but when you come out you're back to reality with your jobs, and distance, it adds another layer. I'm so pleased we had the experience together as my time in the retreat in S1 wouldn't have been the same without her."

The 47-year-old star reflected on his early days in the first season of the series, admitting he felt like a fish out of water, especially reminiscing about how, during an initial rendezvous with Monique, he was speechless. He's optimistic though, as he gears up for the second season, sharing confidently: "Going in a second time, I felt more relaxed and able to be my confident self. The main thing I learnt was to be as open as possible."

On the subject of love, Paul disclosed: "I've met some really lovely people, but because I have felt love very deeply before, I don't want anything other than that feeling again and unfortunately I haven't yet found that. Now I've had that and experienced it once, I won't settle for anything else."

Mazey, Paul's 22 year old daughter and recent university grad, has expressed her eagerness to return to the series that she found "so much fun". She shared how thrilled she was to witness her father's personal growth on air, commenting that it was great "nice to see dad grow within himself" and reassuringly said that he managed "he was able to pick up where he left off."

Mazey feels her father places "a lot of trust" in her for the show's follow-up season and reckons receiving advice from his progeny is "more meaningful" than consulting a dating guru. She hasn't kept these helpful hints to herself either. She's already imparted wisdom for his second stint, encouraging him: "I said to be more open to everything - meeting people, activities and the workshops. I wanted him to dig deep." Mazey's advice aims to make her dad "more emotionally available and work out in his head exactly what he wants."

Reflecting on her debut run, Mazey quipped she "just got to spy on dad", but this time, she teases "a few surprises" in store that "made all the difference." Mazey also touched upon the bond she formed with her peers on the show, describing how they "all got really close straight away."

Despite joining as a later entry this season, and feeling a tad nervous about blending into the mix, Mazey's experience was overwhelmingly positive, exclaiming: "I was quite scared this time coming in as a later arrival walking into a new group! But everyone was so nice and we all got on so well. I was so lucky with both series of the show, it was so much fun."

The reality programme trails a bunch of single parents, nominated by their own kids for another shot at romance. These parents cohabit in a rural retreat with the aim of discovering genuine love - and while they're getting to know each other, their children are keeping an eye on every action from a close-by spot.

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