My Mum, Your Dad’s Maria reveals the actual purpose why marriage ended

My Mum, Your Dad viewers applauded Maria Lopiano on Tuesday night as she spoke openly about why her 16 year marriage ended. 

The events co-ordinator from Surrey and her daughter Livia, 19, are part of the cast for the second series of parents hoping to find love, with the help of their children.  

Tuesday’s show saw Maria, 51, reveal the bombshell moment her marriage ended after ‘feeling like a mate’ for the last five years of their union. 

She told the group: ‘I didn’t feel like a wife to someone, I felt like a mate.

‘And then it came out. He’s gay and living a lie really.’

Livia was surprised by her mum’s openness and spoke to the group about the affect it had on the family. 

She said: Three of my best friends know and that’s it. So that’s a big thing for me. Although I feel so bad for my mum and wish that had never happened to her, I also feel bad for my dad that he felt like he had to cover it from all his family and friends and no-one knew.

‘When I originally got told that my parents were splitting up, I was about 12. They told us in a coffee shop and I haven’t been back to that coffee shop since.

‘But a year later I found out that real reason.

‘I was never angry at my dad at all because I knew how much he had been through to get to this stage and how hard it was for him.’

Host Davina McCall was among those on X praising Maria for being so open with the group.

She wrote: ‘That took a lot for Maria to say that…. to let people in… Liv is so mature. These kids are such a credit to their parents’. 

Others said: ‘Not only are the parents talking through their life history, their kids are comforting each other about their traumas too’ and ‘I love Maria’. 

‘Love this programme. The kids seeing their parents find love/ get to know people is so wholesome’. 

‘That’s what they all needed. Davina knows what she’s doing!’.

Elsewhere on the show,  new dad property director and restaurant bar owner Chris, 47, entered the retreat and left the other dads feeling a bit ‘jealous’ as he went speed dating with all the mums. 

Chris from Kingston upon Hull admitted to enjoying the freedom of single life but now he’s starting to feel the loneliness that he’s never really felt before.

His daughter, Ava, 17, wants him to let his guard down, and let someone in as he said he would like to settle down with the right person, closer to his own age and thinks The Retreat is the perfect space to do that.

Speaking ahead of the show, he said: ‘I did watch the first series. We then saw it mentioned on TV and social media, my kids said that they were going to apply. I’ve been single since splitting with my kids’ mother so it was an opportunity to meet someone really and a different way of doing it.’

Chris met his ex wife and mother of his children when they were teenagers and they later separated at 40.

He continued: ‘I met my children’s mum when I was a teenager. We were together for a really long time and separated when I was 40 years old. My dating history has only been since then. I’ve not been in and out of relationships.

‘I think it’s a really important thing that your kids like the person you’re dating. It’s kids first however much I like that person or not, if they don’t get along with my kids it’s game over for me.’

My Mum, Your Dad launched in 2023, was touted to be the middle-aged version of Love Island.

The cast consists of Christian and his son Lucas; David, and his daughter Tiana; Maria and daughter Livia; Andy and daughter Issy; Davina, Clare and daughter Aimee; Vicky and daughter Angharad; Jenny and her son Malachi; and Danny and his son Ellis.

My Mum, Your Dad continues on Wednesday on ITV and ITVX at 9pm.