We’re the only couple to last from My Mum, Your Dad and haven’t ruled out wedding – we had enough of wanting to cry
A HOME-COOKED meal and a bottle of wine in front of the telly is all that they have planned.
But when Roger Hawes and Janey Smith celebrate Valentine’s Day this week, it will be one of the most special either has had.
They thought love was lost to them until they met on ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad last summer, and sparks flew.
Nine months on from filming, singer-songwriter Janey and former postie Roger are the only couple still together.
Things are so serious that show host Davina McCall might need to buy a hat soon, the smitten pair admit.
Janey, 48, says: “We get asked all the time if we’re going to get married. I’ve never been married and have always wanted to.
“But everything has to be right and I don’t want Roger to think I’m pressuring him.”
Widower Roger, 59, agrees: “It’s a romantic thing to get everyone together and have that perfect day. I think I’ve found a special person. She’s lovely.”
He adds: “My wife would be happy for me. She could’ve been friends with Janey.”
Billed as Love Island for the middle-aged, My Mum, Your Dad was a surprise hit when it aired in September.
A group of 12 unlucky-in-love parents were placed in a luxury house for two weeks to see if romance could blossom.
Each contestant had been nominated by one of their grown-up children who, unbeknown to them, were watching the action unfold in a second house nearby.
During the ten-part series, Roger’s story particularly touched viewers.
The father of three had been widowed 18 months earlier when his wife of 31 years, Joanne, died of cancer.
His daughter Jess, 29, applied for him to be in the show as she and her sister Alex, 27, and their brother Ben, 23, wanted him to know he had their permission to find love again.
Roger says: “I never expected to come out of it with another life partner.
“It’s the craziest story, like something from a film. I’m just so pleased — I have a smug grin all the time.”
For Janey, lasting love had seemed out of reach after years as a single mum to Will, now 20.
“I’d been on the dating apps on and off for a while,” she says. “It’s hard work and you have to put the time in.
I’ve never been married and have always wanted to
Janey
“As a single mum, I’d only have every other Saturday night free.
“Going on the show felt extreme and I’d told myself, ‘If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what will’.”
As the show filmed last May but did not air until September, the pair had time to ensure their feelings were genuine in private before the public knew their story.
Roger says: “We had breakfast together the morning after filming ended and went our separate ways. As we drove away, it crossed both of our minds if this was the real thing.”
Janey adds: “I found it unnerving because we’d come out of this bubble and I thought Roger might go home and realise he wasn’t ready for this.
“But hours later, we were talking on FaceTime and it felt very natural.”
They began meeting up at Janey’s home in Crawley, West Sussex, or at Roger’s in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Janey recalls: “We had to keep it low-key initially, but we had the best four months, having a normal relationship and travelling back and forth to see each other.
“We knew there could be interest after it aired but we promised to look after one another.”
Roger jokes: “We just hoped the show would be liked and we wouldn’t sink Davina’s career.”
Public enthusiasm for the pair has sparked countless “pinch me” moments in the past few months, with Roger quitting his postie job to enjoy the ride.
They are now travel correspondents for This Morning, reporting from Switzerland and Barbados already, and have modelled for fashion brand JD Williams. Janey has also posed for Ann Summers lingerie.
While most people applauded her good fortune — and her fantastic 5ft 10in figure — there have been trolls keen to take her down.
Happy memories
She reveals: “The show had a mostly female audience and I find a lot of people root for Roger and I get the crap. Trolls will actively seek me out on social media to say nasty things.
“They send messages saying, ‘Your son must be proud of you (not!)’, and sometimes I’ll just get comments saying, ‘Who do you think you are?’.
“I’ve also been told to keep our relationship private or keep my clothes on.
“Because I’ve sung all my life and performed on stage, I’m confident — but I have my insecurities, like everybody.
“I have to keep telling myself, ‘It’s my life, not theirs’.”
Roger has also been on the receiving end of sick jibes. He says: “They know nothing about you but will go out of their way to say something horrible.
“It’s hard not to bite back, especially when it’s about your family, your late wife or your partner.
“There are people who think 19 months after losing your partner is too soon to start dating again — and they tell you that.
“It is upsetting. Do they want me to go back to spending every day sitting in a dark room?
“But I’d had enough of waking up and wanting to cry. The first year after she died was just horrific and I don’t know what I would have done without my family.
“Now I’m looking forward to making lots more happy memories.”
While younger reality show couples often seem to prioritise fame over their relationship, it’s clear that for Roger and Janey these opportunities are simply a bonus to finding a soulmate.
The two have barely spent a day apart since meeting, dividing their time between their homes, with Janey enjoying having a partner to cook her favourite fish dishes for, while Roger takes charge of cleaning.
He says: “It took me a couple of months to turn her on to Yorkshire tea and I’ve been building up my chilli tolerance. She puts it on everything, even her breakfast.”
It’s the little things that mean the most
Janey
The ease with which the couple rub along is clear from their constant teasing during our exclusive photoshoot.
Roger makes cheeky jokes about Janey’s toilet habits in between complimenting her beauty, while she reveals he brings her tea in bed every day.
She says: “He’s very caring and considerate, he wears his heart on his sleeve. It’s the little things that mean the most.”
Moving in together full-time is on the cards, but it is complicated as they each have elderly parents to care for — although the in-laws are firm fans of the pairing.
Tearing up, Janey says: “It makes me emotional to think William is 20 and I’ve never lived with someone.
“All my parents have ever wanted is for me to meet someone and be happy.”
And it’s clear they too have taken a shine to Roger. He says: “Her parents will take us out for dinner and her mum always takes my side over Janey.
“My mum loves seeing Janey. I turned up once without her and she started quizzing me about it.
“We even get questions if I post a picture alone on social media. People panic — but Janey’s just taking the photo.”
Out and about, the two are regularly approached by strangers thrilled to see them still going strong.
On a recent weekend visiting law student Will at university in Cardiff, one fan tracked them down in a bar after they posted a snap on Instagram — and offered them tickets to a Six Nations match.
Janey says: “People are genuinely pleased for us and just as surprised as us that it worked out. I think they find it refreshing to see people of an older generation have another go at things.
“We’re both young at heart — you don’t have to give up on romance because your kids are grown up.”
Their children’s blessing has greased the wheels of the union, with the two families spending Boxing Day together.
‘Life is fleeting’
Roger says: “I could see some people were initially apprehensive about me meeting somebody new, but my family could see how happy I was. Once they met Janey, they could see why I loved her.”
Janey admits blending their broods was especially daunting for her.
“We’re quite small and low maintenance, whereas Roger’s family are much bigger,” she says. “Will’s never had a sibling, but Roger has three kids and they have partners.”
Roger adds: “My kids love Will as much as Janey. Ben took him fishing and out into Chesterfield.
“We’re all going away as a big group at Easter.”
Given their clear chemistry and easy-going nature, the future seems rosy for the good-humoured couple, who still can’t believe how their lives have changed in 12 months.
Roger says: “It sounds corny but losing someone teaches you that life and love is fleeting.
“I have a second chance at love with Janey and I’m going to love her.”