'I made my best friend in prison' - My Mum, Your Dad's Natalie on 'scary' life before fame

Sharon Benson has shared some photos as she reunited with her My Mum, Your Dad co-stars for a night out amid a difficult few weeks. Posting the photos to Instagram, Sharon added the caption: "After an incredibly difficult time over the last few weeks it was so lovely meeting up with this crazy bunch @mymumyourdaduk @itv #friends" The TV star has had rather difficult few weeks following the death of her mother in September.

My Mum, Your Dad star Mazey Edwards has opened up about what it was like to help her dad Paul find love on the ITV show and has joked that she’s now his “life coach” after providing him with relationship advice. While on the show, Mazey’s dad Paul found a connection with fellow contestant Natalie Russell, though the pair sadly split after discovering that their paths just “didn't align in the real world”. Although Paul may not have found lasting love, Mazey has spoken to OK! about how being on the show helped strengthen the relationship she has with her dad.

My Mum, Your Dad’s Martin M has spoken about his upset after his antics on the show led to him being labelled a ‘bad father’ to son Luke. The Ibiza-based property millionaire, 53, found himself in a love triangle on ITV dating show - which was billed as Love Island for single parents. But despite having both Tollulah and Monique vying for his affections, Martin ultimately left the retreat single.

My Mum, Your Dad star Mazey Edwards has opened up about the “confusing” relationship rumours surrounding her friendship with fellow contestant Zach Davidson. During her time on the ITV show Mazey helped her dad Paul attempt to find love, though her own love life came into the spotlight after she and Zach were seen cosying up together. However, during an interview with OK!, Mazey has addressed the rumours and has admitted that she and Zach were left “confused” when people at home began speculating about their relationship.

My Mum, Your Dad star Natalie Russell, 44, was one of the last couples standing on the show, finding a true connection with fellow contestant, Paul Edwards, 47. Yet according to Natalie, in the wake of their shock split their paths just "didn't align in the real world." "I try not to put expectations on anything because I think quite often we might end up disappointed. It was all definitely better than I had imagined in my mind," she told OK! exclusively.

ITV dating series My Mum, Your Dad may have come to an end but the incredible relationships formed on the show have not.The show, which had been dubbed a "midlife Love Island", was fronted by Davina McCall, and aimed to connect single parents together in the hope of finding love - all while under the watchful eye of their grown up children. While not all of the romances worked out, many of the cast members are still making time for each other in their personal lives, declaring they have made ‘friends for life’.

Father of two and My Mum, Your Dad star Elliot Davidson has already had enough of the famous life and has headed back to his normal 9-5 job.The hunky contestant from the hit ITV show, hosted by Davina McCall, might have found love with Sharon Benson and created a large fan base following but it's back to normality now as he returns to his job as a PE teacher. During a joint Q&A with his son on Instagram, he was asked by a fan: "What are you both doing now?" Elliot answered that he has "just gone back to work, so I'm doing that." Elliot son, Zach who fans will also know from appearing on the reality show, told fans that he has started preparing to begin his final year of university in London.

Finding love as a single parent isn’t always easy, as viewers will have discovered while tuning into runaway dating show hit My Mum, Your Dad earlier this month. In a welcome change from the usual dating shows inundating our screens, the ITV series captured the hearts of viewers when it helped several single parents to find love again.

My Mum, Your Dad was a smash hit on ITV this autumn but final star Natalie Russell revealed prior to her stint on the show that she has had a very troubled past.The 44 year old from Bournemouth spoke openly and honestly during a vulnerable chat on podcast series Little Girls Aren't Taught This about her childhood trauma, substance abuse issues, prison time and experiences in both rehab and on a psych hospital ward. In Natalie's episode Deep Healing Using The Power of Self Love with Natalie Russell, the reality star, who is also a qualified self-esteem and relationship coach, opened up about her self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

One of the couples from My Mum, Your Dad have already split after the show came to an end last week. Natalie Russell and Paul Edwards coupled up on the new dating series and seemed to really hit it off, but the pair haven’t managed to go the distance.

The popular ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad contestant Natalie Russell, 44, has spoken out about her time in prison and the hard life she lived prior to her appearance on the show. The brunette, who left the show in a couple with fellow contestant Paul Edwards, 47 and had been single for six years before the show, revealed in an honest Little Girls Aren't Taught This podcast chat that she "had a lot of trauma as a child." She said: "There was sexual abuse in teenage years, there was rape, a broken home, I ran away from home and I ended up abusing substances which led to prison and psychiatric hospital, suicide attempts – just utter chaos." The single mum, who was put forward for the show by her 20 year old son Kaliel so she could 'find someone and be happy', is now a self-esteem and relationship coach but prior to finding fame on the ITV show hosted by Davina McCall, she battled substance abuse, followed by time in rehab facilities and a brief spell in a psychiatric hospital.

My Mum Your Dad stars Sharon Benson and Elliot Davidson have revealed that their relationship is still going strong, following the final of the hit ITV show. The show, which had been dubbed a "midlife Love Island", was fronted by Davina McCall, and aimed to connect single parents together in the hope of finding love - all while under the watchful eye of their grown up children.

Monique Payneeandy from My Mum, Your Dad has been forced to deny that she is in a relationship with her co-star following some love triangle drama on the show. Taking to her Instagram, the 50 year old shared a picture with Clayton Byfield and wrote: “@claytonbyfield you are another rib in my cage,” before adding three laughing emojis. Fans took to her comments with both compliments and confusion, as the pair hadn’t been paired together in the series.

My Mum, Your Dad fans have praised the children of the parents who were contestants on the first series of the ITV show. Posting a picture of the adults, including Martin H’s daughter Jess H and Monique’s daughter Taiya who nominated their parents to take part, the show’s Instagram penned: “What an incredible group of kids.” Taking to the comments, fans gushed about the “emotionally intelligent” children.

Fans of ITV's My Mum, Your Dad have been left 'blown away' by the show, as they have pleaded with ITV bosses for a Christmas reunion.The programme saw a number of middle-aged parents go into a sprawling mansion for two weeks in an attempt to find love. They were directed by 'relationship experts', but little did they know, these so-called experts were actually their children (aged around their twenties), who watched their every move on TV screens from an adjacent house. After the show ended, host Davina McCall took to Instagram to share a video of the 'kids' on the sofa that they occupied for two weeks.The bond between them all was clear to see, while Davina could be seen saying: "I feel quite emosh because this is the last time I am with these guys and I was saying earlier 'I feel a bit parental, like a mum towards you all'." She then asked them if they are going to miss each other, and they all chimed in saying: "Yes, so much," before agreeing that they would stay in touch.

Roger Hawes has called ITV show My Mum, Your Dad "free therapy" following the tragic death of his wife Joanna 18 months ago.The 58 year old postman, who appeared on the new dating show along with his daughter Jess, 29, lost his beloved wife of 34 years last year to cancer and despite being reluctant to start dating again, agreed to appear on the ITV show. He's now opened up about his time on My Mum, Your Dad, admitting he "struggled" at the start of the process as he knew he was there for "different reasons" to all of the other single parents. "At the start I had struggled because I knew that I was in there for different reasons than everyone else.

My Mum, Your Dad had viewers hooked from the very start and fans have been eager to find out which couples are still together after the final episode of the ITV dating show aired. Following Martin H and Tolullah's exit from the show, the final four couples were Paul and Natalie, Roger and Janey, Elliott and Sharon and Martin M and Monique. They enjoyed one final date, with Martin and Monique ultimately deciding to remain just friends, while the other three couples appeared to be happy to continue their romantic journeys together.

He found himself embroiled in a love triangle and was accused of game playing by TV viewers while starring on My Mum, Your Dad, but Martin Makepeace says he is "really enjoying" his divisive newfound fame. Property mogul and millionaire Martin, 53, was one of the single parents looking for love on the new ITV show, dubbed 'middle-aged Love Island', and he proved to be a hit with the ladies, with both Tollulah and Monique vying for his affections. A love triangle soon formed, with viewers being left unimpressed with Martin's behaviour and branding him "cocky" and a "game player".

My Mum, Your Dad star Natalie Russell has given an update after announcing her shock split from Paul Edwards, who she met on the hit ITV show. On Saturday, September 23, Natalie took to Instagram to announce that she and Paul had gone their separate ways, after having one of the strongest connections on the programme. She posted an image of herself from the show, where she said: "Obviously in the real world, it's not like this." A second snap saw her and Paul standing with Elliot and Sharon, who were another strong couple in the retreat.

My Mum, Your Dad star Roger Hawes captured the hearts of viewers, when he revealed how his wife Joanna passed away from cancer 18 months ago.The 59 year old from Derbyshire told the whole tragic story, saying she went to sleep one night and never woke up again.Then fans were enthralled as they watched the father's first attempt at dating in 34 years, with him getting to know gorgeous blond Janey Smith during the course of the two week series. Now Roger has revealed how he's overcome his grief and is still dating Janey, four months after filming on the show, hosted by Davina McCall, ended.