Picture this: it is Valentine’s Day, you have dressed up for a romantic date — and then his mother turns up too, in climbing gear. That is not a hypothetical on I Love a Mama’s Boy. That is literally what happened to Emily Chu, and it is only the start of this show’s long history of dates ruined by Mom.
Four seasons in, one pattern never changes: no date on this show is ever really for two people. There is always a third chair at the table, and it usually belongs to the mother. With TLC still silent on Season 5, according to reports, we ranked the five date crashes fans still cannot get over — from awkward to relationship-ending.
5. Jason and Annette’s “Date” — the Couples Massage That Wasn’t for the Couple
Jason McClay once shared one of the most intimate date activities imaginable — a couples massage — not with his fiancée Justina, but with his mother Annette. Jason admitted, “My mom and I love getting massages as our alone time.” Annette went further, calling their outings dates outright: “When Jason and I go on a date together, it’s a great way for me to spoil him.” Jason did eventually put Justina first, which is why this ranks lowest — but imagine explaining that massage to your fiancée.
4. Kelly Crashes Matt and Kim’s Romantic Dinner
Season 1, episode 4 — “Mother-Son Tango” — says it all in the episode guide: “Kelly intrudes on a romantic dinner between Matt and Kim.” Matt McAdams and Kimberly Cobb were trying to have a romantic evening. Kelly McAdams had other plans. She did not need an invitation, because in her mind she was never really an outsider: Matt and Kim lived in Kelly’s house and dated on Kelly’s terms. A romantic dinner with Mom hovering nearby was not an exception. It was the relationship.
3. Laila’s Valentine’s Rock-Climbing Threesome
The worst Valentine’s Day date in the show’s history belongs to Shekeb Sekander and Emily Chu. Shekeb did not get Emily a Valentine’s gift — despite knowing gifts were her love language — and instead planned an indoor rock-climbing outing with his mother. Laila, who never hid her dislike of Emily, spent the day making petty comments, and when Shekeb asked for private time with Emily for dinner, Laila simply said no.
Emily had hoped for one romantic day alone with her boyfriend. Instead she got a threesome on a climbing wall and a mother-in-law who refused to leave the couple alone for dinner. If a date can be crashed before it even starts, this was it.
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Some date crashes happen in person. This one happened by phone — and it might be the most telling moment of Shekeb and Emily’s entire relationship. Mid-date, Shekeb got a call from Laila, who said she had injured her leg and was in pain. Shekeb cancelled dinner and rushed to his mother’s side, leaving Emily alone at the table. Recaps at the time noted the obvious: Laila was probably fine, but Emily was the one who got hurt. In that moment Emily learned the rule that would define three seasons — whenever Mom calls, the date is over.
1. The Honeymoon Jacuzzi Crash
Nothing tops this one, because nothing should be more off-limits than a honeymoon. Bryan and Tracy had finally married after years together and escaped to Hawaii — only for Bryan’s mother Jayne to come along. Jayne had initially agreed to babysit the grandchildren. Instead, as the newlyweds settled into the jacuzzi, Jayne suddenly barged in and joined them. Tracy had finally had enough: she got out of the tub and confronted her mother-in-law on the spot. A honeymoon is supposed to be the one trip with no third wheel. On I Love a Mama’s Boy, even the honeymoon comes with Mom in the water.
So here is the question that splits the fandom every single time: which of these dates would make YOU walk out — the Valentine’s threesome, the abandoned dinner, the crashed romantic meal, or the honeymoon jacuzzi? Tell us in the comments.
Sources
- ScreenRant — “TLC: 10 Cringiest Reveals In The Premiere Of ‘I Love A Mama’s Boy'”: https://screenrant.com/tlc-i-love-a-mamas-boy-cringiest-moments/
- The List — “Moments From I Love A Mama’s Boy That Were Downright Cringey”: https://www.thelist.com/1370947/i-love-a-mamas-boy-cringey-moments/
- Celeb Dirty Laundry — “I Love a Mama’s Boy Recap 11/01/20: Season 1 Episode 2 ‘You’re Not Invited'”: https://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2020/i-love-a-mamas-boy-recap-11-01-20-season-1-episode-2-youre-not-invited/amp/
- TheTVDB — “I Love a Mama’s Boy – Aired Order – All Seasons”: https://thetvdb.com/series/i-love-a-mamas-boy/allseasons/official
