Date My Family Kenya is hilarious, cringe-worthy and yes, the family “does go there”

Nairobi can be a tough dating scene. In fact, there’s a running joke that in Nairobi, everybody dates everybody, and that’s to put it lightly. But wild as it may be, it doesn’t mean we give up trying to find “the one”. And what better way to do it than really put yourself out there. 

Enter Date My Family, a new reality show from Maisha Magic Plus, that gives hopeful singles a chance at love by connecting them with three potential dates around the city. But before they lay their eyes on their potential dates, the singletons have to meet their families first. After which they get to take their pick depending on whether they were impressed by the family or not. Imagine that, the only thing standing between you and finding love is your family. But can they deliver?

Real people looking for real love

Adapted from the South African format of the same name, Date My Family Kenya is produced by five-time Video Producer of the Year (Groove Awards) and BMF member Sammy Dee through his production company Trued Pictures. 

“I love reality TV shows and as a content creator, having an opportunity to bring such a franchise to life is a blessing,” says Sammy Dee. According to him, getting real people looking for real love was easy, the hardest part was getting them to tag their families along.

Having produced music videos for top musicians in Kenya like King Kaka, Nameless, Size 8, Timmy TDat, Daddy Owen, Amani and Wahu, Sammy Dee is considered one of the best in the industry. And Date My Family, different as it may be, is a new frontier he is happy to explore.

Watch a snippet from this episode…

“Music videos have taught me versatility; to produce more than a hundred music videos for A-list musicians in East Africa and making them all different, now that is a challenge. Date My Family, however, is a format show and no matter how creative you might be, you have to stick to the format. This is a new form of discipline and I love it,” he says.

Like many reality shows, Date My Family has moments that will leave you in stitches like when a rejected date accuses her friend of grilling her suitor because she wanted him for herself. But it also has moments that will have you shaking your head and cringing on behalf of the entire human race. 

Cat fights and killer chicken! (You read that correctly)

If you thought that there wasn’t any family out there more embarrassing than yours, prepare to be shocked because Date My Family will show you why you must never allow your family near your date, especially if you haven’t met them yet and are trying to make a good impression. In this show, your family can make or break you. And while some maintain their cool through the whole experience, others just need to sit there and eat their food.

More reality shows to bingewatch

For instance, in one episode a family member asks a date for his phone to check his messages just to prove he’s a faithful guy. And that’s not even the craziest part. Imagine being prodded by strangers to reveal your sex life and body count. C’mon family, leave some details for the actual date.

Date My Family Kenya is now streaming on Showmax.