Hello! Nice to meet you! Do you have any heart problems? A genetic disposition to tooth decay? Any criminal record? Good sperm count? Excellent. Shall we have a baby?
I mean, it’s all a bit bonkers, isn’t it? Strangers Making Babies on C4 on Tuesday was possibly a reality show too far, as single people hunted for the perfect co-parent.
“It’s a baby-making revolution!” said the narrator as we were introduced to a scheme to connect people who want to become mums and dads without worrying about finding love.
The unconventional trend is apparently growing, but how do you find a strictly platonic spark with someone to raise a child together? With difficulty, it seems.
“The whole point is to do this without romantic feelings… although I might dress up a little bit!” giggled 34-year-old nanny Venicia.
Her first “date” Nigel, 47, even ironed a shirt and put on aftershave.
“The difference between a date and meeting a potential co-parent? Not a lot,” he said.
In the episode, two women each got to date three potential “fathers to their unborn children” – all expertly chosen by fertility specialist Dr Marie Wren and matchmaker Gillian McCallum.
It’s like First Dates, only way more intense and scary baby talk is totally fine.
Nigel decided not to mention his “slow swimmers” on date one – although this would seem like pertinent information.
Venicia also met 39-year-old Vik, who seemed terrified, and 50-year-old Jean-Paul, who said he liked the idea of platonic co-parenting because “romance makes people lose their minds”, then immediately started flirting.
Elsewhere, 38-year-old Sarah explained that she is ready to have a child, but is just missing one thing.
“Trying to find a co-parent can be a little bit like shoe shopping, because you end up looking for the shiniest of all of the options,” she said.
Her shiny options included 39-year-old Ian, who impressed Sarah until he mentioned his cat allergy.
Chris, 47, made her anxious when he said he’d want 50/50 custody of their child.
And 40-year-old Chris seemed to be the frontrunner, but she doesn’t yet know about his heart condition.
They’ve all had drinks. Next they’ll meet family then spend a weekend together.
Should strangers be making babies together? I’d argue that there’s not an awful lot strangers should do together.
Or is this a brave new world where expert help means single people can become parents without having to go it alone?
Either way, this is a bold bunch of people. Here’s hoping the future is bright – and fertile – for all of them.
