Dating show ‘Hello Mr Right’ returns with new twist

StarTimes’ dating reality show, Hello Mr. Right, is returning for a fourth season with a renewed emphasis on compatibility, self-awareness, and the qualities that can sustain a relationship beyond physical attraction.

The new season, produced in partnership with MTN, held its audition at Hotsport Studio in Oregun, Lagos, on Saturday, and will feature a new hosting duo — Bukunmi Adeaga-Ilori, popularly known as KieKie, and Nelson Nwerem, also known as Prince.

At the centre of the new season is the “Golden Date 2.0” format, which challenges contestants to look beyond their preferred physical “spec” and consider personality, values, interests, and expectations.

For Yemi Ogundeji, Head of Original Content Production at StarTimes Nigeria, the focus highlights a broader question about modern relationships.

“People are very confused about what they want,” Ogundeji said. “While you are looking for the outward qualities, you are also supposed to be checking the inward qualities at the same time.”

The format initially allows contestants to select based on attraction, but they must then demonstrate how well they understand the person they are interested in.

“If you like me, I like you, I have your Mumu button, yes, you know more things about me,” Ogundeji explained. “We throw up like five questions, you get it all right. And that means it goes further.”

The changes were partly informed by the experience of previous seasons, Ogundeji said, where relationships formed on the show did not necessarily survive after the cameras stopped rolling.

“We found that we’ve done several of them, none of them were still together after one year,” he said. “So we want to make it more complex.”

StarTimes also plans to follow some couples after the programme to see whether relationships formed on television can survive outside the show.

How matchmaking works

Jide Ali, Series Director of Hello Mr. Right Nigeria Season 4, said the format gives both men and women a role in choosing their potential partners.

Each episode will feature 12 single women and three men. The men will introduce themselves and select the woman they find most attractive.

“He comes in, checks the ladies, you know, talks to one of them, which is your preferred lady, just based on physical appearance and all of that,” Ali explained.

The women then indicate their interest by switching on a light.

“If you like the guy, press the light on,” Ali said.

Those who receive interest proceed to a question-and-answer stage, where the women attempt to identify the man’s “Mumu button” — the qualities that attract him to a woman.

A successful match leads to a “Perfect Date”, while a woman who both attracts the man and correctly identifies his preferences can earn a “Golden Date”.

Ali said the programme is designed to combine entertainment with an opportunity for young Nigerians to form meaningful connections.

“It’s a platform to encourage young ones to mingle and also create bonds. And also, it’s content for the channel. So at the end of the day, everybody is happy,” he said.

‘We want people who are serious’

For judge Shine Begho, finding the right contestants is central to the show’s success.

The media executive, who previously hosted the second season, said the audition process must separate people genuinely looking for relationships from those simply seeking television exposure.

“We’re not looking for anyone who wants to come in and say, ‘Oh, you know what? I want to be on TV,” she said. “We need really serious people. Like, I don’t want to be single again. I want to meet someone. I want to vibe with someone.”

Begho said physical attraction should not be the only consideration when choosing a partner.

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“It’s way beyond physical attraction,” she said. “You might see a handsome guy, but within, he’s not that great.”

Another judge, Pelumi Buari, said contestants need to understand themselves before seeking compatible partners.

“You need to know yourself enough to know what you want or who you want,” Buari said. “I believe relationships should be about complementing each other, supporting each other, elevating each other.”

She also encouraged contestants to remain authentic throughout the process.

“Be you. Show us who you are,” she said. “Your yes is your yes, your no is your no.”

For Buari, the real test of the fourth season will not simply be the matches made on television, but whether genuine relationships emerge from them.

“We don’t need people to come and act in front of the camera because that tends to get boring,” she said. “We’re looking for the few diamonds in the rough that stand out for their authentic personality,” she concluded.