Jason Manford plays the big kid hosting this new ITV game show, which combines Channel 4’s the Secret Life of 5 Year Olds with just about any basic TV game show. The show is structured in rounds in which three sets of parents are challenged to predict what their child will do when placed in different scenarios, ranging from resisting coercion from a robot, to tests of bravery trying unusual foods.

There is something inherently endearing and hilarious about young children, and at times it was hard to distinguish who the real comedian was. To get an idea of the humour potential arising from a 5-year-old, one of the boys dubs Brexit ‘breakfast that you sit on’. Another hugely entertaining part to the show, is seeing the parent’s envisaged halo above their child’s head slowly disintegrate before their eyes, as they watch them agonisingly grapple with temptation. On the contrary, watching the parents as surprised as we are that their child actually didn’t fib, or knew what a mangle was for is incredibly impressive.

The emphasis is not on the morality of the children’s behaviour (as it arguably shouldn’t be at 5 years of age), but on how well the parents really know their offspring. And though it really is all fun and games, there is some basic child development psychology integrated by Manford throughout. The programme has good pace, and just when I was naively sensing a slippage into the realms of predictability, there were new challenges and a total turnaround in the points awarded to each parent.

An all-round feel-good watch that I’m confident will have you chuckling, What Would Your Kids Do? It is great to flick onto for a lazy Tuesday evening. The climax of the show occurs with the culminating prize at the end where the child chooses the winnings, in this case a Caribbean cruise or a child-sized car. The best bit? She chose the car. Cue parents smiling through gritted teeth. Tune in next week on ITV at 8pm to see the show, this time with twins.

Caitlin Tilley

(Image: ITV)