Is it possible to find love in just two weeks? That’s the challenge James Hatchett faces on OWN’s new dating series, Somebody’s Son.
James, 29, a cyber security engineer from Houston, is one of three bachelors hoping to find the right match on the show, which follows the bachelors as they search for partners with their moms leading the way.
Urban Hollywood 411 caught up with James and his mom, Charlease Hatchett, to talk about their unique journey on the show.
“I’m a very picky person,” James admitted. “I feel like the women that were brought into the house, they were all very intelligent women in their own rights.”
Related: OWN’s ‘Somebody’s Son’ Turns to Moms to Help Their Sons Find Love
Still, James said he wanted more than someone who looked good on paper.
“The thing that I was looking for is, how do we get along? Do I enjoy spending my time with you? Do I enjoy talking to you? Do I feel like I can really kick it with you? Do I feel like this is an interrogation or a conversation?” he explained.
“I love to cook, my kitchen is my lab. I love to be on the couch watching great TV. I like to game a little bit. So it’s just like, can you do your own thing while I’m gaming? Or can you help me out in the kitchen when I’m cooking?” he said.
Inspired by the hashtag #SomebodysSon, the men’s moms aren’t just giving advice from the sidelines, they’re living in a mansion with their sons and the men’s dates.
But there’s not a lot of time.
“Just being present in every moment,” James said about navigating relationships in two weeks. “Every interaction, I’m getting to know them, they’re getting to know me. You just gotta be as present as you possibly can.”
“I think the bonus in this experience was that we all were living together, and as he was dating them, I was getting to know them,” Charlease added.
The show’s official description reveals that the ladies don’t know ahead of time that the men’s mothers will be living in the same house.
Each bachelor is matched with four women. James’ potential matches include Bre’Von, Chisom, Sabranae, and Alyssia.
Charlease was tasked with making the first cut. While she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, she knew which woman wasn’t right for her son.
“I know what fits us and I knew what didn’t fit us,” Charlease told us. “It would make no sense to keep someone in the house that didn’t fit because then you’re doing them a disservice and you’re dragging things out for them.”
As for James, he was very specific about what he was looking for.
“I said to my mom, ‘I want peace. I want harmony,'” he explained. “I don’t want any drama, because I don’t like drama, and I tried to keep the house that way as much as possible.”
So why go on a TV dating show? James said Houston’s dating scene made him want to try something different. “I think the common term out here is ‘Houston is not a real place.’ The dating scene is crazy.”
As for what matters most for his mom: “I can’t tell you who to love, I can’t tell you what color they are, anything like that. But they need to know who God is.”
The other bachelors in the series are Chadd, a 30-year-old SEC financial reporting analyst, and his mom Katina; and Joshua, a 28-year-old NFL Free Agent, and his aunt, Oma, who has been Josh’s primary mother figure.
Somebody’s Son premieres on Saturday, April 12, at 9/8c, on OWN.
Watch the interview below:
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
