5 Men Wonder If Their Mom Is 'the Problem' in Their Relationships as TLC's 'I Love a Mama's Boy' Returns (Exclusive) (2024)

The term mama's boy has reached an all-new level.

After a two-year hiatus, TLC's I Love a Mama's Boy is making its grand return — and the collection of sons and mothers are giving the girlfriends, wives and partners a major run for their money.

In the trailer for season 4 of the hit reality series, which PEOPLE can exclusively premiere, fan-favorite duo Matt and Kelly are back, along with four new pairings that continue to push the envelope on just how close a mother and son should be.

For Matt and Kelly, who have starred in all three seasons of the show, their bond is getting even stronger, as Matt admits in the trailer, "We have become almost an inseparable pair" — and he really pushes things one step further when he brings Kelly along for a first date.

His potential girlfriend is not on board with it. "I would not bring my mom to a first date. That's kind of a deal-breaker for me," she says.

However, Matt seems to be coming to terms with the fact that Kelly is standing in his way, as he says later in the trailer, "I'm 33 and single. My mom's the problem, it's not me."

Boundaries are a problem for new duo Shahid and Dia, too. In the trailer, Shahid describes their tight bond as dating back to his infancy. "We used to be one — we used to be one, inside one body," he says.

They coordinate outfits — and their daily lives. They even share their finances, which increasingly causes issues when Dia believes Shahid's girlfriend Nylah has bad "intentions" about his "finances."

"My mom really doesn't think anybody is good enough for me, but we know we can't date each other," Shahid says in the trailer.

Things are gonna get even more complicated considering he's "verbally engaged" to Nylah, though he hasn't "given her the ring yet."

"My mom is going to s--- herself and do anything in her power to get in the way," Shahid says.

In the trailer, Dia accuses Nyla of being "manipulative" and "taking advantage" of Shahid — and Nyla isn't necessarily quelling her worries. "I don't like to share anything that's mine," she says in a confessional.

Josh and his mom, Tina, are also a little too close for comfort — especially since Josh has been married to Janelle for 12 years.

He describes his mother as "the most important person in your life from the day you're born," but that doesn't mean that Tina and Janelle get along.

In the trailer, Tina accuses Janelle of "putting [Josh] in a position where he might have to choose: his mother or his wife and kids," and later says her son's wife is "very spoiled."

The root of the issue between them is that Josh and Janelle just purchased a home in Florida but Tina — who Josh has "never lived apart from" — "does not fit into this new home."

In another heated moment, Janelle tells Tina, "You are not his wife, what do you mean, 'What's yours is mine?'"

And Tina rebuffs, "I'm his mother. I came first."

Things are getting messy in yet another relationship, too. Austin and his ex-boyfriend Kristopher "share a deep bond and live together" and they are "hoping to rekindle their love," but Austin's mom Shirlene is getting in the way.

She thinks Kristopher is "toxic" and "disapproves" of his relationship with her son, so much so that Kristopher accuses her of "planning [her] livelihood off of" the "downfall" of their relationship in the trailer.

Kristopher then walks away, telling Austin, "I'm done. Figure it out with your mom. Date your f---ing mom."

The fifth mother-son duo that will be featured on season 4 is Chase and Lori. In the trailer, Lori teases that people always think she and Chase "are a couple" when "they're out dancing."

"They don't think of us as being mother and son."

For Chase's girlfriend Natasha, there's a "fierce rivalry" for his attention, and her tolerance for Lori's antics is tightening.

As Natasha tries on wedding dresses in the trailer, Lori posits herself as the "eyes and ears for Chase" as she says, "I know what he likes," and Natasha says in a confessional, "I will lose my ever-loving mind if she keeps on with it."

Season 4 of I Love a Mama's Boy sees five men grapple with the "competing affections of their coddling, spoon-feeding mothers," as they push the boundaries on "how close is a little too close," per the official description.

"If these men aren’t able to let go of the apron strings once and for all, they may find they will need to let go of their romantic partnerships instead."

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Season 4 of I Love a Mama's Boy premieres Monday, Sept. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TLC.