Can Kiwi Mums Outplay Their Kids? Tegan Yorwarth Hosts Battle for Gaming Glory

If you’re a gamer and love spending time with your Mum, we’ve got the perfect show for you.

TVNZ's Ready Gamer Mum is the brand new gaming show coming to NZ screens, pitting the best young gamers in Aotearoa against each other to compete for the $50,000 prize. 

But there’s a twist.

The only person who can touch the controller is their Mum. We’re not kidding. Flipping the parent-child dynamic on its head, the children become the teachers and the Mums must level up.

We mean it when we say these Mums have zero clue about gaming. The kids have to train their Mums to be Gamer ready, which, as you can probably imagine, might get tense.

Mai Morning Crew’s Tegan Yorwarth hosts the chaos, joined by commentators Tony Lyall and Brynley Stent. Featuring hit titles like Gran Turismo 7, Astro Bot and Tony Hawk Pro Skater, the stakes have never been higher. 

Starring 10 teams of Mums and kids from across the country, the teams step away from training to compete in side quests. These are real-life versions inspired by that episode's game to pick up game-changing time advantages.

Back in the arena, our Mums step up to the console to compete in the Final Round while their kids are relegated to the sidelines.

Will the training pay off? Meet the teams competing for the cash:

Meet the Teams

Breeze & Ayla

41 & 19 | Canterbury

After pausing her gaming career to focus on family, Breeze raised daughter Ayla to become a high-stakes competitor who now vies for prizes of up to $80K.

Janelle & Liam

50 & 24 | Palmerston North

After surviving cancer, grandmother Janelle is hitting the sticks with her son Liam, an athlete who views gaming as the secret to his career skills and friendships. 

Lisa & Mathew

55 & 26 | Christchurch

Lifelong gamer Mathew is joined by his mother Lisa, a devoted baker of five who famously used to unplug the internet to get her children to the dinner table. 

Naylor & Leaton

65 & 26 | Whangarei

Rehab assistant Mum Naylor is bringing her caring nature and sporting grit to the arena as her son Leaton, a lifelong competitive gamer and Weymouth store manager, finally introduces her to the world he’s loved since childhood. 

Pam & Ben

55 & 26 | Christchurch

Stepmother-stepson duo Pam and Ben are bringing their shared resilience to the game, pairing Pam’s "absolutely bonkers" energy following her recovery from an invasive breast cancer with Ben’s lifelong passion for gaming and adventure sport.

Rebekah & Bevan

56 & 36 | Wellington

Wellington entrepreneur, grandmother and mother of six Rebekah brings her love for play and family to the arena alongside her son Bevan, a Levin-based music producer and artist and father of two who has used gaming since childhood to stimulate his creative, overactive mind. 

Sam & Ollie 

55 & 20 | Christchurch

Somerset born prankster Sam McCubbin brings her quirky humor and music video imagination to the game alongside her son Oliver, a competitive Christchurch based gamer and bird enthusiast who can pilot a helicopter somewhat questionably. 

Sandra & Zarni

72 & 36 | Auckland

Retired interpreter and lifelong learner Sandra Saw is trading her cooking and apocalypse prepping for video games for the first time alongside her son Zarni, a well traveled consummate gamer who brings decades of experience and a global perspective to the competition. 

TinTin & Justis

36 & 20 | Stratford

Vibrant mum and aspiring hairdresser TinTin brings her glitter and giggles to the competition alongside her son Justis, a car enthusiast and the family’s king gamer who inherited his mum’s chilled out and easy going nature. 

Rachel & Romy - McDonald’s Wildcard Team

59 & 18 | Whitianga 

The McDonald’s wildcard team features farm mum Rachel, a multi talented performer with minimal gaming experience, alongside her energetic pianist son Romy, who has long used gaming as a vital tool for social connection and community. 

We can’t wait to see who comes out on top to win the $50,000!

As an official partner of TVNZ's Ready Gamer Mum, we’ve launched an exclusive gaming hub on rova. Whether you're into deep-dive strategy or you're an extremely casual gamer, it’s your one-stop shop to get your head in the game.

Plus, we’re giving away a PlayStation Prize Pack! Enter here to win $2,000 worth of gear, including a PS5, wireless controllers, and a stack of games.

Ready Gamer Mum starts on TVNZ 2 & TVNZ+ on Thursday 14th May at 7.30pm.