Emily and Shekeb are a picture-perfect couple who get on like a house on fire.

The only problem in their relationship? Her overbearing mother-in-law.

Shekeb’s incredibly close relationship with his mum Laila, 62, is explored in the hit reality show I Love a Mama’s Boy, which you can watch for free on 9Now.

In scenes from the the first episode, Laila brazenly tells Emily she “can’t replace” her son’s ex-wife. They split long ago due to having “different personalities”.

As the trio awkwardly sat on the couch together, Laila scathed: “No girl [has] ever been as good. You cannot replace her. Never, ever.”

“I’m not trying to replace her, we’re two different people?” Emily replied, to which Laila coldly added: “No, you cannot be.

“I want him to be happy, and I know he’s not going to be happy with you.”As it turned out, Shekeb had actually been married to Laila’s best friend’s daughter.”She was beautiful. She was a perfect woman for Shekeb,” Laila told the camera.But their marriage didn’t work out, as Shekeb admitted he never truly wanted to tie the knot in the first place.

‘She was a perfect woman for Shekeb,’ Laila said about his ex-wfe. (9Now)

“I got married because I really didn’t want to pursue that route… I didn’t know how much time my mum had left,” he said.”My mum battled breast cancer 12 years ago. I didn’t believe it at first, then it kind of hit me that I was going to lose my mum. I was in a lot of fear, so I got married as I wanted to fulfill my mum’s wish.

“The main reason why our marriage didn’t work out… our personalities are totally different.”

This series follows four women who strive to protect relationships which are excessively influenced by overbearing mothers.Also in the episode, we see how Laila is left furious that Emily and Shekeb want to spend Valentine’s Day alone as a couple, rather than with her.

Find out what happened in Episode 1, titled My Best Girls.