Michele Hewitson reviews Big Fat Family Challenge:
Why they wanted to breed (no doubt a really raving rampant right-winger would say they did it for the benefit) is a mystery. Why they wanted to go on the telly is also unfathomable, beyond wanting to achieve what passes for fame. Did they think people would love them? In Saturday’s episode, the mother, Audrey, a foul-mouthed, bad-tempered shrew, had an asthma attack. The family had been taken to London and were looking forward to a big night out, eating. Audrey ruined this and nobody wanted to go with her in the ambulance. There was a possibility she would die. Sam, finally, showed some distress. By way of solace, Emma recounted a story about how Sam had once slapped her mother’s face and “you wished she was dead”. Then she told a story about how Audrey once ate 900g of peanuts and “couldn’t go to the toilet”. Audrey was taken to hospital and, I’ll spare you the details, had 450g of peanuts
removed. Her husband – and let’s just remember that he thinks, at this point, his wife might be about to die – said: “And didn’t it smell?”They’re a charming lot. Philip, when told the girls are to go to France (to see some wackjob nutritionist, a description for which I’d better apologise in advance), sulks. He’s never been abroad. He might as well finish it now. It’s not fair.
I’ll tell you what’s not fair: screening this freak show. It really does make you want to slap somebody. The makers, or the programmers: either would do.
I have no desire to slap anyone, for one simple reason.
It never, ever occurred to me for even a second that I might want to watch the antics of a family who’s only claim to fame was being fat and lazy. I suppose if I thought really hard I might be able to understand why someone in their right mind would watch, but I don’t even want to do that.
Now I should confess that a few years ago I did watch a special or two on “Britain’s fattest person” or some such thing. That had the appeal of watching toast brown. It was one of those things you do once, when you’re really, really bored.
Written by scrubone
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