Wednesday 15 November 2017

"I like to be disgusted..."

That was what the late, and very northern comedian and variety star, Billy Russell, offered by way of an explanation as to why he watched Leslie Crowther’s shows. I am willing to bet it’s why a lot of people watch ‘The Real Housewives of Cheshire’.

I don't doubt they'd all hate me for saying it, but for all their wealth and the purchases they make with it, I find myself feeling a bit sorry for the women on this show. Not one of them would look out of place puking up on the kerb outside a Chester disco, but because they’ve acquired the sort of dosh most people can only dream about, cameras now follow them shopping, holidaying, and making scenes in expensive restaurants.

They probably think it’s great to be rich and (relatively) famous. They probably wanted nothing more when they were little girls, dressing up in mummy’s heels and singing into their hairbrushes, and the attention they now have in the glossy mags and gutter rags probably feels like the real deal, but the only ‘reality’ is that every Monday night of every season, people up and down the land switch on their televisions to eavesdrop on their every belch, f-bomb, and catfight.

Dawn, Rachel, Leanne, Lauren, Seema, Stacey, Nermina, Ester, Tanya, and the much missed Ampika and Magali present a perfect opportunity to despise a pantheon of stereotypes: women, working-class-with-brass, ex-strippers, lap-dancers, WAGs, northerners, and foreigners. It’s all there. 
 
Jubblies and bubbly - the irrepressible Ampika Pickston
The most frequent comment on the social media pages for this show is “just proves money can’t buy you class.” Every time some disapproving member of the public tweets this out, the programme makers probably high-five each other in the production office.

On the series 6 ‘reunion’ show, they were asked to put their hands up if they had had a ‘boob job’. All but one honestly and naïvely complied. You could hear the derision up and down the land at their superficiality, their tackiness, their 'Page 3' values, but these are women who have used the tools they had to hand to climb out of the bucket, and somewhere within all of them, I bet there’s a tiny, wistful wish they hadn’t had to.

Unlike the kids on 'Made in Chelsea', these women did not enter the world with much in the way of advantages, so whilst I personally wouldn’t want the sort of things they buy with their money, I can’t begrudge it to them. Especially when it’s obvious they’re pretty generous with it, giving to charity and treating their mates.

If the show didn’t goad them into ‘entertaining’ situations, it’s also pretty obvious that these are the sort of women who make the most loyal and generous friends – as long as you don’t flirt with their blokes or slag off their kids. Back when they had less money, I can easily see Tanya, or Dawn, or Lauren, or Leanne making a poorly friend a stew and taking it over to their house with a cheery: “bring the bowl back when you’re feeling better” - even if it was the only one they had.

Now of course, they pay someone to cook it and send their driver over with it, but some things never change, and the base material is still there. Daffy, funny little Tanya particularly.

But of course, that doesn’t make good television.

The Real Housewives of Cheshire’ is demonisation of the working class with diamonds, and frankly, it stinks.


© Emmeline Wyndham - 2017