Outcry at pushy mum who got child genius’s rival kicked off show
THE crowning of Britain’s Child Genius has been overshadowed by accusations that the winner’s mother ‘took down’ her daughter’s rival before the final.
Ten-year-old Rhea from London triumphed on the Channel 4 show after correctly spelling eleemosynary, which means charitable.
But midway through Tuesday night’s show, her mother, trained obstetrician Sonal, objected to a decision by quizmaster Richard Osman and was shown having an altercation with the adjudicator.
The dispute centred on the question: ‘To which medical officer did Florence Nightingale report in the Crimea?’
Rhea’s answer of Duncan Menzies was ruled incorrect. But Sonal, who gave up her job to help educate Rhea, successfully argued that Nightingale effectively reported to every medical officer.
The result of her intervention meant Rhea’s 12-year-old rival Stephen was eliminated as she was awarded an extra point and progressed through to the final.
There, Rhea’s ability to answer tough questions on art, history and maths saw her triumph over nineyear-old fellow finalist Saffy.
But some viewers questioned her victory, claiming her mother had influenced the result. Parenting experts criticised the show for giving a platform to those who may pressure their children, while some even warned that Rhea’s mother was risking her daughter’s mental health. Sue Atkins, a former teacher, said: ‘I worry for a child that has to be under that much pressure.
‘Competition in itself is fun but this didn’t look like much fun. Children naturally want to do their best and please their parents, but you worry for their mental health.
‘Children of pushy parents become perfectionists and overanxious and they don’t see mistakes as learning.
‘The psychological pressure this must put on them smacks of conditional love – that their parents will only love the child if they win or get an A grade.’ One viewer wrote: ‘I feel sad that Rhea’s mum was willing to take a kid down for her daughter to win.’
Another fan of the show said: ‘Well done Rhea’s Mum .... Your “life’s work” is complete. Vile’.
Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain yesterday morning, Sonal denied she was a pushy parent and said the show had been edited to include ‘little soundbites’ and argued ‘that is not entirely who we are’.
She said Rhea, whose IQ puts her in the top 0.1 per cent of the country for her age, had started using full sentences at 11 months and was speaking fluently by three years old.
Responding to criticism about her intervention on the show, Sonal said: ‘Every parent was given a right to contest every question and many parents did, but we just happened to be the ones you saw doing that.
‘In that case I would say the reason we did it was because the answer they were proposing was just not right. I don’t think any parent sends their kid to school to learn the wrong information. She looked at me from the podium, she knew the answer wasn’t right.’
During the programme Sonal and her husband Anish, a pharmaceutical executive, were shown telling their daughter she must go to either Oxford or Cambridge.
And ahead of the final, Sonal said: ‘It would be another success. That is what our family does, we aim high, we generally succeed.’
The only hobby Rhea was shown enjoying during the four episodes was playing chess with her younger brother, but she insists she spends time away from her studies.
She said: ‘I play with my friends and I like to do hair and makeup.
‘And I watch a lot of YouTube videos. I think being clever is only a tiny part of who I really am, and I do enjoy doing a lot of other stuff when I am not being a child genius.’
‘Worry for their mental health’