Sunday Mail (UK)

If they really wish to help their children understand their privilege why cant they just talk to them instead of creating a circus of poverty porn for TV

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Bra tycoon Lady Michelle Mone’s luxury-loving daughter Bethany, 19, is to “confront her feelings of privilege” by visiting Bridgeton in Glasgow’s east end. Channel 4’s Born Famous sees four celebrity children live the life their parents knew before they found success.

Writing for the Sunday Mail, former Scottish Socialist MSP turned comedian Rosie Kane tells why she is concerned about the trend for “poverty porn” on TV.

This latest addition to the seemingly endless feed of reality TV will place the children of four very wealthy celebritie­s in some of the country’s most deprived areas, where they will be filmed spending time with a local and much less fortunate teenager.

I’m guessing that we will be treated to the spectacle of watching these rich kids count their blessings when they experience the struggles of young people who, through no fault of their own, are extremely less fortunate.

Who among us were told as children when we didn’t want to eat the onions in our mince and tatties or had a riddy because we had to buy our coat from Rita’s up the Barras using a Provy cheque: “You don’t know how lucky you are. There are weans starving in the world.”

Well, folks, this fiasco is the posh equivalent of that.

And, for me, we are being used as part experiment and part naughty step by millionair­es who want to pretend to get their children telt.

The parents sending their privileged teens into schemes are Spice Girl Mel B, footballer Paul Ince, shouty chef Gordon Ramsay and Baroness of Mayfair and bra inventor Michelle Mone, whose 19-year- old daughter Bethany will be hanging around in Bridgeton. The Baroness and purveyor of pants sits on the Tory benches of the House of Lords and has never ever spoken up for or made demands of her peers or party to improve the lives of the communitie­s she’s happy to use for her own benefit. If you really wish to help your children understand their privilege then why do it in the public eye? And if this is about these children experienci­ng aspects of their parents’ childhood, just do what we all do – talk to them about it instead of creating a circus based on poverty porn.

From The Jeremy Kyle Show to The Scheme and those sickening programmes about so-called “benefit fraud”, it’s clear that the working class and poorer communitie­s have become entertainm­ent, playthings and a cloak to cover for those collecting wealth while so many struggle. Bridgeton in Glasgow could be doing with many things but being used to glean sympathy for the mega-rich is an insult.

To be very clear, I blame the celebrity parents here who, in my opinion, are using their children as accessorie­s to further their own status and to feign empathy and appear benevolent.

Ramsay owns the firm making the show, so he’ll be lining his pockets thanks to struggling communitie­s and their generosity in allowing these poor little rich kids to hang out with them.

The children in these communitie­s may feel privileged by these visitation­s, and who could blame them, as for once they get the chance to be catapulted to celebrity status themselves?

Considerin­g the rise of the celeb and the absence of opportunit­y in any other direction. I get that and don’t blame the children.

The Baroness of Mayfair and her loaded chums might want to consider that their wealth could be redistribu­ted via taxation.

They could use their power and position to improve the lives of others.

And if these parents want to really teach their children about their privilege then why put them on TV, which will only project them into greater fame and fortune?

If the Bridgeton kids tried to enter The Baroness of Mayfair’s gaff they’d be banged up faster than you could say “Born to be forgotten”.

And when one of the children talk about their “wee bra”, their “big bra” or their “twin bra” it’s not your mammy’s stock they’re talking about, it’s their family...

It’s the talk of the steamie and probably the chatter of the hoity-toity champagne bars in London – Channel 4’s Born Famous has created a stooshie, particular­ly in Glasgow, where Bridgeton will be the hang-out for one of the show’s participan­ts.

 ??  ?? QUIDS IN Ramsay’s firm are making the show PARENTS Mel B and Paul Ince. Left, Mone and her daughter Bethany
QUIDS IN Ramsay’s firm are making the show PARENTS Mel B and Paul Ince. Left, Mone and her daughter Bethany
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