‘Spencer, Vogue and Baby Too’- Reality TV gone too far?

I was not particularly thrilled by the prospect of watching ‘Spencer, Vogue and Baby Too’ when I saw this new programme was on Channel 4. I don’t like reality TV, I don’t like Spencer Matthews, and I’m not interested in babies. However, it was nearing the end of the holidays and I had exhausted most other TV options by this point. So, I decided to give it a go.

The first episode covers the end of Vogue’s pregnancy, attempts to induce labour, her pregnancy, and the first few months with Theodore. The second episode sees the couple jetting off to her home in Ireland with Theodore for her work, and Spencer’s new career ideas.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this show. Vogue Williams came across really well; I didn’t know anything about her before watching this, but she’s absolutely fantastic. She laughed at herself a lot, showing the spot where she makes Spencer take a photo of her outfit every day for Instagram, and bickered affectionately with her husband. She showed herself pumping her breast milk on the loo on her first night out since giving birth, and I found myself genuinely invested in the tragedy of her pouring away the breast milk that might have had traces of wine in it.

This show was also a really fascinating insight into the lives and careers of ‘influencers’ and people who try to make money from their minor fame. We see Spencer pitch some ideas for Hello magazine, and Vogue discuss the launch of her fake tan. It was an interesting background to what we normally just see in annoying Instagram #ad posts.

I think the reason that I enjoyed this show so much was that it did seem quite honest. They obviously played up to the camera and did some things for entertainment which were not always successful (such as getting a dog whisperer in and slightly jarring chats with Hugo Taylor, Spencer’s fellow Made In Chelsea star).

However, moments such as Spencer joking about how everyone must know that he was a runner up in Masterchef, and Jake Quickenden trying Vogue’s breast milk seemed really genuine and were funny. Spencer also grew on me a lot, whether he was dropping pans in a cooking demonstration or showcasing his appalling acting skills to an industry expert.

I think there were elements of the show that were a little bit odd and disturbing. I think it took the ‘reality’ in ‘reality TV’ a little bit far. A close up of Vogue’s epidural and watching Spencer genuinely look panicked (understandably) as Vogue was wheeled away potentially to have a C- section was just a bit much. Seeing her in pain before labour also felt a bit intrusive and personal.

Birth is a really natural thing and of course it shouldn’t be a taboo subject. However, knowing that these are real people and not just actors off Call The Midwife did make me question whether this was meant for TV. Potential issues with her pregnancy suddenly seemed to be, in a twisted way, good for the cameras as they added a little bit of suspense. I know that these stars make their money off sharing things with the public, but I think there is a limit.

The couple came across well and the show was very entertaining. It was also a nice example of a modern parenting couple; it was clear that Spencer was not ‘babysitting’ when Vogue went out, he was just looking after his own child. I really enjoyed it, my only concern was what on earth we will see being filmed for reality TV next.

One thought on this article.

  1. sam says:

    They put the show together, so maybe they know better than you what their own boundaries are. Considering that people have sex on reality tv and talk about the intricacies of medical dilemmas, your nitpick is falling flat. When I read the first paragraph of this review, I knew there was going to be a patronizing little gripe in there somewhere.

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