Meet The Rees-Moggs savaged by critics as ‘boring, vapid and unfair on the youngsters’ – as they warn viewers ‘even if you wish to hate-watch you will be dissatisfied’
He started his investment portfolio at the age of ten, dragged his life-long nanny around with him on political campaigns and has even been dubbed a ‘sex god’ by Made in Chelsea‘s Georgia Toffolo.
Former Conservative MP for North East Somerset, husband and father-of-six Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg clearly thought his life was interesting enough to warrant a Kardashian-esque TV series documenting it.
But critics who suffered through the show on Discovery+ have dubbed it ‘boring, vapid and unfair on the kids’ and said even those who want to ‘hate-watch’ will be ‘disappointed’.
However, among the storm of disapproval there are some cheers for the GB News presenter’s wife and heir to a £45million fortune, Helena.
The Independent’s Nick Hilton said the show entered ‘murkier ethical grounds’ when it showed Rees-Mogg’s sons, Anselm, 12, Alfred, 8, and Sixtus, 7, shouting ‘Vote Conservative!’ down a megaphone and dressing up in black tie to eat birthday cake.
He asked if the children, ‘innocent of their own privilege still’, would come to ‘regret their part in propagandising for the silver spoon brigade’ and said he feels it’s ‘not fair’ on them as ‘non-consenting participants’.
Pictured: Jacob Rees-Mogg and his wife Helena Rees-Mogg with their children
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Helena Rees-Mogg pictured in the show
Jacob Rees-Mogg arriving for a screening of new Discovery+ reality series Meet the Rees-Moggs, at Warner House, London
Nick rounded up his review by writing: ‘Those expecting a hate-watch will be disappointed; those expecting a political hagiography will find it vapid.’
Meanwhile, Rachel Cook from The New Statesman, who attended the press screening, said she ‘found it hard to laugh’ along with other journalists at parts that were clearly meant to be funny.
Explaining her ‘stony face’, she said: ‘This TV show, however risible it may be, is nevertheless still a reward for Rees-Mogg’s role in the huge and multifarious political failures of the last decade, as well as for his facile, not to say toxic, contribution to the public discourse.’
Over at The Standard, Martin Robson said the ‘fairly humdrum world we are given access to’ is ‘very different to The Kardashians’.
He called the show ‘a pushover’ and ‘a disappointment’ for its focus on ‘showing Rees-Mogg as a classic British twit’ instead of ‘digging into what makes him one of the country’s most controversial politicians’.
Martin criticised the show’s lack of ‘teeth’, ‘access’ and ‘drama’, labelling the politician as ‘just not that interesting’.
The first episode commences with Jacob Rees-Mogg declaring: ‘I think this will be a different kettle of fish to The Kardashians.’
But The Telegraph’s Anita Singh disagrees, writing: ‘The longer you watch, the more you realise that he has more in common with Kim Kardashian than he would admit.
‘Both thrive on attention and publicity, and their image is carefully cultivated: a sex bomb in Kardashian’s case, an eccentric toff in Rees-Mogg’s.’
Jacob Rees-Mogg outside polling station in episode two of the show
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg pictured with family nanny Veronica Crook
Jacob, Helena, Anselm, Alfred and Sixtus outside the Thiepval memorial
Elsewhere, Chloe Govan from The Express said the politician is ‘possibly’ out of touch but called it ‘compelling viewing’ otherwise.
The series was set to document Rees-Mogg and family during the lead up to an Autumn election but former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called it on early, leaving them scraping the barrel for content
The family were left scraping the barrel for content after their father lost his seat to Labour MP Dan Norris whilst stood next to a man in a baked bean balaclava from the Monster Raving Loony Party.
The shows opening statement asked: ‘How will the family adjust to life after politics?’
To which Scott Bryan over at Yahoo! News said: ‘I can’t know for sure, but has this been a question that anyone has asked? Is anyone being kept up at night wondering how the former Conservative MP for North East Somerset and his family will adjust to a life after politics?’
Pictured: Jacob Rees-Mogg using a megaphone out the window of a car
Helena Rees-Mogg and Jacob Rees-Mogg attend premiere screening of ‘Meet the Rees-Moggs’ on November 25, 2024 in London
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Helena Rees-Mogg (pictured together)
After watching the first two episodes, Scott described the show as ‘completely and utterly, indescribably boring’.
The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan called Rees-Mogg ‘an absolute berk’ for signing up to do the reality show but said her ‘obsession with Jacob’s wife runs deep’ and that she had ‘pledged allegiance’ to her by the end.
The Daily Mail’s Jane Fryer shared the same sentiment for Helena, calling her ‘funny and surprisingly straightforward for someone whose mother has five Van Dycks and two Stubbs paintings’.
Jane said the ‘genius’ of the show was ‘getting the kids involved’ and admitted that it is ‘strangely addictive’.
At Home With The Rees-Moggs is available to stream now on Discovery+.
