Supernanny Jo Frost has revealed she was assaulted while filming her show.
Jo, now 54, became a household name in the 2000s when she visited homes of unruly children across the UK for Channel 4’s Supernanny, offering desperate parents some relief from dealing with tantrums. .
But, 20 years after the show’s launch, the child care expert shared how a father “grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall” when he didn’t like something she said.
Appearing in the Parenting Tools PodcastJo explained to hosts Jason Heron and Jordan Piano that she had been attacked while filming. an episode filmed in Florida in 2007 for the American version of the show.
The television personality was visiting the Nitti family in West Melbourne, Florida, where he met Lisa, 28, their four sons, Darren, 10, Matthew, eight, Devin, six, and Jared, five, as well like her boyfriend of two years. Juan, 44 years old.
The mischievous boys frequently got into trouble for their rebellious and uncontrollable behavior, despite the efforts of Lisa and John, who even nicknamed their house “The Crazy House.”
The episode, which was the eighth of the third series, proved difficult for Jo, who not only had to fight rowdy children, but also “bullying and aggression” from her stepfather, John.
“I helped a family called the Nitti family in Florida and there was a gentleman who lived with his girlfriend at the time and they had four children,” he said.
Appearing on The Parenting Tools podcast, the Channel 4 nursery empress spoke for the first time about the petrifying incident in which a disgruntled parent “grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the wall”.
In a new episode of The Parenting Tools Podcast, hosted by Jason Heron and Jordan Piano, Jo shockingly admitted that she had been assaulted during an episode filmed in Florida in 2007. Pictured is John from the Nitti episode.
‘During my observation, the man appeared very aggressive. He was undoubtedly a complex man. But he was very intimidating and had the care of these four young men.
‘He was in this blended family, right? His girlfriend had four children and he entered into a relationship with four children.
‘And you could see with the boys that a lot of the behavior was an imitation of John’s bullying and aggression.
‘I observed, I gave my comments about what I observed with the family. Children and their behavior.
‘During the teaching, he didn’t like what I said and grabbed me by the neck and pushed me against the wall.
“That was a crazy moment because I’ve had families get very defensive or hot-headed, telling me ‘I don’t like what you’re saying’ or ‘that’s not true’ or ‘that’s not right.’
The mischievous children frequently got into trouble for their rebellious and uncontrollable behavior, despite the efforts of Lisa and John, who even nicknamed their house “The Crazy House.”
Revealing the explosive moment on the podcast, Jo recalled the shocking moment her stepdad-of-four “didn’t like” something she said and so pinned her against a wall.
“But he didn’t like what I had to say, which was the truth of a situation in which he was very intimidated and he tried to intimidate me by pushing me against the wall and with his hands around my throat.
Despite being scared, Jo said she resisted the cameramen’s attempts to help her and insisted she deal with the situation alone.
“One of the cameramen went to drop the camera and I simply extended my arm as if to indicate that I didn’t want them to clarify the situation with the father.
‘I knew that those boys were also being subjected to that aggression and intimidation.
“I would say it was crazy for me at the time. I was used to parents disagreeing, but not to the parents’ physicality.’
Jo went on to explain that as far as she knows, the Nitti family’s stepfather has already passed away.
“Which I’m very sorry to hear that he’s passed away,” she said.
She went to say: ‘I think I had heard that they had separated and maybe the wife had remarried.
“I would say it was crazy for me at the time. I was used to parents not agreeing, that’s fine, but not the physicality of the parents.’ Jo said
The episode, which was the eighth of the third series, proved difficult for Jo, who not only had to fight rowdy children, but also “bullying and aggression” from her stepfather, John (pictured right).
But at some point those young people were under his care. “And he also has a daughter, I think from another relationship, but she passed away, which is obviously very unfortunate.”
He went on to say that a lot of what is filmed doesn’t always make it into the final cut.
‘A lot of things happen and I don’t share them. I choose not to do it or I choose to do it if the time comes as it has here.’
“You’re hoping to help the family, and at the time it’s being filmed and I’m very particular that it is what it is.”
‘It’s real, it’s not written. What if there is a technical failure and the cameraman didn’t understand what I said? Oh ok. I didn’t understand what I said.
‘I’m in the moment and once I get there, a process happens and I don’t stop. I’m there and we have a trip together. A transformative experience together to hopefully take a family to a different space.’
He said all he can do is contribute the best he can and “hope they continue.”
‘And some families do it and I get photos and emails and some don’t.
‘Sometimes it has been the mirror that has made partners realize that they don’t want this and that they are not as committed as they thought.
“When I show up, I definitely hold a mirror up to my ability to bring the truth to a situation and how I can advocate for them to resolve it.” But I understand that that’s really my limit and I just hope they continue like this when you’re not there.”