Jo Frost

Jo Frost
Jofrost2.jpg
Born Joanne Frost
June 27, 1970[1]
London, England
Nationality British
Occupation Nanny, television personality, author, producer
Years active 1989–present (nanny)
2004–present (TV personality)
Known for Supernanny and related shows
Website
Official website

Jo Frost is an English television personality, who leveraged her 15-year-experience as a nanny for the reality television program Supernanny, in which she was the central figure. It first aired in the United Kingdom in 2004 and she has branched off into several other reality shows in the United Kingdom, United States and the Netherlands. The edgier Family S.O.S. with Jo Frost tackled complex issues, such as addiction and abuse. Family Matters is a show with a talk show format. She has written six books on child care and has been on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Personal life

Joanne Frost[2] was born on 27 June 1970[1] and grew up with a brother[3] in Southwest London.[4][5] Her father was an English builder and her mother, born in Gibraltar, was an interior decorator. Frost had a happy, physically active childhood. Because her father was interested in history, she went to a number of castles and museums. About 1994, her mother died of cancer.[4] Frost, who regularly travels for work, lived with her father when she was at not taping or meeting other career obligations.[4][6] By 2014, she was living with her fiancé, Darrin Jackson, in Orange County, California. Darrin is an American location coordinator.[5][6]

Career

Nanny

Frost worked as a nanny for 15 years, beginning about 1990, when she was 20 years of age.[4][6] She was employed in the United Kingdom and the United States[7] and Frost's clients included celebrities and John Lloyd, a television producer.[4]

Television

She was hired for the Channel 4's[4] Supernanny television show that launched in the United Kingdom in 2004. In each episode she visited a family and implemented consistent disciplinary, behavioral, and entertainment techniques to improve troubled family's lives.[4] In their book Handbook of Psychological Assessment, Case Conceptualization, and Treatment, Children and Adolescents, Michel Hersen and David Reitman state, "With considerable skill, Super Nanny Jo Frost implements standard, evidence-based contingency management procedures, as well as heavy evidence of creating alternative positive activity structures."[8] The show has had its critics, too. Child care experts may not all agree with her approach.[4][6] Some people find that the children's right to privacy has been violated[9] and they are embarrassed when put on the "naughty step".[10] Newcastle University media and cultural studies' lecturer Tracey Jensen believes that the format results in the mother being "shamed before she is transformed".[9]

The show, viewed by six million people in its first year, was an "instant success." There were shows created in 48 countries by 2014 that were tailored after Supernanny.[4][6] The UK show ran for six seasons.[11] The United States version of the Supernanny aired on ABC.[3] Ada Calhoun of The New York Times said of the Frost, "She sends the message that even the most out-of-control children are no match for parents who are consistent, and that children need love, praise and, crucially, boundaries."[3] Like the UK version, Supernanny was also a success in the states and garnered Frost invitations to The David Letterman Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[4] In 2011, Frost quit Super Nanny and Deborah Tillman, who ran a group of play schools, was hired as her replacement for the United States show. Tillman brings a soft, fashionable demeanor and uses a "calm down corner".[12] The Daily Mail reported that, according to television insiders, Frost left Super Nanny when she was unsuccessful in her attempt to gain a greater share of the show, "Jo was never looked after financially. She was front and centre on the show but never made anything like the millions that people think," said an insider.[12] Frost commented at the time, " I am not at all happy. I feel like I worked really hard to get where I am. I am Supernanny."[12]

Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance aired in the UK for Channel 4 beginning in 2010.[13] It had an issue-based format, with limited home visits.[14] Family S.O.S. with Jo Frost premiered 28 May 2013, on TLC in the United States with a 90 minute episode. Supernanny focused on discipline issues, but Family S.O.S. tackled serious, complex issues, such as blended families, addiction, abuse, and marital problems in family's homes.[15] TV critic Hank Stuever commented, "For all its noise and uncomfy moments, Family S.O.S. is relatively genuine stuff, especially for the current incarnation of TLC. Viewers who know Frost's previous work will have no trouble believing that she cares about the outcome and sincerely wants to help these families patch things up."[15] Frost was one of the executive producers for the show.[16]

Beginning 18 April 2014, she hosted the talk show Family Matters for ITV. Prior to the show, families underwent taped interviews about the nature of their difficulties, to be addressed during the talk show.[17] The show relied on Frost's intuition and experience to resolve difficult situations, sometimes dealing with parents more directly than she may have done in other shows.[5] Over time, Frost has softened her image, stopped pointing her finger at people, and stopped wearing severe suits.[18] Twofour Broadcast planned in July 2014 for a new UK show with Frost that would "help to restore harmony and balance to their family life" over the course of a family retreat.[7]

It was announced in January 2015 that Frost's production company, Nanny Jo Productions, partnered with Strix Television to produce Nanny on Tour. Based in the Netherlands, Frost will travel across the country helping families.[19]

Author

Frost is a New York Times best-selling author. By October 15, 2005, Supernanny: Getting the Most From Your Children had been on The New York Times Best Seller list for seventeen weeks.[3] In Toddler Rules, her book published in 2014, Frost identifies three types of tantrums: the emotional meltdown, situational needs, and the conditioned, manipulative mock tantrum. Parents are offered advice about how to assess their child's needs and appropriately respond to the situation that she considers a natural child development stage.[20]

Advocate

Jo Frost is a global advocate for the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life movement, which aims to decrease vaccine-preventable childhood diseases and deaths.[21] She encouraged Americans to donate to the Shot@Life campaign in December 2014 and stated that the Gates Foundation would match donations up to $200,000.[22] In March 2015, she visited legislators at Capitol Hill to show her support for the movement.[21] Frost operates a blog to promote vaccination of children and is one of the celebrities that has shown her support for #Givingtuesday, the International Day of Giving.[23]

She is also a global key note speaker for parental and familial issues, an active supporter for those who live with anaphylaxis[24] and life threatening allergies as well as the 2014 ambassador for FARE (Food, Allergy, Research and Education)[24][25] and an activist for children of neglect and poverty

Works

Programmes

Books

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Today in History". AP Online. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015 – via HighBeam. (subscription required (help)).
  2. ↑ Charlotte Philby. "Frost, Jo". ISNI Authority Control. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ada Calhoun (16 October 2005). "Supercalanormalistic". New York Times. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 Sean Macaulay (28 January 2010). "Jo Frost interview: How a nanny from South London went on to become an Oprah-approved, world famous, multimillionaire childcare phenomenon". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Charlotte Philby (10 March 2013). "Jo Frost: 'I've had some real head-on situations with the fathers' - Profiles - People". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Byrony Gordon (13 September 2014). "Jo Frost interview: The day Supernanny came to tea". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Families Wanted for New TV Show". Dispatch (Hucknall, England: Johnston Publishing Ltd.). 23 July 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015 – via HighBeam. (subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ Michel Hersen; David Reitman (May 13, 2008). Handbook of Psychological Assessment, Case Conceptualization, and Treatment, Children and Adolescents. John Wiley & Sons. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-470-17357-2.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Alex Campbell (3 May 2013). "Six childcare gurus who have changed parenting". BBC News. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  10. ↑ Nick Duerden (8 September 2007). "Jo Frost: Nanny state". BBC News. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "Supernanny TV Episodes". Supernanny TV Series, UK, Ricochet Limited. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Sharon Churcher and Caroline Graham (26 November 2011). "Why Supernanny wants to put TV bosses on the naughty step: Jo Frost quits show and is replaced by Michelle Obama lookalike who trained as an accountant". Daily Mail. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  13. ↑ John Preston (10 February 2010). "Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance, Channel 4, review". The Daily Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Julia Raeside (5 July 2011). "TV Highlights — Jul 6th". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Hank Stuever, TV critic (27 May 2013). "TLC’s ‘Family S.O.S.’: Supernanny Jo Frost returns to the unhappiest of homes". Washington Post. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Family S.O.S. with Jo Frost". New York Times. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Prince George’s parents love Supernanny Jo Frost!". Itv.com. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  18. ↑ "Frost Is Forecast Again; TV INTERVIEW Parenting Guru Jo Frost Is Tackling Grown-Ups as Well as Kids in Her New Daytime Talk Show. She Talks Fraught Families, Famous Fans and Reveals That Even Supernanny Lets Her Hair Down Sometimes.". Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland: MGN Ltd). 26 April 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 John Preston (19 January 2015). "In brief: Simon Cowell & Supernanny". Broadast Now (Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  20. ↑ Leanne Italie (11 May 2014). "'Supernanny' Takes on Tantrums in New Book". The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois). Retrieved 18 March 2015 – via HighBeam. (subscription required (help)).
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Heil, Emily (14 December 2012). "Cause Celeb: former ‘Supernanny’ Jo Frost lobbies Hill on vaccinations". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "Jo Frost Encourages Everyone to Support Global Childhood Vaccines on #GivingTuesday through the United Nations Foundation's Shot@Life Campaign". Vaccine Weekly. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015 – via HighBeam. (subscription required (help)).
  23. ↑ "Celebrity Supporters and 16,000 Partners Rally Behind #Givingtuesday, the International Day of Giving". States News Service. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2015 – via HighBeam. (subscription required (help)). (The article states that Frost's United Nations Foundations Shot@Life blog is: shotatlife.org/blog/jo-frost.html)
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Press Room - 2014 - August 6 - Food Allergy Research & Education". Foodallergy.org. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
  25. ↑ "A Conversation with Jo Frost, National Ambassador for the FARE Walk for Food Allergy | FARE Blog". Blog.foodallergy.org. 2014-09-21. Retrieved 2015-03-18.

External links

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