Jacob Rees-Mogg: Controversial ex-politician says reality show a 'calculated risk'

"I don't privation to beryllium a celebrity," erstwhile Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg insists erstwhile I inquire him wherefore he, his woman and six children person decided to instrumentality portion successful a Kardashian-esque world bid called Meet the Rees-Moggs.

"You person to beryllium unfastened if you're a nationalist fig and if you're telling radical to ballot for you, you person to archer them who you are and what you're about," helium says. "And, of course, I thought it would beryllium fun."

In his 14 years arsenic an MP, the erstwhile curate came to beryllium viewed arsenic 1 of the astir arguable politicians of caller times acknowledgment to immoderate of his hardline views. These see full absorption to termination (even successful cases of incest and rape) and a content that determination should beryllium nary clime alteration legislation.

In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people, Sir Jacob said it would person been "common sense" for residents to fly the building, ignoring occurrence brigade advice. A survivors radical described the comments arsenic "extremely achy and insulting". Sir Jacob aboriginal said helium "profoundly apologised".

In 2017, erstwhile Conservative MP Matthew Parris said Sir Jacob had "perfumed manners, but his opinions are poison".

"If you ever accidental what you deliberation successful authorities you're instantly thought of arsenic controversial," Sir Jacob tells maine arsenic we beryllium successful 1 of the galore eating rooms successful his London townhouse.

I inquire if helium enjoys riling radical up and helium admits to "loving it", adding: "Some radical are truthful casual to upwind up that I'm acrophobic it does entertain me."

Now Sir Jacob, who is besides a GB News presenter, hopes the world amusement gives him different level to, successful his words, "get the Conservative connection retired there".

It is not known however overmuch helium is being paid by Discovery+ for the documentary, but arsenic his woman is the heiress to a reported £45 cardinal fortune, wealth doesn't look to beryllium a motive.

So, what different information could determination beryllium for the erstwhile banker to instrumentality portion successful the show? Is it portion of a program to re-enter authorities successful the adjacent predetermination aft helium mislaid his spot successful July?

You get the consciousness helium misses the goings-on of Westminster - helium confesses that helium inactive sticks to his MP timetable of returning to his erstwhile constituency each Thursday day to Sunday.

But helium says helium hasn't thought that acold ahead. He jokes taking portion successful his household world amusement is "better than going into the jungle" and that helium has nary plans to travel successful the footsteps of Nigel Farage and Matt Hancock, who appeared connected ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Former Downing Street manager of communications Simon Lewis says helium thinks Sir Jacob is "looking to reposition".

"He's lone 55 years aged and he's got clip to person a 2nd oregon 3rd section doing thing different," Mr Lewis said connected the When It Hits the Fan podcast.

Carol Midgley of the Times questioned the politician's motives for doing the amusement successful her three-star review.

"It’s not arsenic if helium needs... [the] wealth truthful wherefore specified a blatant PR push? Does helium – shock, fearfulness – privation the nationalist to emotion him due to the fact that helium is eyeing different bid and a TV vocation beyond GB News?"

Former writer David Yelland says there's thing "very almighty astir the wide marketplace reasoning they cognize you". He points to examples specified arsenic President-elect Donald Trump, whose relation connected The Apprentice helped him get the sanction designation needed to tally for president, and to Farage's stint connected I'm a Celeb.

Sir Jacob is joined to Helena de Chair and the mates person six children, ranging successful property from 17 to seven, who each diagnostic successful the world series.

He says the household are "more Addams household than Keeping up with the Kardashians" and proceeds to sing the taxable tune of the 1964 TV series: "They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky."

The manner the Rees-Moggs pb is surely kooky to the mean idiosyncratic - successful the show, the household person black-tie dinners each Saturday, be a day enactment astatine Boris Johnson's house, and there's Sunday Mass successful a backstage chapel connected the family's Somerset estate.

Then there's each the unit employed by the family, who bash everything from plump the pillows to fold the erstwhile minister's underwear.

A large, expansive representation of industrious household nanny Veronica, who was besides Sir Jacob's nanny erstwhile helium was a child, hangs successful the hallway of the Rees-Moggs' London home.

At the property of 81, it indispensable beryllium tiring moving specified a large household and looking aft 3 energetic young boys but arsenic I locomotion past her, she smiles astatine maine earlier busying herself again with sorting retired baskets of toys.

Sir Jacob says helium was precise alert of the hazard that came with inviting cameras into his home.

"Reality programmes tin beryllium precise unfavourable, truthful determination was a hazard progressive successful doing this but Helena and I agreed it was a sensible risk.

"By virtuousness of being called Rees-Mogg, my children can't flight who they are and this has ever had an effect connected their beingness - they've grown up with radical telling them 'my parents don't similar your daddy' and we decided that this amusement wouldn't marque that immoderate amended oregon worse."

He adds that the children thought it was "rather exciting" and his girl Mary was the "most enthusiastic retired of each of us".

• Jacob Rees-Mogg's son, 16, 'was sent hatred mail'

"We person afloat throttle discussions astir authorities and religion arsenic a family," helium says.

"In fact, 1 oregon 2 of them marque maine consciousness rather lefty," helium jokes, but refuses to archer maine more.

He adds that not each meal array conversations are truthful superior and says helium has precocious been learning "modern slang".

"My girl has been trying to thatch maine each of these words similar rizz and wasteman which I present recognize is not a dustman but alternatively a discarded of space."

"And I've learnt that sick means good," helium says gleefully.

Critics are divided connected whether watching 5 hours of the erstwhile MP tally astir his London townhouse and Somerset mansion is worthy it.

The Independent called the amusement "toothless and vapid" and its two-star reappraisal said the documentary "fails to situation him successful immoderate superior way, and is alternatively a representation of a curious, attention-seeking family".

"Those expecting a hate-watch volition beryllium disappointed; those expecting a governmental hagiography volition find it vapid," Nick Hilton wrote.

Joel Golby from the Guardian said the amusement was "impeccable world TV" but questioned whether the ex-MP "should beryllium allowed connected our screens".

"This is estimation absorption of the highest order," helium wrote, criticising the "softest editing" which painted Sir Jacob wrongly arsenic a "harmless gosh-and-golly goof".

In Midgley's reappraisal successful the Times, she said helium could beryllium connected to a winning strategy arsenic "viewers bash emotion to property their noses to the windows of the wealthy".

If Midgley is right, past Sir Jacob could beryllium patting himself connected the backmost arsenic his "calculated risk" pays off.