to wish that Gareth Malone would just fuck right off?

[TheGMF]

And take his military wives with him.

Ones anyone else think he's starting to look very like Sue Perkins? (Obviously when he doesn't have beard!)

I love Gareth Malone and enjoy watching him motivate people to sing - I think he'd make a great life coach!

OP, YANBU not to like him/his programmes, we can't all like the same stuff, but YABU to want him to disappear when you could just watch something else.

I watched a couple of his early series and enjoyed them, but like all reality TV, it's a formula and it gets boring for me after that.

I'm not anti military wives, but I don't quite 'get' it either to be honest. I can't stand all the mawkishness. Yes, fine, it's a life with its own unique challenges but no-one forced you to marry someone in the services, it's your life choice. Sorry but you don't get a medal for me just for that.

And what about the military husbands? Can you even imagine a man describing himself as a military husband? It's like these women have no identity of their own, they are just appendages to their husband and his career. Who would describe themself as a 'solicitor's wife' or a 'dustman's girlfriend'. Or would men define themselves as a 'banker's husband' or a 'cleaner's boyfriend'. No.

It seems a few posters on this thread have had an empathy rain check. I don't watch Gareth Malone because I am not fussed on him, but I am a military wife and now a military mum.

In my everyday life, I don't describe myself as a military wife, I'm Mrs X, I don't introduce myself by saying "hi, I'm Fairy, I'm a military wife!"

It has never, ever been suggested by anyone that miltary wives, husbands or partners love their spouse or partner more than anyone else, but they do have a lot of challenges along the way. Most people will never know the feeling of seeing their loved one walk down the path with their bags, knowing that that could be the last time you ever see them. It is particularly hard having small children crying for daddy night after night after night. Thinking about those times can make me cry instantly. It is not acting, it is reality.

Last Christmas was shit, DH was away. Next Christmas it looks incredibly likely DS1 will be away. It's their jobs and we do get on with it, because that is our life. We don't moan, we carry on. DH was recently promoted, I didn't think "great" I thought "oh fuck" , because it means signing on for extra service and he'll be back in the pot for deployments.

If you don't like the program, fine turn it off, but don't sneer and take the piss out of women who are doing a difficult task of keeping a family together whilst worrying about whether their loved one will return alive or uninjured.

I love Gareth , he went to school in my town and his parents live here somewhere. I think he has done a lot to bring people together.

I quite like Gareth Malone, I like what he has done for choral singing. However, I really think he should have left the military wives theme alone after the first series; it really does look over-sentimentalised now, and as if it's exploiting the whole "Our Boys" schtick.

The Fairy Caravan.

I am sorry I offended you. I wasn't taking the piss out of partners of those in the services.

I didn't phrase things well in my post - I realise of course no woman describes themself as a 'military wife' in the way it seems I suggested, I just don't like the 'branding' that's placed on them. It sits uncomfortably with my feminist principles.

You didn't offend me loveareading. It wasn't your post I was referring to.

YABU. He is my guilty crush.

I think Laqueen pretty much nailed it. iMO, Anything with Military and wives in the same sentence is bound to be a pile of crud. I mean how twee can you get

empathy rain check indeed TheFC.

If, as a pp suggested, you are actually Mrs M, and he has bought you a small box of quality st this year and nothing else, then YANBU. Otherwise you are being VVU indeed. I have met Mr M. He is lush .

"- it's like Brownies, but with wine."

That sounds rather good, actually. Pity I'm a dreadful singer.

I would love Brownies with wine.

Thread is 24 hours old and we still don't know what GM has done to the OP.

A bit of a cringe I can maybe understand.

Sounds like the BBC is more to blame than Gareth for the editing and cobbling together of the MW's choir, with all the life stories etc.

I am guessing there's a market for these shows. Not sure about the viewing figures.

I do think GM could do some different sorts of programmes. He has patience and enthusiasm, and comes across as a nice bloke.

I wouldn't watch his programmes as they are crap reality tv. But I like him. He's friendly and geeky and very talented and incredibly attractive. I just wish he wasn't part of such awful tv programmes. I have no desire to hear women defined only by the men they are married to sing when they are not talented.

Ahem.

Singing is fantastic. Most people don't do it much unless they go to church on a Sunday. I find some of the stuff a bit formulaic but gm has done great things for singing in the UK and I can't find that bad. Not so keen on the beard though.

The beard is long gone.

I would love to be able to sing properly.