I watch it almost everyday. When I first started watching it, I’ll admit, I watched because I found it fascinating. I had just moved from the States, I was having a hard time with non BBC British accents and slang (I’m in Yorkshire), and the show with subtitles actually helped. Call me crazy, don’t believe me, I don’t care. There aren’t many shows on TV in the UK that show true regional slang and accents.
I had seen shows like it before at home, namely the Jerry Springer show. The JS show used to be good before it went really trashy, because he’d have really interesting guests about racism and people who were gay (in the 1990s) talking about the discrimination they faced. He’s had the KKK on, and they had a debate about free speech even when there was hate speech. He was a reporter, so his show was actually about mainstream topics. It was also filmed in my home city, Chicago. Other shows at home like the Steve Wilkos Show and Maury do find their guests in the poorest sections of society. We don’t say working class, we say poor or hand to mouth. DNA tests are really expensive on both sides of the pond, so I could see someone who needs the test done, the man/woman cannot pay for it, etc.. I don’t like the lie detector ones about cheating, because usually they’re just spouting nasty things about each other.
I must admit, I skip the ones about drug abuse and rehab, because JK is quite nasty to them before helping them. And sadly, usually, the person relapses.
Lately there’s been more sibling reunions, parent reunions, etc. including DNA to confirm people are siblings or parents or whatever after being adopted out. I find those more palpatable to watch, and quite frankly, I’ve cried over them.
Some of the guests though, they clearly have mental health, drug, alcohol, or other problems. Some have finished school without any qualifications, live in deprived areas, and it gets on my NERVES when JK tells them to just get off their backside and find a job. Yeah ok dude, its not that fucking easy, is it? Especially if you’ve made mistakes in your life, went to prison, had an addiction.
My husband doesn’t know why I watch, but the easiest way to explain it is, its hard to look away from a tragedy. You just look on to see what’s going to happen next.