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Original poster

To think that Joe Wicks is not a hero?

281 replies

Cheeseandlobster · 30/08/2020 09:34

Dont get me wrong, I like him and do one of his hiit sessions every day. He is a great trainer and motivator and he has raised a lot of awareness of the benefits of exercise. But a hero he is not. What he is, is an astute man who spotted an opportunity to make a lot of money during lockdown.

He raised 500k for the NHS through t shirt sales. But he also made 10 million for himself. I saw numerous comments about him being a national treasure as he got up every morning to do a 30 - 40 minute PE session for the nation. Even with planning weekly costumes, making props and planning the exercises (though often he winged it) this does not necessitate a full days work I am sure. I did the sessions on top of an 8 - 10 hour working day as did many others which is much harder.

It just annoys me when I see him being hailed as a hero when I doubt he would have done it without being able to make a ton of money for himself and to raise his own profile

OP posts:
ukgift2016 · 30/08/2020 09:37

YANBU

I always disliked the bloke. There something off about him, he comes across very smug and arrogant.

Pelleas · 30/08/2020 09:37

I've only got the vaguest notion of who he is!

The term 'hero' is overused nowadays and the pandemic seems to have exacerbated this trend.

corlan · 30/08/2020 09:38

He could have sat on his arse, done nothing and bitched about other people's efforts .

Heygirlheyboy · 30/08/2020 09:39

Wow, how did he make 10 million?!

BikeTyson · 30/08/2020 09:40

The term 'hero' is overused nowadays and the pandemic seems to have exacerbated this trend.

Yes. He did something that people enjoyed, made money for himself and charities, I’m sure he’s a nice man but hero is a stretch.

AppleKatie · 30/08/2020 09:40

Yanbu his PE lessons were also aimed much more at adults than kids.

It’s a great business, he’s done very well for himself.

He didn’t fight a war or risk himself in any way.

Lilybet1980 · 30/08/2020 09:40

Where did you get that he raised £10m for himself? I thought all advertising revenue from PE with Joe went to the NHS charities, as well as the t shirt sales.

Coriandersucks · 30/08/2020 09:40

He made 10million from those workouts during lockdown?

FAQs · 30/08/2020 09:40

Def not a hero especially when you compare it to those who really have been during this crisis.

DisgruntledGuineaPig · 30/08/2020 09:41

The money raised from you tube went to charity too.

It raised his profile, so he's made money from his other books/videos/plans, but the PE stuff made him no money. Was great advertising for his day job though.

He didn't need to do it. He didn't know it would be a big hit or that it would get him the level of advertising/profile it did. It could have ended up being a small thing that was only discussed on Newsround or on here.

Lots of people at the start of lockdown just hunkered down with their families. Stockpiled and focused on how they would cope.

He stopped and immediately thought about how would other families cope and what little thing could he do to help.

He deserves credit for that. He put more thought into maintaining the health of the nations children in lockdown than many in government.

D4rwin · 30/08/2020 09:41

He bailed out a lot of PE teachers who didn't seem to know what to do at first. But maybe he's owed a few pints. Not a hero. But I bet he's not saying that, surely?!

Longwhiskers14 · 30/08/2020 09:41

@corlan

He could have sat on his arse, done nothing and bitched about other people's efforts .
This. ^

What a mealy mouthed thread to start about someone who actually got off their arse and did something worthwhile to help others during the pandemic. For so many families struggling with home learning and WFH, his PE sessions were the only bit of routine they could cleave to, and had fun doing it.

Where's your source for the £10m too? Because I don't believe that figure.

thirstyformore · 30/08/2020 09:42

He didn't have the easiest of childhoods according to his story on desert island discs. He gave up a lot of his time to motivate the nation (and specifically kids) during a very difficult time.

Hero is probably a bit much (and very overused) but he did do a "good thing".

Butchyrestingface · 30/08/2020 09:42

He could have sat on his arse, done nothing and bitched about other people's efforts

He wouldn’t have netted himself £10m* then, would he?

Even Linda Evangelista would probably have stirred herself for that.

*assuming figure is accurate

SachaStark · 30/08/2020 09:42

Were the workout sessions hosted on his own YouTube channel?

If so, that’s how he reached £10million in personal profit. His AdSense would have been through the roof.

Longwhiskers14 · 30/08/2020 09:43

Also, Captain Tom made a fortune after doing his garden laps, when he signed a book deal. Does that mean he's not a hero either for making money for himself from his good deed?

Honestly, why do we have to rip down everyone who does something nice?

roundtable · 30/08/2020 09:43

Hero - no that word is not used properly.

However, he did a great thing and lots of people benefited from it.

Better than him posting videos of him crying from his mansion about how hard it is for him.

I don't think anyone quite realised how long it would go on for - I think you're being a bit harsh and I didn't do his exercises .

Original poster
Cheeseandlobster · 30/08/2020 09:44

I liked him a lot more before he got his wife Rosie involved. Rosie was lovely but and did his sessions for him when he had a hand operation but he spent a lot of the time talking over her. I then saw another session he did in the garden on a Saturday morning. His daughter was being a bit vocal so he ordered his wife to take her in the house. You could still hear his daughter a bit from inside the house so he then told her to take the children upstairs. I don't know, it didn't sit right with me. During lockdown in a family home, a bit of noise is expected surely?

OP posts:
Crawlbee · 30/08/2020 09:44

Meh, fair play to him, anyone else could have attempted the same, he saw an opportunity and took it, and it seems a lot of people enjoyed his workouts and found them useful. Not a huge fan of his stuff myself, but it's nice to see people succeed at something they evidently enjoy. I don't know who is calling him a hero, but that is wildly overused at the moment anyway.

MonsteraDeliciosa · 30/08/2020 09:44

Well he’s not a hero, that I agree with, but I like what he did and can’t blame him for making the most of an opportunity.

Didiusfalco · 30/08/2020 09:44

To be fair, I doubt he goes around describing himself as a hero, so you can’t really pin that on him.

ftm202020 · 30/08/2020 09:45

YANBU. None of these people doing their regular jobs during covid are heroes. It is ridiculous now.

LuaDipa · 30/08/2020 09:46

@corlan

He could have sat on his arse, done nothing and bitched about other people's efforts .
Yep.

Didn’t participate in any of the sessions but I very much hope he has made money. He committed time every day to do something that helped a lot of people. Unsure why anyone would begrudge him the success he has achieved.

Thunderpunt · 30/08/2020 09:46

He will probably win BBC Sports Personality of the Year!

Fishfingersandwichplease · 30/08/2020 09:46

Arrogant is the last word l would use to describe him. I listened to his desert island discs podcast and watched his speech at the university he graduated from and he came across as very humble. Ok he hasn't saved lives and hero is a bit extreme but he is a great role model to kids and adults for exercise and well being.

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