To think that Joe Wicks is not a hero?

[Cheeseandlobster]

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

Bet he's so bothered by how jealous, bitter, nasty people think of him. YABU.

@CallmeAngelina

What a mean thread. Are you all feeling better about yourselves now? Regardless of what you believe his motivations are, he nonetheless got millions of people up off the sofa and exercising, and hopefully working off some of the lockdown pounds. But yeah, slate him, the bastard.

This

Hero is in the eye of the beholder.

I saw a bloke call the bird-emergency-services for a seagull with a broken wing the other day, and told him he was a hero.

Joe Wicks is a lucky and/or astute man, in the right place at the right time. He's a hero to some but not to others.

"Well yes, it is generally easier to do some burpees and starjumps in front of a camera in a Spiderman costume, particularly when you are already famous, than try and engage 30 unruly kids in a game of hockey in the rain on a school field!"

So why persist with the hockey (except for those who are genuinely interested) and not move to exercise that the kids will actually do? PE in schools is shocking, just lip service for all but the most sporty kids.

I wouldn't say he's a hero but the workouts were a nice idea.

@Eckhart

Hero is in the eye of the beholder.

I saw a bloke call the bird-emergency-services for a seagull with a broken wing the other day, and told him he was a hero.

Joe Wicks is a lucky and/or astute man, in the right place at the right time. He's a hero to some but not to others.

"Hero is in the eye of the beholder."

Excellent way of putting it!

Congratulations on the most pointless thread I've ever come across

@Ingridla Why bother posting on a thread that you don't find interesting? This mindset fascinates me. Did you just feel like putting someone down? Or did you have a point yourself that I'm not getting?

He did more than most people. Fair play to him, he's driven and is a good example to kids and adults. This was a really moving programme. He had a seriously difficult childhood.
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000k1c0

Desert Island Discs
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000k1c0

Eckhart I took Ingridla's comment to mean it was a pointless thread to have been started in the first place, because OP is trying to stir up unnecessary spite, rather than it being pointless for anyone to comment on it. Or maybe that's just me. 🤷‍♀️

Well he made a ton of money way before lock down for a start through his 90 day plan, so YABU.

This is a mean spirited, pointless and petty thread, given that literally nobody other than the OP is calling Joe Wicks a hero. But then she says: I posted about it at the time and said I hoped it was due to nerves rather than him being like this with her in every day day life

So now she’s posting about it again. Seems like a weird obsession to me. Waste of head space.

I love him. He's helped me so much recently both physically and mentally that he's a hero to me personally. He seems like a genuine person who is very honest about having bad days, or enjoying a big ice cream sometimes, and he's mad as a box of frogs!

I guess Jamie Vardy is a hero to lots of people, but to me he's just a very well paid guy who kicks a ball. We all have different things and people that have value in our lives.

Does Wicks himself even think he's a hero? I doubt it.

@Cheeseandlobster

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?

You seem to have an unhealthy amount of hate for him. I saw that Saturday morning workout and what I saw doesn’t match your interpretation of it. “Upstairs” in their house is the living room. As the garden and kitchen are lower than street level.

How did he make himself 10 million during lockdown?

I don't think you can really berate him for seizing opportunity & making money. However I watched one or two sessions during lockdown & found it boring, he also talked way to much so I'm a little confused why he's so popular.

@corlan

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

This. At least he bloody well did something that was good for everyone and really helped families with kids at a very weird and difficult time.

I only know him as the bearded grinning man who bounces about on Youtube. I say good for him trying to get us all healthy!

AHEM.

Mumsnet posters seem to love to hate him for some reason.

However I watched one or two sessions during lockdown & found it boring, he also talked way to much so I'm a little confused why he's so popular.

Yeah I was quite puzzled at the popularity. My kids gave up after a couple of sessions as he just talked way too much and also I personally find HIIT workouts so boring, they are so samey after a while. But loads of people I know did it all through lockdown, the dressing up, the works, so we are definitely the odd ones out!

Oh for heaven’s sake, why would this even cross your consciousness? Does it really matter? I’m not a fan, but I know a few people for whom his workouts were the highlight of their day during lockdown and they’re a little bit fitter because of it. He raised a load of money for the NHS - perhaps you think he should have given more? He’s done nothing wrong and he’s actually done many people good. If some people want to call him a hero is that really something for you to get your knickers in a twist about?

I haven't heard him call himself a hero...I think he did a great job. He made loads of difference to lots of people during a really tough time. Yes he benefitted too but fair play to him...

I think he's great!!! I really admire all of the effort he put into PE with Joe and my kids enjoyed it every day!! I hope he made 10 mil but I think he donated everything to charity? Yes I would call him a hero :)

The term hero is overused. Literally everbody has been called a hero lately - people who stayed in, people who did stuff, people who didn’t do the same stuff. It is devaluing the term.
Sports personality of the year - definitely, but there are some others as well (the footballer campaigning for free school meals for example).
A decent guy, an engaged human - definitely. Not that many of these around. And a good role model, which for me is a far higher compliment than “hero”.
Hero, not so much. He hasn’t risked anything, he hasn’t sacrificed anything.And if he is actually the decent human being he seems to be, he will be majorly uncomfortable with the term hero.