I'm a celebrity -get me in The Archers! The jury's out in Ambridge.

[PseudoBadger]

New thread for the celebrity packed hour long special tonight! Welcome to regulars and newbies alike

NO SPOILERS please there's a thread for that here

Added by MNHQ: NB there will be spoilers on this thread for those who are yet to listen to the one hour special.

[Gruach]

That does indeed look like a festival Pseudo

Surely you won't actually be enjoying yourself rather than listening this evening?

I shall be staying with friends who will eat first and listen later. It will be fun to listen with other people but I won't be able to join the thread for the 7pm broadcast!


Thank you for the lovely new thread. (Got a new title ready for tomorrow? ...)

[ErrolTheDragon]

I listen to the podcast nowadays (and stay away from these threads till I've listened) because thats the best way to do it without interruption, or at least the ability to pause.

[CeciledeVolanges]

Sara Peggy had two, didn't she? Then one was put down and she was quite upset.

[CeciledeVolanges]

Sorry, I forgot I was reading the thread the correct way and everyone has answered that question! Jasper I think the best chance on the wounding charge would have been to try to show Helen didn't have intent, that Rob charged at her and she just shoved the knife out blindly, then he came again and she fended him off and was in real fear for her life. So either lack of mens rea or self defence.

[ibrowze]

Can a medical person explain to me what service it did Rob to taunt Helen about her weight when pregnant? If he was thinking it might provoke her to stop eating again, wouldn't that harm his precious Gideon in vitro?!

Posted this earlier not realising we're on a new thread - thanks for organising the move Pseudo

[redshoeblueshoe]

ibrowze -I answered on the other thread ! But it wasn't a proper answer, as we couldn't fathom it out either

[ErrolTheDragon]

Ibrowze - not to mention taunting Helen to kill herself, which would have almost certainly killed the baby too. Perhaps he really didn't think there was the slightest chance she'd take that way out (or that he would be able to intervene and 'gallantly' save her having proved her madness and badness) but it was a hell of a risk. If I was on Helens custody case I'd be questioning whether there was a possibility that Rob would be of the 'family destroyer' mentality - liable to kill the boys rather than let anyone else have them.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

The only way I've ever been able to make sense of it is to assume that he is not that bright. He knew he could always get a reaction from Helen by making nasty remarks about her weight, so he did. He was playing with fire because he had no grasp of just how serious the consequences could be, given her history of ED, especially for his (as he would see it) unborn child. Once she was in hospital that became another stick to beat her with.

Rather similar to the idiotic idea that she should have a home birth. He could see it wasn't what Helen wanted and would get her anxious and upset, but he didn't seem able to see that that would be very bad for the baby as well as Helen.

Of course, the other solution is that the SWs and SOC didn't know what they were doing...

[CeciledeVolanges]

ibrowze I'm not sure he was thinking about the baby's health or how much harm it would do to the baby. I think he was mainly thinking about how to provoke her into illness, because when someone is branded mentally ill people stop listening to and trusting them and they are subjected to intense control from the law and friends and family. Same with giving her the knife. Someone who has slashed their wrists had pretty much written "I'm suicidal" on their own body, the default assumption is that you aren't thinking straight, but we can trust your steadfast husband who has saved your life. I have personal experience of this. It sort of ropes even non-abusive bystanders and the medical profession into the control and even the gaslighting because they don't trust you.

[bakeoffcake]

Anyone else regularly looking at the clock and counting down the hours to 7.00pm?

I hope H Is found not guilty or I'm never listening again. Those is us still listening have been through enough with this SL and we deserve a blooming good ending to it!

[ErrolTheDragon]

Rob doesn't really deep down care about the boys in their own right but as his possessions. We suspect him of being complicit in the hot bath incident, don't we, he's encouraging Henry to start hunting as young as possible, given him a proper cricket ball which really isn't age appropriate ... Thats just the physical stuff. I'm not sure he'd be more careful with his own son.

[Trojanhorsebox]

I don't care what the outcome is, I just want it all over and done with and to get back to the excitement of stir up Sunday and Susan bitching about Ed's muddy footprints!

This story line has been so overplayed and "badly done Helen" that I've lost interest in it. It may have raised awareness of domestic violence and coercive control but it could have done so much more to help victims if it had been played differently. The stabbing really let people down, as others said when it happened. Seeing Helen's repeated attempts to leave Rob and possible eventual success with the help of Kirsty and Women's Aid would have been so much better in my view.

[Scorbus]

Signing in for tonight's episode. I'm hoping the distinctive voices don't detract from the storyline. I'm most worried about one of the female jurors.

[RockNRollNerd]

As I mentioned on the previous thread I fear the voices will detract, I've never heard Catherine Tate or Nigel Havers not sound like themselves.

I remember the S&M parties in the village hall story, around the same time, a local PTA not a million miles away also decided to hold a fundraiser with male strippers I seem to recall. The village hall floors for miles around must have been death traps with all the pearls on the floor with all the clutching that went on! Funny how these are the every day stories of country folk that don't pop up on TA...there's going to be some serious gaps in DS' worldliness if they don't up their game . (Assumes I'm not the only parent who blindly assumes if it's on Radio 4 there is limited harm that can come to kids who are listening )

[ibrowze]

Thanks for feedback everyone. Ultimately I'm glad I don't understand Rob as it would bracket me with a similar mentality. Can see now how gaslighting works at a much more subtle level than I realised. Feel a loss of innocence from this SL as find myself watching parents and kids at pick up and wondering ....

[PresidentOliviaMumsnet]

Place-marking
Not sure how I'm going to keep all the DC quiet.
Will have to rely on DH

[Salutarychoring]

Thanks for thread.

I have made it clear I am going to be unavailable tonight between 8 and 9pm (live abroad) and do not want to be disturbed (barring fire, earthquake or pestilence).

I also (for the first time ever) found the Omnibus difficult listening (particularly Helin's testimony).

Was very relieved that Arseula wasn't present in the last episode though because her voice sets my teeth on edge (good acting I suppose!)

And, even though I can't judge whether Anna's performance in legal terms has been top notch or not, I am happy that she is being portrayed as fairly formidable and incisive at long last.

After all of this though, I shall be very happy returning to Adam's herbal leys (no pun intended - poor Ian has suffered enough).

As an aside, can anyone give me some pointers as to the character of Shula please? She didn't strike me as someone who was lacking in judgement and self-confidence, so what's with the ridiculous sandwich touting, the jealousy over Dr Locke's relationship with Elizabeth and allowing herself to be put in the position where Rob presents her as being on his side? (I know she walked out of court eventually but still.)

Has she had a sudden character change or what? (Or is she just a bit lost atm with Dan leaving home and her marriage being rocky?) Many women go through those things I suppose but why portray her as being socially clumsy and stupid too? Or is that true to her past character? Thanks for any insights.

[JasperDamerel]

Argh! Have just realised I can't listen and post simultaneously on my phone. Will have to see if I can tune in the ancient radio.

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

Here we go...

[DoctorTwo]

Here we go!

[SafariSoGood]

[Fiderer]

Least helpful post ever.

25 years of listening and now, so weedy.

[SafariSoGood]

Sounds like EE!

[BurnTheBlackSuit]

This is dull

[Scorbus]

What's with the accents?