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Original poster

BBC's Eat well for less - fake series?

25 replies

Curiousjean67 · 12/10/2018 18:30

I have been watching the series, and yes I do like them..BUT. "The couple have no idea that we are watching them". The next shot you see the camera attached to the shopping trolley and in the following shot someone is filming them about a foot away over their shoulder. This wouldn't be the first time BBC has made false claims or falsified facts. (www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-fake-scenes-human-planet-documentary-tribe-living-rainforest-treehouse-a8289251.html)

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Original poster
Curiousjean67 · 12/10/2018 18:30

Am I the only one who is annoyed about this?

OP posts:
Brownboots · 12/10/2018 18:32

It's just telly.

greensnail · 12/10/2018 18:35

This always annoys me about this program. I don't believe all these usually go to the supermarket together. I don't know anyone that does that.

Akire · 12/10/2018 18:36

It annoys me! It’s like 8th series so it can hardly be a surprise. Even if they know they are being filmed and Greg and what’s his face aren’t there. They ALWAYS show up, it would be much better and believable for everything else if they stopped fake.

WaxOnFeckOff · 12/10/2018 18:38

I liked last weeks where the couple clearly weren't up for that and said they did internet shopping and Greg and what's his face had to go round with the trolley instead. Fair play I thought, fair play...

Angelf1sh · 12/10/2018 18:39

This always annoys me. The only thing is, they do always seem genuinely surprised and I doubt they’re all good actors. My guess is that they’ve been filmed going round the shops several times when they weren’t approached by Greg and whatshisface, so whilst they knew it would happen at some point, they didn’t know it would happen today.

Cagliostro · 12/10/2018 18:42

Bugs me too. And they use the receipts submitted by the families so they must see the extent of it before they hand those over. Whereas my issue is that I don’t bother getting a receipt or it ends up scrumpled up in the buggy etc and if I had to give my receipts to someone I’d be in for a right shock.

Whatsthisbear · 12/10/2018 18:47

Drives me mad that the lower price swaps aren’t all from the same supermarket. So yes the people can save X amount each week, but only if they shop in 4 different supermarkets, instead of their usual one shop. Hmm

Original poster
Curiousjean67 · 12/10/2018 18:57

@Whatsthisbear - hear, hear. You'd end up spending the 'savings' in petrol driving around the different supermarkets..

@WaxOnFeckOff - lol I'm still to watch that episode.. Smile I guess I will be catching up the other couple of episodes before then, so I don't have to think about what to do tonight Grin

@Angelf1sh - yes that was my thought as well, and I'm hoping that the close-ups are filmed by someone using Google glasses or similar. Would be good if BBC could confirm this... Hmm

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PattiStanger · 12/10/2018 19:02

I think the reason they have the receipts is that they know ages in advance they are going to go on and are asked to keep them.

They must have some kind of warning about them coming to the house though as no one ever has a messy kitchen - that can't be real

WaxOnFeckOff · 12/10/2018 19:04

The often don't really show you which supermarket now as I guess they've had criticism for that before. I think they try to push it to make the point that it's worth trying other brands as you weren't as wedded to the one you usually buy as to thought you were.

I just think how lucky these folk are that their kids eat pretty much anything however as nice as those parcel things looked, would you really have them every week? Or the take-away replacements they make I'm sure are lovely but I don't sometimes get a takeaway because I can't cook tasty exotic food, I get one knowing it might not be as nice as I could make myself but I really can't be fecking bothered cooking.

WaxOnFeckOff · 12/10/2018 19:08

And I think they know it's being filmed but are asked to buy all the shit that they have the receipts for...

I know on one of the housing programmes, the person who was the "buyer" was just a friend of a friend of someone on the staff of the show as they needed someone to step in fas. This person was then spouting all this shit about what type of place they were looking for etc etc and in reality they were in no way looking to move..

Angelf1sh · 12/10/2018 19:10

Another thing that annoys me is when they say “making X instead of buying it as a takeaway will save you £1.23 a week” and they respond “oh we’ll definitely be stopping the takeaways from now on”. Who is going to stop getting takeaways to save £63.96 a year? I could understand it if they were saying “this home cooked meal has X000 fewer calories and Xg less salt”, but it’s always the price they focus on. The amount of time/work involved in making the “takeaway” is not worth it just to save £1.23 ffs!

gamerchick · 12/10/2018 19:11

This program does my swede in anyway. I couldn't physically spend hundreds every week on food. I'd like to see them do one when a family has a 50 quid budget.

leghairdontcare · 12/10/2018 19:19

I assume that they know they are being filmed but that they don't know that greg is going to jump out at them at the end? And they all have to politely nod and pretend that they know who the other bloke is.

Original poster
Curiousjean67 · 12/10/2018 19:23

@PattiStanger - receipts I can understand as most likely they will submit them when applying to be in the show.. And kitchens - you should have seen my kitchen today... Blush ...now tidied up though.

@WaxOnFeckOff - the signage is usually a dead giveaway for which supermarket it is Smile And am totally with you with getting a takeaway for something you wouldn't normally cook at home.

@Angelf1sh - I know. I think I'd reduce the number of times I get a takeaway rather than give them up totally for what really is a small amount per month. Although I'm not really qualified to comment on that Smile, I only get a takeaway when I have friends staying over and even then, that's only the first evening so that we can use the time to catch up. The next day we normally plan what to have for lunch/dinner and go shopping then..

@gamerchick - I can't ever imagine spending that kind of money on food - like one of the families beginning of season 5 - £100 a week per person? I'd be eating out every day for that money and would be totally stuffed AND bored. I like my plain meals every now and then. Even after holidays (when I spoil myself) I start craving for simple salad or yoghurt and bread Grin

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Pixel99 · 12/10/2018 19:27

And why does it seem every family always shop in Tesco. I thought there were rules about this! Hmm

BlackHillsofDakota · 12/10/2018 19:28

A PP has said exactly what I said last night, all the swaps are from different supermarkets. It's such a stupid programme I don't know why I watch it! Grin

nicebitofquiche · 12/10/2018 19:37

I only like watching it so I can get annoyed at how stupid people are. Some of them really can't be that thick. I think they just want to be on the television.

Original poster
Curiousjean67 · 12/10/2018 21:54

@Pixel99 - Smile that used to be me - in Mr T most of the nights as it was the closest.

@BlackHillsofDakota - I think both you and I need help, am so addicted that even if the show annoys me to..... I can't stop watching.

@nicebitofquiche - I'd love to agree with you, but these people do exist. Starting with my colleagues who buy four, five takeaway coffees each day and then say they can't afford something sensible that is less than £15 a month (talking about union membership here - you get free legal advice from them, free will service, death benefit). And then in the next sentence they say that they bought something for £200 and you know they could have bought it for £100 had they waited for two weeks longer..) Oh well, everyone to their own, eh?

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Chewbecca · 12/10/2018 22:03

Annoys me too OP.

Things that annoy me about this show include:

I don't do a big shop, I bet they would make me. And DH never comes but, again, that seems to be a must.

And like PPs, there is no chance I am going to start driving all over town to visit all the different shops. I'd have to take a day off work to shop!

I'm not giving up takeaways to cook my own. We have takeaways because sometimes after work I am totally knackered and want food with zero effort. Happy to cook the takeaway recipes but they are not a sub for zero effort food.

Always a bit concerned about the low sugar versions of things (like baked beans). Doesn't this often mean they contain sweetener instead? Am not keen on articulating sweeteners but I may be irrational here.

I sound like I hate the show but I don't at all. It really appeals to the super nosy me - what do other families actually eat?

nicebitofquiche · 12/10/2018 22:15

OP really?? Now you come to mention it I know someone a bit like that. Not with food though, they spend so much on products and gadgets that they don't need they can't afford to go on holiday.

Crinkle77 · 13/10/2018 10:47

They don't expect that people will go to 4 different supermarkets. Rather it's to try and encourage people to try own brand products. Some people are a bit snobby about own brand stuff and if they just tried them they would realise they are actually quite good. And I have seen plenty of families shopping together.

emmeyebea · 13/10/2018 15:29

What riles me is when they have people on the show who literally can't cook to save their life so exist on ready meals and takeaways.

They need to learn to cook easy family meals, so what happens? Are they shown how to make a few 'old favourites' or bog-standard dinners? No. Instead of teaching them how to bung a few chicken portions in the oven or make something like shepherd's pie, they are persuaded to concoct all sorts of outlandish dishes instead. And generally the ingredients aren't all that cheap either.

mrsoutnumbered · 13/10/2018 15:51

The BBC have to be impartial which is probably why they show swaps from various different shops. But yes annoying!

I think I only like watching it because it makes me feel less useless! Oh look there are people out there lazier than me! 😂

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