Family with 4 genius kids, weird TV prog from about 15 years ago anyone remember?!

[Blurpblorp]

Anyone remember this show? A British family... mother (who clearly wore the trousers) and father who had 4 kids with genius IQs. Each had their own talent... The family prized education over all else. Grades somehow arrived in envelopes which they brought in to their lounge on a silver platter. They lived in a detached house in I seem to think, Lincolnshire, that had CCTV all around it... Remember feeling it was all very off and sometimes wonder what happened to those children... Google hasn't helped... Anyone?

Oooh - I remember this! The program was called “Child Genuis” I think. The kids had Italian names if I remember correctly. There was a newspaper article about them and that both parents had had other kids from previous relationships but had no contact with them. (The implication being because they weren’t geniuses but who knows how true that is.)

My memory of that family was that the kids were obviously very bright and had been pushed hard by the parents but weren’t “true” geniuses in the way that some of the other kids on the program were. (I say that as a “genius faker” myself - someone who is clever enough to appear impressive to the general population but who most definitely is not a genius.)

I think I remember seeing this - the ceremonial opening of envelopes rings a bell. Was one of the children taking their 11 plus exam? Was this family one of several which were featured in the programme?

Well-remembered @Mumoftwoinprimary

I think it's the final family mentioned in this article

God - they sound much worse in that article than I remember from the program!

Yes I remember them! Can’t remember the name (I can’t see the link as not a subscriber)

I’m sure I read on MN about some controversy to do with them but it’s hazy

I think it's the final family mentioned in this article

Read as much of the article as available without subscribing!
What does 'parse sentences' mean?

Screenshot (hopefully this doesn't contravene copyright?)

Three of them are on LinkedIn...

@RJnomore1

Three of them are on LinkedIn...

So the big question is - are they spiritual leaders and prime ministers and things or are they just plodding along with a reasonably successful professional role whilst spending their spare time posting in the Stately Homes thread on mumsnet?

Most if them seem to have spent forever as students...

I remember the family. Didn't they drop out of the program because they wanted to concentrate on education?

I hope they turned out ok. I remember that poor kid who was a chess genius (tutored by her dad) from memory she committed suicide - there had been abuse.

Ruth Lawrence - although now a successful mathematician, ran to the other side of the world away from her father and said that she wants her children to have a ‘normal’ upbringing (although it seems to be a rather religious one but that’s her choice).

Thanks faircastle yep that’s the one.

I think I read something about one of the parents having a whole other first family who they just pretend never existed, but I might be thinking of someone else

I had a Google, this was on digital spy. It was from an article (the Sun, but still) that’s now gone 🧐

———

Peter and Elizabeth Grafton-Clarke are said to have ruthlessly abandoned their first families 15 years ago.

They SEVERED all contact and SHUNNED their nine grandchildren, The Sun has been told. The heartless pair, both 55, set up home together to create an “uberfamily” of brainboxes.

PETER and his first wife Leigh had three daughters — Victoria, now aged 25, Zoe, 24, and 21-year-old Amy.

ELIZABETH and first husband Peter had four kids — Andrew, now 33, Gemma, 29, Victoria, 25, and Alex, 23.

Leigh told last night how Peter simply walked out on her and the children one day leaving a note saying: “I don’t ever want to see you or them again.”

Last night the couple said in a statement: “We both refute claims of abandonment.” Channel 4 refused to comment.
ELIZABETH’S daughter Gemma Owen-Brown, 29, yesterday called for C4 to drop the Grafton-Clarkes from the show.

She said: “I was 13 when my mother ran off with Peter.

“For a long time I didn’t know if she was alive or dead. She didn’t even know her own father had died and missed the funeral. My little brother only knew what she looked like from an old photo.”

Elizabeth ditched the family even though eldest child Andrew, now 33, was born severely disabled. He is in a care home and is profoundly deaf."

Gemma’s brother Alex, 23, added: “I feel salt has been rubbed into an already-sore wound.” Sister Victoria, 25, said: “Not even a birthday card — there’s no excuse.”

@PegLegAntoine - that is a really sad article. I wonder if the “gifted” kids had any idea that they had 7(!) half siblings in total before it all came out. The implication was that the older women only found out about the younger ones (and that their parents were alive) when they saw them on the telly.

Thanks for solving the mystery everyone... Now totally remember the mum saying they had a responsibility to the world to raise geniuses What a strangeness.

My mother was friends with Ruth Lawrence’s father’s first wife. She’d left him because he’d tried to hothouse her kids the way he later did with Ruth and she refused to let it happen.

What a terribly sad thread. How awful for those poor children - both the first families and the second. I hope that they are free to live normal lives now.

I always felt dreadfully sorry for Ruth Lawrence. Interesting to know that he tried to hothouse his first family too.

I can't understand why anyone would want to do that to their children.

One of them at least has put all his exam results from A Level onwards on Linked In. It's a bit sad, really, because he seems still to be indoctrinated to think exam results are the be-all and end-all.

I think what always stood out to be from those Child Genius programmes on what happens to them when they become adults and are just clever adults. Some of them appeared to be aware of that ahead of them and fairly well adjusted to the idea, but I can imagine for others it must have been a real identity crisis if they'd be led to believe that being the cleverest person in the room was what they had to offer to the world.

@Dailyhandtowelwash

I think what always stood out to be from those Child Genius programmes on what happens to them when they become adults and are just clever adults. Some of them appeared to be aware of that ahead of them and fairly well adjusted to the idea, but I can imagine for others it must have been a real identity crisis if they'd be led to believe that being the cleverest person in the room was what they had to offer to the world.

Yes, child prodigy syndrome is a known psychological issue. Unless, as an adult, the prodigy goes on to produce something outstanding in originality or creativity, what happens is that everyone else catches up and, as you say, they go from prodigy to a clever adult amongst many other clever adults. Apparently it can lead to depression if expectations aren't managed growing up.

Absolutely, being a gifted child who doesn’t reach the potential everyone tells you about is pretty horrible psychologically. Anecdotally it is very common in autistic/ADHD where it’s not diagnosed in childhood (not saying that’s always the case, or relevant to the family in the OP obviously), they’re just a very clever child whose intelligence and achievements mask any difficulties or any social issues are shrugged off as them being a quirky genius... until they get older and under more pressure socially etc.

Not that I was ever a genius but I was (am!) clever and spent most of my adulthood feeling deeply frustrated and depressed at my inability to turn that into much success in my professional life, and my inability to 'adult' very well. I was diagnosed with ADHD two years ago and it was like someone had finally turned the lights on. It hasn't suddenly transformed my career of course, but what a relief to find things make some sense and to give myself a break for my failures.

When I was diagnosed my very nice psychiatrist did say that I was much cleverer than I thought to have achieved what I had despite the ADHD - meaning a degree and holding down a graduate managerial job, and sustaining my marriage, rather than anything more exciting or distinguished. So I can't really imagine the frustration for someone who is properly incredibly clever and just ends up as an adult with it all bouncing around in their head but not being able to translate it into anything very much when they must feel like they could change the world.

@Dailyhandtowelwash

I think what always stood out to be from those Child Genius programmes on what happens to them when they become adults and are just clever adults. Some of them appeared to be aware of that ahead of them and fairly well adjusted to the idea, but I can imagine for others it must have been a real identity crisis if they'd be led to believe that being the cleverest person in the room was what they had to offer to the world.

Agreed. The education results stated on LinkedIn are very average.

Not really ‘genius’ results either. They obviously measure themselves by their education.