Anyone watched Secret Millionaire tonight?

[Alambil]

it made me cry - the end with the family

hardly a massive amount of money she gave away though was it. I thought it was a bit pants tbh

tell me more ......Im banned from watching it.

I really felt for her, as it seemed she took a shine to the family and was really sad that she hadn't had any of her own children.

Some of the work those projects were doing was really good.

Aww I liked tonights one, much more likeable than last weeks guy!

Ok, finished my weekly blubber......I really like that she gave to one family as well as some organisational efforts. That kind of money will make a massive difference to those projects (I can't believe you don't think it's a lot, these kind of initiatives are existing on virtually NOTHING a lot of the time!).

I felt quite uncomfertable watching tonights tbh. I thought she would have given more to some of the projects. I also wonder what will happen to the polish family after a year?? £13k to pay the rent for a year on a 4 bed place, I mean what will they do after that?? They couldnt afford rent, food and electric on a 1 bed they lived in now!!

Very different from the woman who brought a house for one family.

lisad - I agree with you entirely.

I was about to start a thread. It made me feel a bit numb. In a bad way.

Everyone seemed to know anyway (they will now it's on the 4th series) and she didn't seem genuinely emotional.

Plus the amount she gave was probably less than she makes on interest per year.

Did you notice a few of the ladies were quite glammed up for 'a day in the office?'

Also, the vast majority of Polish people I know are here to save money to buy a house in Poland near their family. They are living in cramped flats in London as a means to an end.

I know. I thought the chap (Euan?) from the project at the end of the show had a slightly disheartened look on his face when they were looking around their new house.

It just seems grossly unfair that when there are hundreds of families like the Polish family in Dundee why did she not help a local one?

I suppose the positive is people who watch it might contribute to those charities , whereas they may never have known of them before.

business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/career_and_jobs/senior_executive/article665564.ece

interesting article

That is true. A hell of a lot of good work being done.

Well... the Polish family were 'local' I guess she just was touched by their plight.

Do remember a lot of this is set up and staged. just watch the American version where they don't even hide it (it still makes me cry sometimes though hah)

yes how is that fair on poor ewan? He works his arse off, helping people all the time for a £7k a year, he get a £2k for a holiday, they get £13K.
Not sure, would the polish family be able to claim benifits?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=46T_hS5xqX0&feature=PlayList&p=4D41C30D4479D76E&index=0&playnext=1

Good for a laugh really

missed most of the programme, so dont know how she made her money, but i have to admit that the cynic in me was thinking that £50k or whatever she gave was quite cheap for an hour long promo add for her business on channel 4.

A FOUR bed house

Dundee is my home town, although I no longer live there. My parents still live there. It is not as dreadful as they made it on to be on the programme, parts of it are rough but there are very nice areas too. Yes there are lots of teenage pregnancies, but there are no jobs.

I haven't a clue where that house was that the Polish couple were going to be renting, but you could I would think get a really nice 4 bed house for less than £13000 per year.

I thought last night's was very staged. The man at the pensioners club didn't look that amazed when she gave him the dosh.

This is 5 bed. They could have had this and rented a room or 2 out.

I know the format in previous episodes generally mean that the Secret Millionaire will help various local charities for a week, plus one individual family, in the case I think C4 will get some grief for the polish family and the value being nearly twice as much as all the other local charities for a years rent (you can see various forums already ranting). I agree this is short term, 12 months to get you back on your feet. It may be long enough for the family to make things better for them. It may be that she really didn't get to know many individuals in that week to help and others that may be more in need (to make the show). It would have been nice if she could have given that single lad (with no appliances, no electric no gas) a little amount to help him, but no. He looked about 18 and in need of a good meal. I really thought she was going to give more to the man who helps the elderly and who was starting up a youth centre, he looked really tired and stressed.
...rant over.

I had forgotten about that young lad. She probably didn't want to give him money because he was a recoving drug addict, but surely someone could have help him manage the money. Even if she had arranged for someone to paint and decorate it, as the flat was damaged from water above (i think).

Yes the flat above had a fire and all his things were damaged from the water putting the fire out. He was without electricity. It was such a shame, he appeared very thankful for the food parcel. Surely a local charity could use free cycle to help him out.

I think there must have been more to the "recovering drug addict" story - surely the Council would have a duty to ensure that he had electricity/running water etc? If there was more to this story it would explain why she didn't give him any money.

I think the picture painted a very grim portrait of Dundee (my adoptive home town) - yes there are bad areas, but there is alot of work going on in these areas to improve things.

I thought the women last night was extremely patronising. Like others I think she could have given more - but then again I haven't excatly given a great deal of MY money to anyone either...