Glamour Models Mum & Me Review: Pimp My Child

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GLAMOUR MODELS MUM & ME: Tuesday 3rd August, BBC3, 9pm ALERT ME

“You’re a bad influence because you want me to do topless modelling” says Georgia, to which her mum Alicia responds. “I’m not a bad influence! It’s like, welcome to the real world Georgia!” Yes folks, welcome to a family home gone utterly mental. All the 14 year-old Georgia wants to do is study biology and MacBeth – all her mother wants is to do is get her a s**t load of plastic surgery and turn her into the next Katie Price. This is the film that Freaky Friday could have been if the producers had really gone for it…

First impressions of Alicia Douvall (you may remember her from last year’s Rehab) aren’t great. The plastic-surgery obsessed glamour girl seems to have a woefully unrounded life perspective and looks pretty odd when she isn’t wearing make-up. Consciencious, astute and sanguine, Georgia is nothing like her mum, which in a world of chip-off-the-old-block TV kids, is thoroughly refreshing. When Alicia is all over the papers in connection with the John Terry scandal she remains calm, the poor girl even takes it in her stride when she misses two weeks of school after her mum’s breast implant pops out..

Needless to say, the soundbytes soon start to flow and they get more unnerving as the programme continues: “What I’m trying to teach my daughter is that being a woman is powerful. These (pokes her massive boobs) are going to get you far.” “Don’t bother with biology, but keep going with drama because that’s a talent..” and my personal favourite.. “She doesn’t need a back-up plan because she’ll make it – look at Keira Knightley she made it..”

But as a viewer I didn’t dislike Alicia. Despite her various failings she seems like a nice lady who has let things get a little bit out of control and she also gets on surprisingly well with her daughter (even though they disagree about nearly everything). This makes not only for a very interesting slant on the normal anti-plastic surgery propaganda that we normally see on TV, but also a touching documentary. We just hope that Georgia wins the battle of wills for both of their sakes..