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"Supernanny" Kid Sets Fire to Home

Posted Oct 2nd 2007 12:50PM by TMZ Staff

News flash! Reality TV shows won't solve every crisis! One family found out the hard way, when their wacky kid set fire to the family home -- after appearing on the TV show "Supernanny." Burn!

Supernanny Jo Frost -- who appears on both British and American versions of the show -- visited Paul and Susan Young and their five children in 2005 in their UK home. Frost attempted to help the Youngs tame their rambunctious boys, all under age 11, but mom said that appearing on the show made the kids behave worse and play up to cameras.


The fire appears to have been started by 3-year-old Joel while he was home with mother Susan, and his siblings were in school. Damage to the home was so severe that the family was forced to move into a hotel. Is "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" casting?!

The fire started in the kitchen, said Essex police officer Terry Hutton. As Young attempted to put the fire out, "the little boy went through the dining room and set fire to the curtains," reports the Daily Mail.

Tags: jo frost, JoFrost, supernanny

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(Page 3 of 13) Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

31. If the child is 3 yrs old, that means he was only 1 at the time of the show!! So, the mother can stop trying to blame the show for a 2 yr later occurance!! Evidently she didn't keep up with the techniques. So now, beat the booty!!!!

Posted at 12:52PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Super Nanny Fan

32. I'm sure there will be a lawsuit!!!Why not, everyone else sues.

Posted at 12:51PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Jennifer

33. This is what happens when SPANKING becomes unacceptable in society. Some of these holy terrors need a good butt whipping... although I agree. Arson at age three might be a sign of more serious mental problems.

I find it interesting that SOME people get their kids taken away for driving without a license (the hardly serious staw that finally broke the camel's back it seems??) ...

but I guess letting children have access to fire-starting materials is A-OK! Kid burns the house down but no one will probably check into that!

Posted at 12:51PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by hey there

34. are you sure this wasn't britany's house

and to blame the nanny, shows how smart the mom really is

Posted at 12:52PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by jen

35. First of all, the Supernanny visited the household in 2005. That means the "arsonist" was one year old at the time. I doubt the child gained anything from the experience or even remembers it. What a crock for the blame to be placed on anyone other than the parents.

Posted at 12:57PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Angie

36. From ancient times, parents have always been held accountable for the actions of young children. Supernanny Jo (whom I admire tremendously!) always tries to get this across to the parents of unruly children. If the children are out of hand, it is because the parents have been ignorant or negligent regarding effective child rearing. These parents need to LEARN what Jo tried to help them learn. What did they do? Turned it around and blamed the program!

Posted at 1:08PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Yen

37. Wow creepy is right....there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with this child and probably the parents too!! I guarantee you, this kid will kill someone by the time he's 25.....fire-starting as a child is the #1 indicator of a serial killer. This is not a case of a kid playing with matches and accidentally setting the house on fire -- he continued to light fires as his mom put out the ones he started!!!! And, he is 3 years old, how the HECK did he start a fire with his mom home???!!!! Lock the parents up, institutionalize the kids, society will be better off - Trust me.

Posted at 1:00PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by jen

38. That's what we call ODD (oppositional defiant disorder)...which can lead to or is correlated to many other personality disorders

Posted at 12:58PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by anonymous

39. Guess what he's going to get for Christmas?

ADOPTED!!

Posted at 12:57PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Apres Ski

40. That mother can not blame supper nanny for her problems, not every case will be solved. I am a mother of 2 children, and it is my job to correct my children's behavior. I think they may need to go to parenting classes, and look in the mirror. Children do not just come out of the womb trouble makers, when you see the signs stop it before it starts.

Posted at 12:58PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by La Vonda

41. While I don't think the "Super Nanny" is very good at all, the fact that the kid set a fire is not her fault.

Posted at 12:59PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Samalamadingdong

42. Sounds like they went on the show for their 15 minutes and not for learning any actual parenting skills. Since this kid is out of control at 3 obviously they didn't learn anything. Its not the nanny's fault, the mom is an idiot.

Posted at 1:02PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by enough already

43. not the Nanny's fault at all. The kid needs some psychiatric help and so do the parents, they apparently are doing something very wrong

Posted at 1:03PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by knick

44. Clearly, another "Parent of the Year" Candidate.

Posted at 1:05PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Emily

45. Give this child to Brittney! Maybe he'll burn her house down too! We all know he'll find a fire starting source in her house!

Posted at 1:39PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by mishy thinks...

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