"Supernanny" Kid Sets Fire to Home

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

Reader Comments

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61. I blame the parents, how did that little boy get the means to start a fire? My boys are now 11 and 9, but we have always tried to teach them right from wrong and so far, they have their moments, as all kids do, but they would never be that destructive. Shame on the parents! Try owning up to your failure as parents, and stop taking the easy way out by blaming someone else for your problems!

Posted at 2:11PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Mom2boys

62. Ignorant people. Blame everyone else but yourself. How did that bad a$$ kid get matches? Why the hell didn't they just leave their gun out too so he could shoot his lazy a$$ mom and blame it on the Nanny?

TMZ, post a pic of those idiots so we can all shake our heads at them.

There was one episode where a 3 yearold little girl was way out of control and kept calling everyone a Biatch and the mother was crying because she didn't know what to do. HELLO!!!!!!!!! How the hell did the kid learn to say it in the first place. not only did she know how to say the word but she knew how to use it correctly. That little girl put her baby sister in the back of her Power Wheels Jeep and drove her to the back of the lot and LEFT her there sucking her pacifier!!!!! The mother was freaking out and the camera men were running all over the place looking for her and found her way out back sitting there in the jeep sucking her pacifier, and when they asked the 3 yearold why she did it she said because she's a biatch!

People like that need to be neutered.

Posted at 1:26PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Richard

63. There is no way that anyone can blame an outside person for the way their children behave. That nanny was there for 2 weeks maybe a month. What about the parents? What have they done for this child that allows him to act so out of control. Get ahold of your kids! Please! Everyone seems to be so afraid of their children these days.

Posted at 1:40PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by msierra1

64. The kids aren't wacky... they are chronic pyromaniacs... nothing the Supernanny would have done to save them from themselves... utter shame on the parents...

Posted at 1:28PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Victor Vulcero

65. Here's a suggestion, talk to your doctor about birth control. No one needs to have five children, ever hear of a little thing called overpopulation? How the hell do you expect to take care of your kids or give them individual attention with five of them running around? No family needs to have more than two children and five is just plain ludacris, the sixties are over people. And like everyone else I too am wondering where the little brat got his hands on matches or a lighter. Mom needs to answer some questions.

Posted at 1:28PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Leela

66. I see absolutely nothing wrong with spanking your children. When all else fails - crack them a good one up along the side of the head. I'm not condoning beating your children, but the world has gone mental with all of this psycho babble BS about not hitting our children. I was smacked on the arse plenty and I'm still here. and when my daughter misbehaved the same thing happened to her. she is now a soph. in college with no discipline issues, and certainly never started our house on fire!

Posted at 1:29PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Trin

67. Jo Frost is a bitch.

Posted at 1:30PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by John

68. I saw the episode with that family. Those kids totally ran over their Mom. She seemed overwhelmed and incapable of handling te kids.

Posted at 1:53PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Chilly

69. OMG!!!! This is the mothers fault, not supernanny. What did the 3 year get ahold of to start the fire?? And how was he able to get his hands on it?? I know that kids will find a way to get what they want and it is not possible to supervise 24/7 but I'm betting that while this kid was attempting to start the fire he was being very quiet - which should have raised a red flag to the mother. If her children are as bad as she said, then when they are quiet that means something is not right! Not only that but I'm sorry rather than try to put the fire out, she should have grabbed her baby and get him out safely, if the fire started in the kitchen it could have turned out much worse. I smell insurance claim and a lawsuit against Supernanny - all of which are bogus and while I feel sorry they lost their home, they should not be able to blame and/or sue anyone. Maybe now the mom will get her tubes tied (if she hasnt already) and both mom and dad will start being parents to their children.

Posted at 1:32PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by lissabell

70. I think the parents should be committed! What's with these idiots breeding five children anyway? Since when did we need Paul and Susan to repopulate the earth in the first place. The kid needs better role models and a good old-fashioned spanking.

Posted at 2:30PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Amy

71. 2 words

MILITARY SCHOOL

Posted at 1:38PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Triple T

72. wait, they take britneys kids but this woman is able to keep hers? scary. if my 3 year old did this i would be dolling out a beating or two!

Posted at 2:01PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by kristin

73. There comes a time when all that "time out" and "let mommy explain what happens when we misbehave " CRAP needs to be set aside, and just tear that little monster's behind UP ! Parents are SO afraid that someone may think they're "bad parents", if they spank their kids, but in 52 years of child rearing, NEVER have I seen children acting the way they do now! Stop treating small kids as if they are adults, they DO NOT have enough mental capacity yet to understand your "psychological approach" to the fact that these kids NEED & CRAVE some discipline in their lives. I know many are going to have a "fit" over my comments, but parents need to accept responsibility for raising rude, disruptive, destructive and just plain BAD KIDS! Get onto their behinds, stop trying to be their "best bud" and be their parents! That mean we have to be the "bad guy" sometimes and set boundries!

Posted at 1:43PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Sandy

74. Incredible. Your kid sets fire to the house, but its the Supernanny's fault, cause she was out 2 yrs ago. Ya know...Someone can give you the tools to build a house, but if you don't freakin use them, don't whine that its their fault you live in a cave.

Someone get these kids away from these useless parents.

Posted at 1:42PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by Twisted_Imp

75. Hello they were on the show in 2005. The kid that started the fire was 3 hmmm?

Posted at 1:57PM on Oct 2nd 2007 by smart girl

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