Jo Frost turned the naughty step into a global television format
Six million viewers watched Supernanny in its first British year, as Jo Frost walked into chaotic homes and imposed clear rules, routines and the now famous naughty step. By 2014, versions modelled on the show had been made in 48 countries, and Frost had become the best-known nanny on television.
Born in London on 27 June 1970, Frost grew up in the southwest of the city; her father was a builder and painter and her mother, born in Gibraltar, an interior decorator. She started working as a nanny in 1989, at 18, with families in Britain and America, including that of the television producer John Lloyd. Channel 4 hired her for Supernanny, which launched in 2004. Each episode followed one struggling family as she introduced consistent discipline, structured play and calmer routines.
Some psychologists praised the method as skilled use of standard, evidence-based techniques for rewarding good behaviour. Others were uneasy. Critics questioned whether children's privacy was respected and whether sitting them on the naughty step on camera embarrassed them, and a Newcastle University lecturer argued the format shamed mothers before transforming them. A later essay accused the show of hardening public attitudes toward unruly children and their parents.
The British series ran for six seasons, and an American version on ABC brought invitations from Letterman, Oprah and Jay Leno; Lifetime revived it with 20 episodes in 2020. Frost moved on to heavier material in Family S.O.S., which tackled addiction, abuse and blended families, and hosted an ITV talk show from 2014. Along the way she softened her image, dropping her trademark pointing finger and severe suits. She has also written six books on childcare.
Off screen, Frost backs a United Nations Foundation campaign to reduce vaccine-preventable childhood illnesses and served in 2014 as an ambassador for a food allergy charity; she has lived since childhood with serious allergies to nuts, rye and shellfish. By 2014 she had settled in Orange County, California, with her husband, a location manager who had worked on her show.
Source: Jo Frost
