U.K. Politician Jacob Rees-Mogg Stars in New Discovery+ Docu-Series

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Discovery+ U.K. and Ireland has greenlit a new series centered on the professional and personal life of the polarizing British politician Jacob Rees-Mogg. The show, titled Meet The Rees-Moggs, promises an in-depth look at Rees-Mogg’s life both in the public eye and at home.

The five-part series, produced by Optomen, will offer exclusive access and a fly-on-the-wall perspective into Rees-Mogg’s life in Somerset, where he resides with his wife and six children. Viewers will get a chance to see beyond the public persona of this quintessential Englishman, who is known for his top hat-wearing appearance at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been a figure of much political debate. As a member of Parliament, his staunchly conservative views and positions, such as supporting Brexit and voting against gay marriage and abortion even in extreme scenarios, have sparked considerable controversy. He also has been a vocal skeptic of climate change and has questioned measures for gender pay gap reports and timely supplier payments.

Rees-Mogg has consistently advocated for strict immigration policies and gained notoriety when he appeared to fall asleep during a House of Commons debate in 2019. His strong positions and actions have made him a symbol of the hard-right ethos embraced by the Conservative Party in recent years.

The series comes in the wake of Rees-Mogg’s recent ousting from his parliamentary seat, during a landslide victory by Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. This development adds a significant narrative layer to the series, portraying Rees-Mogg during a time of personal and political transition.

Comparisons might be drawn to other UK political figures who have ventured into reality TV, such as former Tory Health Secretary Matt Hancock and far-right Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage, both of whom appeared on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. These appearances have been met with mixed reactions; some critics argue that such shows offer a platform to out-of-touch politicians, while others feel that this form of humanization is important for democratic transparency.

Meet The Rees-Moggs will delve into the Rees-Mogg family’s life leading up to this year’s general election and the resultant aftermath. Rees-Mogg himself commented humorously on the show, stating, “Animals, children, an election and a film crew. What could possibly go wrong? This everyday story of Somerset folk is fun to film but may be a bit more Fawlty Towers than Downton Abbey.”

The series will make its debut on Discovery+ later this year. The project was commissioned by Charlotte Reid for Discovery+, with executive oversight by Deirdre Dowling and Matt Reid from Warner Bros. Discovery. Nick Hornby serves as the executive producer for Optomen, which is an All3Media company.

Source: Variety