James Haskell’s Unexpected Date with a Supernanny Star
James Haskell, the rugby star known for his time on Celebs Go Dating, recently found himself in an amusing situation during one of his dates. The episode took a surprising turn when he discovered that his date was none other than Meghann Cooke, a former child star who had appeared on the iconic show Supernanny as a young girl.
This revelation came to light in a viral clip from the E4 show, where James expressed his shock upon learning about Meghann’s past. At just nine years old, Meghann had been on Supernanny and had clashed with the show’s host, Jo Frost, over her behavior. One of the most memorable moments from that time involved Meghann correcting Jo Frost’s pronunciation of the word “unacceptable.”
During the date, Meghann shared some of her experiences with James, saying: “I bit her [Jo Frost], I called her a b**ch,” before James asked, “So you were an ill-disciplined little nightmare?” She responded, “No. Well, I think I was just challenging.”
As the conversation continued, James admitted that he was surprised by Meghann’s Supernanny background. He added, “But let’s be honest with you, you can’t judge people on what happened in the past. Because if you did, I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the house.” He then asked Meghann if she was a “good girl now,” and she said she had “mellowed out” since her childhood.
The date itself went well, and a clip of the moment has since gone viral on social media. Even Jo Frost herself commented on the video, sharing her thoughts on the experience.
She wrote: “She was a beautiful child who could be challenging in her own right to her parents, as she was very smart and that was challenging for her father especially as he lacked patience to meet her where she needed him too. However, she was also a child who was incredibly sensitive and one who was caught between a volatile relationship her parents were in. She took the emotional impact for her sisters and protected them a lot too from the environment that was far from peaceful. She was fascinated by my crew and didn’t really realize the full deeper extent of why I was there because she was too young so I believe I felt like a threat.”
She also mentioned the importance of Meghann’s mother, saying, “Her mother may she rest in peace loved her girls and wanted them to springboard from the show into some kind of entertainment so no surprise seeing Meghann on here and no doubt is looking over them proud. It is lovely to see Meghann a grown woman. Xx.”
Fans of the show were delighted with the clip, with comedian Katherine Ryan even commenting, “Casting 10/10.”
The Legacy of Supernanny
Supernanny originally aired on Channel 4 from 2004 to 2008, and it followed professional nanny Jo Frost as she helped families struggling with their children’s behavior. The show gained a massive following, with many viewers relating to the challenges faced by the families featured.
Jo Frost has spoken openly about the pressures of reality television, particularly the exploitative nature of the industry. In a recent interview on the We Need To Talk podcast, she discussed how she often felt labeled “difficult” for refusing to create drama for ratings. Her main focus was always on helping the families that needed it, rather than catering to the demands of producers.
She explained that she had casting approval in her contract, which was a deal-breaker for her. “I think I didn’t feel the pressure because in my contract I had casting approval. That was a deal breaker for me if I didn’t have casting approval. Because it had to be real.”
Jo emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the families on the show. “You have to genuinely go, ‘I need her help.’ Because when those families are vulnerable and they are trusting their lives in your hands, they’re not just shaping their own family, but millions who are watching in the corners of Morocco, somewhere in Australia, in a little pocket village in Ireland.”
She concluded by highlighting the impact of the show. “And it’s not me that’s the magic. It’s that family because those families are watching that family on television. They’re rooting for them. Sometimes in the beginning they might go, I don’t know if I really like her, he sounds a little bit shady. But in the end, you see what I see in the beginning.”
