A year ago we heard the news that 'Supernanny' Jo Frost had quit her successful ABC television show to get married and have children of her own. Now, just as 'Supernanny' production company Shed Media is about to launch 'America's Supernanny' on Lifetime, Frost's come out swinging and denies that was ever her plan.
She says that not only was the story about her starting a family totally invented by Shed Media, but that their new 'Supernanny,' Deborah Tillman, doesn't have the right credentials for the job.
Frost told 'The Daily Mail' that "I decided to leave after season seven, earlier this year. But then they [Shed Media] made up this story that I was running off to get married and have children. I am not at all happy. I feel like I worked really hard to get where I am. I am Supernanny. That's me. I only know that Deborah Tillman is an accountant and a businesswoman. She has never been a nanny."
The 'Mail' quotes a source as saying that Frost quit after 'Supernanny' producers refused to give her a raise and told her that she was expendable. Frost told the 'Mail' that "I don't really want to get into a public slanging match. Let's just say that my leaving 'Supernanny' was not exactly the Disneyfication of the story that it was made out to be."
There's a marked change of direction in 'America's Supernanny,' which premieres Tuesday night on Lifetime. The 'Mary Poppins' cape and the Naughty Step are gone, and in their place Tillman (known as "Miss Deborah" on the show) will introduce her parenting techniques such as Calm Down Corner and Lose What You Like.
Tillman originally trained as an accountant, but after several bad experiences finding childcare for her son she quit her job and went on to found Happy Home Child Learning Centers, a small chain of preschools in northern Virginia. She also earned a a master's degree in early childhood special education from George Washington University.
Talking about her new TV role, Tillman told 'The Washington Post,' "I don't want to mimic anybody. This is me being very real, very transparent. It's not a role. I just go in and do what I would normally do and put techniques in place to help families."
However, Frost is not convinced that Tillman's qualified to replace her: "She has teachers who are the real ones who do the work. She sits behind a desk. Until you have dealt with the sick and the mess of children, it is very hard to advise anyone else. I have been a nanny since I was 14. I've been in the trenches. What qualifies her to offer advice?"
Could there soon be a 'Supernanny' TV showdown? Frost says she is far from retiring: "I am working on a brand new show of my own for America. Ask anyone who Supernanny is. It's me. End of subject."
