Who would have thought that Made in Chelsea would win a BAFTA for best reality and constructed factual programme? When the show first started the future of the production was questionable. I can recall Mark Francis saying in one of the opening episodes in the first series that he simply never shopped in Topshop. Such snobbery was enough to put me off the show. But now it has become part of Mark Francis’ flamboyant character. MIC massively stepped up its game. Each series has been awash with drama and new characters which have perfectly slotted into the format of the show.
Part of Made in Chelsea’s success has to be down to the varying locations it is filmed in, providing viewers with a series of different backdrops. Members of the MIC gang have been to Italy, Cannes, Edinburgh and more recently Verbier. As a result of this the viewer is never left bored, which we may well be if cast members constantly filmed in the same old coffee shops, bars or restaurants.
Despite many people being fed up with reality shows which show fairly well-to-do people swanning about, secretly we all love to see what they get up to. MIC has well and truly ticked this box, offering us an insight into what young twenty something’s from Chelsea, or should I say Fulham get up to? Whether it’s a shooting event at the weekend or champagne tasting event the cast are never short of anything fabulous to do. Plus we get to view their amazing designer wardrobes.
Who can forget the drama of the show? The success of MIC more than owes to its ability to captivate viewers with shocking storylines. In series two we witnessed the scandalous announcement that Hugo had cheated on Millie with her friend Rosie, which was the huge cliff-hanger of the series. This was the catalyst for one of the biggest on screen cat fights which lingered for ages, creating tension amongst the girls. Ollie’s battle with his sexuality also commanded attention, with the stunning announcement that he was bisexual.
More recently, drama has come in huge aggressive torrents, with the breakdown of Spencer and Louise’s relationship, following Spencer’s continuous cheating on her. This has resulted in a bit of partner swapping with Louise hooking up with Andy, who once dated Lucy and Spencer dating Lucy. Nothing is ever simple or straightforward in Chelsea, relationships don’t just end nicely, they are messy and complicated and this is what viewers want to see, not hearts and roses.
Each series of the show has been injected with some new faces which freshen up the format and only serve to increase the drama. Since Millie and Rosie have taken more of a back seat, by offering advice and comments rather than getting actively involved, MIC has been in need of a female lead who is in the front line of drama and this is Lucy Watson. Ever since she joined the cast she has never been short of an opinion or two and instantly stirred up proceedings by going on dates with Jamie and Andy and now Spencer.
Something which Made in Chelsea has also done well is showing us an insight into some of the casts day jobs, which gives them a more rounded character. For example we saw Jamie Laing set up his Candy Kittens business, Francis working in his office and Proudlock in his design studio.
Made in Chelsea is seemingly going from strength to strength. The more series there are, the more new characters will appear in order to heighten the drama. The show has given us the baddy, the geek and the feisty along with some very memorable lines. What’s next for MIC an Oscar?!