Trewley Precious, the star of Channel 4's Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives, has responded to criticism from the gypsy and traveller community since the show aired. The series follows Trewley, an aspiring TikTok influencer, and her family, the Wass family, as they navigate life after her father's death.
Defending Her Pitch
Speaking on Paul C Brunson's podcast, We Need to Talk, Trewley addressed the backlash, revealing that she pitched the show herself and chose her own family. She said: "So many people online have been going, 'oh my God, Secret Lives of Gypsy Wives. Why didn't they use full breded gypsies? Why didn't they use this?' I tell you why they didn't, because it weren't their idea, it was mine… that's why."
She added: "There's a lot of girls doing videos that are like, 'I got picked for the show, I turned it down'. Well, you didn't get picked for the show, darling, because I pitched it and I picked me and my sisters."
Breaking Stereotypes
Trewley explained that the show was about her life growing up on a council estate in Essex, with a gypsy father and a gorja mother. She said: "It was about me being from a poor council estate. My dad is a gypsy. My mum is a gorja. I live life on social media. My family have different mixtures of traditions from both cultures and it's a clash."
She also clarified that Channel 4 changed the show's title, and she emphasised that the show is not about all gypsies: "I just want everyone to know that this show isn't about all gypsies. I don't know why people are so confused by that. It's about my life. My upbringing."
Rejecting Harmful Stereotypes
Trewley said she specifically avoided stereotypes seen in shows like Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, which she felt caused harm to the community. She said: "I didn't want to stereotype it from Big Fat Gypsy Weddings. I wanted to flip it and be like, 'listen, I come from more ways of life than that.'"
She added: "I feel like I've been punished for trying to break us out of a stereotype." In response to the criticism, she shared black-and-white photographs of her Romani gypsy ancestors on Instagram, including images of multi-generational families gathered around caravans and a relative riding a horse and cart. She wrote: "To my family I'm so sorry for how they speak on yous PLEASE FORGIVE THEM IN JESUS NAME. The Temples."
