Supernanny star Jo Frost has launched a furious tirade against parents, urging them to 'get a grip' as a worrying new trend dubbed 'teen takeovers' sweeps the UK. In an Instagram video, the 55-year-old expressed her outrage at groups of teenagers running through shopping centres, terrorising the public, smashing shops and attacking strangers, all while filming the chaos for social media.
Frost, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with her Channel 4 series, placed the blame squarely on parents. 'It's clear parenting is in a crisis,' she said. 'Why do we have teens running wild, out of control, kids with no manners, no values, disrespect off the charts, physical outbursts in schools, teens being reckless on the streets?'
The parenting expert urged mothers and fathers to take responsibility, insisting that 'this starts at home'. She criticised weak leadership, saying too many parents are 'terrified of upsetting their children' and failing to uphold boundaries. 'You cannot raise children with no accountability and then act shocked when they run wild in public,' she added.
Frost warned that the consequences of such behaviour are already looming, with police intervention leading to criminal records, courtrooms, fines and even prison sentences – not just for the teenagers, but for their parents too. 'Step up, this is your wake-up call,' she concluded. 'Pull yourself together because it starts at home and it starts now.'
Her comments sparked a mixed response on social media. Some users agreed, with one stating: 'Lack of consequences, these kids know in reality there is no real consequence to their poor behaviour.' Another, a school worker, said: 'The amount of entitlement and lack of respect from some students is disgusting.' However, a third commenter suggested the issue is wider, pointing to parents working full-time and a lack of youth clubs.
