General Chat

I know you wernt Pinky...but yes i can definatley imagine the stick they are getting! xxx

Children can be so so cruel.... i was picked on as my parents spoke funnily (they are both profoundly deaf) I wasn't implying Ruby would do it outside of the home environment but can you imagine what these kids are going through at school today? Humiliated as they cried on national TV!!

Couldnt understand how Eamon Holmes could have put his name to the programme. Felt like phoning gm tv up this morning and complaining

Definatley, i mean Ruby doesnt have the heart to actually pick on another child, she is a lovely girl, i think it was just the fact that they were on telly and my step dad was doing it....but yeah, these types of things are definatley hopw bullying starts, kids pick on anything. I was picked on at school about my weight and freckles. But one girl there was picked on cos her mum was quite old, another because she was into acting! xx

Steph.... I think you've just proved the point.... these kids are being ridiculed because the spelt something incorrectly... this is how bullying starts!! ITS WRONG AND SHOULD BE PULLED FROM THE TV!!

We watched it on Friday night, thing is my step-dad and sister both have a nasty sense of humour, and each time one of the kids got it wrong they laughed, and when they nearly cried they were cheerin! was funny at the time, well you imagine a 9 year old girl screaming at the tv, 'GO ON CRY YOU LOSER!' lol....but those poor kids! If they wanted to go on the show fair enough, but if it was there parents pushing them to do so, its not right! xx

What worried me more was that it looked like the kids were on automatic and the shock in one lads face was unreal when he got an answer wrong! He just couldnt believe it and was heart broke. Kids that age should be enjoying their childhood never mind spelling words that the majority of us couldnt even pronounce (well me at least)

I used to be obsessed with spelling as a child, and still am now to a degree but only because I wanted to be able to spell correctly and not mis-use words (my parents are deaf and very poorly educated so I guess I wanted to be better for them) but they would never have made me do the things we make children do these days!! But I think whats worse is the TV station think it's ok to broadcast!!

Rose, I totally agree with you. Let the kids have a childhood. I think it's really about the parents' ego; they don't think about the effect it has on their little ones if they're not "the best". It is appalling. Jan

I too as an ex-teacher was really worried by the pressure these poor kids were under.They were nearly all in tears when they were out of the competition.I felt like shouting at the television GET A LIFE.What are they doing spending SO MUCH TIME on learning to spell in such a manner.There is such a thing as a reading age-these children were being pushed far beyond the expected level for their ages.It was so unnecessary.Poor little kids,what happened to Cindy and Action Man,My Little pony and Lego. Give these kids a childhood. Concerned Grandma Rose Here,here Di

i think it was probably the parents.. misspent youth and all that!!!

I think terry Wogan's comment this morning was spot on.... we should be encouraging children to spell in a friendly, warm and safe environment.... not by putting a spotlight on them in front of a camera for them to fail in front of millions of people.... It's appalling!!

Couldnt make up my mind who had wanted to enter the competition more...the parent or the child

i agree , my daughter is very good at spelling but i would never subject her to that kind of pressure. its just too much.

Did anyone watch that spelling programme last night? It was a competition for kids hosted by Eamon Holmes. I thought it was really awful. The kids were under so much pressure and got really upset when they lost! One young girl told the cameras that to practice for the comp. she had been studying the Oxford Dictionary....what? There is nothing better than "healthy" competition but I thought this was dreadful