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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Hana Carter

Channel 4 viewers blast Secret Spenders as 'out of touch' amid cost-of-living crisis

Channel 4's Secret Spenders has been blasted as "out of touch" after sending experts to help families who spend thousands a month during the cost-of-living crisis.

The show, which aims to help families who are trying to cut back on their spending was a flop with viewers.

Rather than helping households who were in need, the show focused on families who were splashing the cash on unnecessary luxuries.

One couple on the show were spending nearly £17,000 a year on non-essential goods.

This included £400 a month on online shopping, £200 a month on cycling gear and £700 a month on food.

Another family were shelling out £300 a month on take aways and £80 a month on fizzy drinks a week.

Secret Spenders have faced criticism on social media (Channel 4)

But the show didn't quite hit the mark with the viewers.

One wrote: "These programs are so annoying they don’t help anyone who actually needs it #secretspenders".

Another added: "Watching a tv show where a couple could save £16,000 by just halving non-essential spending".

"I don’t think the program makers have thought this through or grasped the reality of this cost of living crisis, shame on them", wrote a third.

"Secret Spenders is one of the worst of these cost-saving programmes I’ve seen. Ghastly", said another.

One of the couples were Charlotte and Amanda, who live in Norfolk.

One family spent hundreds every month on online shopping (Channel 4)

They were on a reduced income of between £800 from £3,000 per month after Charlotte had to leave her job following an operation on her wrist.

They wanted to save £3,000 so they could move to Brighton but were finding it tough to cut down on their spending.

"I'd really like to stop spending so much money", said Amanda.

"At the moment I'm just on benefits and that's really tough. Because I desperately want to move back to Brighton its much nicer down there it's much more accepting."

The show was branded 'out of touch' (Channel 4)

The couple initially moved to Norfolk to look after Charlotte's dad who had been unwell.

"Charlotte is a takeaway fiend", said Amanda. "It's been difficult for her because I had a hysterectomy last year and then when I recovered a broke my wrist so Charlotte has had to do everything for the last four or five months so.

"When she finishes work at night she's just knackered and says 'We'll just get a takeaway'.

"Sometimes we're having three takeaways in a day and this might happen four or five times a week.

"When I broke my hand it was my dominant hand so I couldn't do that either, Charlotte can cook she just doesn't want to".

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