Jacob Rees-Mogg starts filming new reality TV show following general election defeat

The former minister lost his North East Somerset and Hanham seat to Labour’s Dan Norris last week

Jabed Ahmed
Wednesday 10 July 2024 11:51 BST
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On the campaign trail with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg

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Former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg is reportedly filming a new a fly-on-the-wall reality TV series following his general election defeat

The Discovery+ series, said to be titled Meet The Moggs, will follow the former minister in his 17th-century country home and star his wife Helena and their six children.

The former MP for North East Somerset was among a number of Tory “big beasts” to have lost their seat last week, with filming thought to have captured his efforts on the campaign trail via the production company Optomen.

Mr Rees-Mogg is not the first MP to turn to TV following politics. The move follows the likes of Nigel Farage on I’m A Celebrity and Matt Hancock on SAS: Who Dares Wins.

The former GB News presenter left families in shock last month when he walked into their children’s first holy communion with a camera crew.

Sir Jacob had permission to appear with his family and a film crew for a mass at St Joseph and St Teresa Church in Somerset,  but while a sign had been put up, the families of some dozen children said they did not know he would be in attendance.

He was also joined by the team while canvassing in Longwell Green, on the edge of Bristol before the election.

The film crew was with Jacob Rees-Mogg as he canvassed in Longwell Green last week
The film crew was with Jacob Rees-Mogg as he canvassed in Longwell Green last week (The Independent)

Mr Rees Mogg's 14-year spell in the House of Commons came to an end last week when he lost to Labour’s Dan Norris.

A insider told The Sun: “Jacob and his family have been filming for the last couple of months but no one expected the General Election to be announced.

“It was gold for the show however and gave a real insight into what family is like for working MPs.”

“Basically it’s being sold as the British version of the Kardashians and will be warts and all”, the source added.

Jacob Rees-Mogg at the count for the North East Somerset and Hanham seat last week
Jacob Rees-Mogg at the count for the North East Somerset and Hanham seat last week (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire)

A camera crew also arrived with him at the Popular Conservative group’s conference yesterday.

Rees-Mogg shares children Peter Theodore Alphege, Mary Anne Charlotte Emma, Thomas Wentworth Somerset Denton, Anslem Charles Fitzwilliam, Alfred Wulfric Leyson Pius and Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher with wife Helena de Chair, who he married in 2007.

Sir Jacob started his career working for a hedge fund in the City before unsuccessfully standing in the 1997 and 2001 elections.

The former minister quickly garnered a reputation as a rebel by voting against legislation proposed by David Cameron, and became well known for some of his more unusual behaviour, such as going canvassing with his family’s nanny.

He campaigned for Britain to leave the EU in the Brexit referendum in 2016, and is an ally of Boris Johnson, who appointed him leader of the House of Commons in 2019.

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