Channel 4 crowns Jewish Mum of the Year

14 March 2012

Channel 4 has joined forces with The Jewish News for a nationwide search to find the ultimate Jewish mother for brand new series Jewish Mum of the Year, made by Princess Productions.

The Jewish community make up just 0.4% of the British population and can truly be described as a ‘minority' community. Yet the number of successful Jewish people in the UK is remarkable. Some of the country's biggest names in politics, business, banking and entertainment would describe themselves as members of the UK's Jewish community - Lord Sugar, Philip Green, and the Milliband brothers are examples from business and public life.

The British Rich List currently has three Jewish entrepreneurs in its top ten. They have very different personalities, very diverse opinions and have had radically different upbringings but have one thing in common - a great Jewish mother.

Across the years, the Jewish mother has come to epitomise what it means to be a mum. Renowned for being brilliant home-makers, incredible cooks and fiercely protective of their children - kids mean everything to Jewish mums. Excessive, overprotective, neurotically anxious and ever present - yet also an emblem of unstinting love and devotion.

This ambitious competitive series follows The Jewish News as it scours every corner of the UK and the Jewish communities of Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Essex and London to find the Jewish Mum of the Year.

The competition will seek out the traditional, the overbearing, the cheek-pinching and the charming. The winner is out there somewhere in the land of the Jewish Princess and the over-pampered Bar Mitzvah boys, and no strudel will be left unturned in his quest to find the perfect Jewish mum. It's a television show with heart of gold.

This diverse mix of competitive mums will fight it out through a series of gruelling tasks to win the crown, including challenges to test their cooking skills, matchmaking, home-making abilities, event organising and, of course, how well they know their kids.

The 4x60 series, developed by Natasha Bondy, was commissioned by Channel 4's Head of Factual Entertainment Liam Humphreys. It will be executive produced by Kelly Webb-Lamb and Claire Faragher. Lorraine Charker-Phillips will be series producer and the programme is set to air on Channel 4 later this year.

Liam Humphreys said: "This entertaining series will be a warm-hearted celebration of the cultural institution that is the Jewish mother. We hope the Jewish News' search for the greatest Jewish Mum in Britain will provide new insights for all of us as we enter the wonderful world of bar mitzvahs, match making and Friday night dinners, discovering the secrets behind one of the most successful and engaging communities in Britain."