Jo Frost

Like a real-life Mary Poppins, sans the flying umbrella and carpet bag, British nanny Jo Frost arrived on the door steps of frazzled parents, all desperate for help with their tiny terrors, as witnessed each week on ABC's hit reality show, "Supernanny" (2005-11). Living up to the title, Frost became an overnight success, both in her homeland and in the States, where the show debuted to killer ratings. Suddenly, Frost was everywhere -writing a best selling book; espousing advice on Oprah and Letterman's couches; creating a website - all in an effort to reach as many desperate parents as possible. Even her standard admonishment, "You've been very, very naughty" became part of the pop cultural lexicon on both sides of the Atlantic. Frost was a bona fide hit - but more importantly - the answer to many a fed-up parent's prayers.

Born June 27, 1970 in London, the young girl never dreamed of reaching such heights. She began babysitting in her teens and continued to do so through her college years. Upon graduation, Frost became a full-time proper English nanny, managing all manner of child-rearing for 15 years.

Although neither a studied professional nor a parent, Frost answered a magazine ad to try out for the British version of what would become "Supernanny." The show's producers were impressed with her ability to not only bring unruly youngsters under control, but to relate to and understand their needs as well. Frost got the job.

The UK version of "Supernanny" premiered in the summer of 2004 to phenomenal ratings, making Frost a star overnight. The new media darling began writing a parenting advice column for London's The Sun and even found herself mentioned favorably on the floor of the House of Commons during a discussion on anti-social behavior.

ABC knew a good thing when they saw it, ordering a U.S. version of the same show. Frost jumped the pond, not knowing what to expect from American parents, let alone American audiences. She soon discovered that Stateside parents were just as desperate as Brits to get control of their rambunctious broods. "Supernanny" premiered in January, 2005 to not surprisingly, smashing results. Although Fox had rushed their own version - "Nanny 911" - to air first after losing a biding war for Frost's program, "Supernanny" was in a class by itself, due in no small part to her stern but empathetic personality and simple and effective techniques.

In each episode, Frost first observed day-to-day family interaction, taking mental notes and shooting priceless double-takes into the camera after many a toddler hissy fit. Once problems were assessed, she laid out solutions, using everything from "naughty mats" to poster board daily schedules. After a week apart from the family, Frost returned to evaluate their success and keep them on the right track. Her methods stressed consistency, positive discipline, and speaking to children, literally, at their own level. Parents across the country threw out their Dr. Spock books and began using Frost's "naughty mat" instead of "time-outs" in the corner.

It was only a matter of time before Frost wrote a self-help book. Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children, spent 17 weeks on The New York Times' bestseller list, often at number one throughout 2005."

Supernanny" proved such a success, it returned to the ABC line-up for a full second season in the fall of 2005, bringing in more than 11 million viewers a week - up 3 million from season one. The show went international as well, airing in 47 countries, almost of all of them featuring Frost. As if going global was not enough, the series was nominated for a People's Choice Award in the States and a National Television Award in the UK.