At Home with the Fury’s

Available on Netflix

For better or worse, reality television has become an ubiquitous aspect of our lives, to the extent where you don’t have to be a celebrity or remotely talented to document every facet of your life to the world. A global phenomenon that began with MTV’s The Osbournes and evolved into Keeping Up With the Kardashians has seemingly grown into a puzzling global demand to know the minutiae of the lives of even the most unimpressive of public figures.

Netflix’s At Home with the Fury’s promises to buck that trend, it being preoccupied with the lives of the undefeated, motor-mouthed heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and his wife Paris, as well as their six children. Unlike the typical subjects of a reality series, the Fury’s reside in the more humble surroundings of Morecambe (albeit in a gargantuan mansion) and are distinctively working class, with both Tyson and Paris being admirably proud of their origins as travellers.

The former has long been one of sport’s most compelling figures, not merely due to his larger-than-life personality, but also his well-documented battle with mental health difficulties. His original comeback (not the phoney one that is documented in this series) is one of the most inspiring sporting triumphs of all time, and Fury has since worked commendably to improve mental health awareness amongst his fanbase.

It’s a shame then to see him come across so poorly in At Home with the Fury’s, during which he displays the emotional maturity of a child, frequently treats his wife with disdain, and tiresomely relates every talking point back to himself. Paris, on the other hand, is the undoubted star of the show, keeping her chaotic household running and frequently indulging her husband’s whims, all while admittedly resisting the urge to tip a trifle onto his head. Indeed, you would be forgiven for thinking that this whole ordeal is a cynical ploy to boost her own career.

Like many reality series, this is perversely entertaining fodder (I’d definitely wager that it’s the only show in which you’ll see a multi-millionaire feed their child packet pasta), just not to the extent that one would expect given the unusual premise and personalities involved. And for the Gypsy King himself, it’s a puzzling PR misstep that, reputationally at least, is likely to do more harm than good.