Pardy with a D.

"You may have heard rumours that Chelsea is an exclusive world of royals, aristocrats and playboys, where the gossip is as startling as the prices. Well it's all true, and I'd know. I'm Caggie Dunlop and this is my world. You might say that we've got it all, but having whatever you want can make choosing that much more tricky. In Chelsea the truth is more fabulous than fiction. This is our life."

When I first heard Caggie (Catherine) Dunlop's opening voice-over in the first episode of Made In Chelsea, I had no idea the group of extremely wealthy and self involved 20-somethings would quickly become such an integral part of my televised obsessions. Britain's answer to Laguna Beach or The Hills, it has been highly criticised as being a cringe-inducing look into the overly posh socialites of London, filled with highly scripted conversations and large chunks comprised purely of awkward silences. However despite so many negative reviews, the show is now in it's third series and has recently gained a Bafta nomination. I will be the first to admit that the previously mentioned criticisms are completely true, and I personally still find it to be incredible! It may be easily compared to TV rivals such as The Only Way Is Essex, but in my opinion I would much rather prefer watching this host of classier (albeit also snobbier) personalities.

With a few exceptions, each episode tends to follow the same routine. Several of the main characters meet for "drinks" (we have the pleasure of seeing professional cinematic shots of these cocktails being made), a situation arises that requires another meet-up of drinks to "clear the air", and ends with a truly explosive party filled with confrontations filled with "um, yah babe", and the occasional martini throw to the face. All sounds pretty mundane, but for some reason ever since I've been able to tell each skinny fake-tanned blonde -both male and female- from the other, I've been hooked. The colourful characters range from ditzy country girl Binky (Alexandra) Felstead who thinks the capital of Africa is South Africa, to the extreme end of the spectrum Mark Francis Vandelli, the hilariously posh heir to his millionairess mother who is never far from his maid Gianna and a glass of champagne. In addition we also have gloriously bumbling diamond heir Francis Boulle, the glossy maned Ollie Locke, who is never without his trademark bronzer and certainly didn't surprise anyone when he came out as bisexual, and the frantically immature yet equally adorable Jamie Laing, who has no luck in convincing anyone that his positively white blonde hair is real. The latter has coined one of the show's most recognisable phrases, "pardy with a D!", due the cast's distinct accents and the seeming inability to pronounce party properly. Laing is also a budding entrepreneur, despite being referred to as "the boy" by many of his co-stars, and the series has followed his journey of setting up his own business Candy Kittens. Each of these larger than life characters bring something to the show, ensuring there is never a dull moment. Although to be perfectly honest the main reason I found myself so infatuated with MiC was the slow realisation that I was perfectly in adoration of the previously mentioned singer/songwriter Caggie Dunlop.

Her constant stream of advice for her best friend Millie Mackintosh as she goes through relationship troubles, her nonchalance when dealing with professions of love from on and off again paramour Spencer Matthews, and just her general easy going personality make her my favourite of the Chelsea girls. In comparison to her female co-stars, Ms Dunlop is easily the most down to earth, preferring to don a hoodie and mismatched nail colours over sky-high heels and an immaculate hairstyle. This has led to the bitchiest of characters turning up their noses at her and muttering remarks such as "what the fuck is Caggie wearing?", but I'm certain this only heightens the audience's love of her.

Along with the surprisingly amazing soundtrack, I'd say the most important factor of the popularity of these programmes, is the sense of escapism their viewers are offered. Watching these reality shows (the word reality being used very loosely here) and following the activities of these Chelsea dwellers on a Monday evening, you almost feel like a part of their inner circle, as though you too attend these exclusive gatherings and take impromptu trips to Cannes when you tire of the endless 'drama' high-class living brings. And in a country plagued by recessions and a sea of toothless junkies, what's wrong in indulging yourself by delving into another world filled with attractive snobs and their elegant social lives? Possibly a biased answer but I'd say nothing at all.