I know I'm going to get some stick from this, but this made me genuinely angry today.

Front page of The Sun ...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...inda-Sims.html

I lost a parent at an early age, and I have a friend who lost his mother in similar circumstance.

For the media and the family to use this as an attention-grabbing and cynical ploy to guarantee support, for a celebrity entertainment show, is beyond reprehensible in my humble opinion. For it to make the front page of a national newspaper is beyond belief really. Yes, it's a terrible tragedy, but to use the story in this way ... well...

As I say, I may be over-sensitive and it's just my opinion, but the biased coverage and this type of approach just makes me dislike the guy even more now.

Apologies to anybody that finds that OTT and unfair, but that's just the way I feel...

Lets not make out this is a Joey exclusive trend just to give people an excuse to further kick the boot in him. This happens every year in tons of reality TV shows.
The family may have been asked questions about it in the interview and if so then they should not feel they cannot answer them or discuss the situation for fear of it being seen as a publicity stunt.

From what we have been shown in the show so far it is not as if Joey is milking this. He has had opportunity to as well - when he mentioned he thinks of his Dad never giving up or something along those lines when on his way to a task, he could have easily spoke about his Mum instead.

Very good post, IMO.

Well said!

Have to agree here.

@OP - It IS distasteful and extremely cynical but it happens all the time (eg. x-factor contestants with their sob stories and dead relatives living vicariously through their hopes and dreams ) so there's no point in singling Joey out because of it.

FWIW, in general, this type of sentimentality is far more inclined to put me off people, rather than warm to them.

his mums looking down from heaven shaking her head

I don't think joey's even mentioned his mum, except once maybe. It's not him, it's the stupid tabloids trying to make drama out of something best left private. So tacky.

someone asked him about his mum but he just replied "what's a mum?"

I shouldn't... but that made me