Channel 5 viewers ‘switch off’ from new drama The Au Pair over ‘totally unbelievable’ plot: ‘Patronising!’
Channel 5’s latest drama series The Au Pair debuted on Monday evening, but it’s “unbelievable” plot failed to impress several viewers, leading many to claim they would “switch off”.
The dark series tells the ominous story of a murderous au pair hellbent on destroying the lives of the family she’s working for.
A synopsis for the drama reads: “Zoe Dalton is a woman who seems to have it all: a successful business, a happy marriage, two beautiful step-children and a stunning house in the idyllic countryside.
“When a mysterious au pair enters Zoe’s home with her own hidden agenda, Zoe is unwittingly propelled on a journey that will unearth a terrible truth and which will threaten to destroy everything she holds dear.”
Not long into the opening episode, it was clear au pair Sandrine (Ludmilla Makowski) wasn’t who she claimed to be.
She was determined to meddle in the family’s lives and make Sally Bretton’s character Zoe seem unstable.
It didn’t take her long to interfere in the couple’s marriage, threaten to kill a schoolboy, drug Zoe’s unwell father and much more.
Taking to X, viewers were quick to admit they were struggling to remain interested in the drama, with one writing: “OK, that’s enough of #theaupair – utter bilge, good actors saddled with an awful, predictable script that’s really patronising the viewers.”
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A second complained: “This feels like it might be an hour of my life I’ll never get back…time to switch over?? #TheAuPair.”
“Did they just give insulin to a bloke with low blood sugar, who then wakes up immediately? Who wrote this rubbish? #TheAuPair,” a third asked.
Someone else keen to switch over added: “I was looking forward to this after the Graham Norton show announced it at the weekend. But I don’t think I can watch much more #theaupair.”
“Not bothering with the rest of this rubbish. The script is like a school English assignment. #theaupair,” someone else remarked.
“This is so poorly written like wtf #theaupair,” one more remarked.
Others praised the drama’s intense start though, with another commenting: “This is so bad and totally unbelievable…. and I’m absolutely loving it !! #TheAuPair.” (sic)
The thriller consists of four one-hour episodes which will conclude on Thursday, March 13.
Talking about the drama, Bretton recently told The Express: “I think I took it on because I hadn’t done anything like that before – a melodrama –and the opportunity to take on something so different was really exciting.
“Everything I had done for years had been comedy, which was wonderful.
“And then I did Beyond Paradise, which touches on some drama and some sensitive issues.
“But this was a real dash at something very dramatic and I couldn’t resist it. Normally there’s much more lightness in my life though!”