Jordan: The Truth About Me

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

Why have we,as a country,and almost,it would seem,as a world,become so obsessed with 'Jordan',the former page three girl from the frolicky shores of Brighton who,maybe six years down the line,has become something of an international phenomenon?How has one of what appear to be an endless tirade of boob flashers on our great nation's most prestigious (heh heh heh) page managed to become the centre of attention in everyone's conversation?Why has every aspect of her life become so important to us all that a camera crew has had to follow her around for several months in her life?Well,the answer can only lie in those who choose to watch this documentary.Obviously enough sufficent interest must have prompted you to spare 50 minutes to glance at this in the first place,so explains the state of all of our minds.

With a title like 'the truth about me',one would guess that Jordan is trying to set the record straight about herself and what she gets up to in her life and to cast away any wrong assumptions people might have made about her.But it is almost definitely the perversity of interest that this character generates that is getting the viewer gagging for her to behave in a certain way and not to behave in a different kind of way.Jordan is an individual who magnetises all of your attention,and certainly not always for the right reasons,but nevertheless...

Alas,this is where this particular documentary should be admired.Far too many documentaries on celebrities nowadays try to paint them out as saint-like figures without any kind of flaws whatsoever,unlike the rest of us.This,however,doesn't pull any punches.We see Jordan in all her airs-and-graces,and it's simply up to us to decide whether we think she's a reputable human being or not.This is not patronising in any way,and should at least be commended for giving us the full,honest insight on a girl who seems to refuse to know her limitations in any way whatsoever.***

Director Richard Macer spends 6 months with glamour model Jordan, following her through photo shoots, nights out and even announcing her pregnancy and have her house robbed and her car stolen. We learn more about the personality behind the breasts.

This may be more channel 5 than BBC, but this is a BBC choice production and manages to avoid going down the route of staring at her breasts the whole time. She does `get them out' during photo shoots etc but really the camera only happens upon her assets by accident rather than on purpose. Instead we are allowed to delve into her character - an opportunity that risks being dull and empty.

But despite her appearance as nothing more than a pair of breasts, she is actually quite normal. She is prone to the same things as normal people - she gets moody, she gets drunk, she has problems with lovers and men generally etc. The things that go in are interesting but how she deals with them is better - she comes across as very vulnerable and erratic. Her attitude towards men seemed shaped by her dad leaving when she was young - and indeed she seems to like the attention she gets, but also to regard men as unreliable and untrustworthy.

Jordan comes across as real - if not likeable or to everyone's taste. To me she was a bit too much of a lad-ette, too loud and drunken to be likeable, but she is who she is. She doesn't seem to have a Max Clifford in the background coordinating her image or how she appears in the media. This makes her open to false stories etc but also makes her refreshingly real (despite the obvious fake bits to her!).

Overall, this may be slightly away from the BBC's remit but it could have been trashy and boob focused. Luckily in proper hands it comes off as a good documentary that gets under the skin of it's subject. The subject may not be to everyone's taste but it's done in good taste and is a lot better than it could have been.