Struggles and Losses Faced by X Factor Stars, Samantha and Emma Chawner, Since being Dubbed "Britain's Fattest Family" - Including Financial Hardships and Heartbreaking Grief.
The Chawner siblings' journey from The X Factor to the headlines was anything but easy. Emma and Samantha’s 2007 audition on the hit show left them reeling when judges and viewers mercilessly mocked their performances.
Emma took the stage, singing Celine Dion’s timeless ballad, My Heart Will Go On. Despite her heartfelt rendition, she received four denials from the judges, leaving her devastated. Her family, from the market town of Ramsbottom, rallied together, returning to the ITV stage the following year with the determined sisters taking on Mariah Carey’s Hero.
Regrettably, Simon Cowell couldn't hold back and laid into the girls, criticizing them harshly for their performance. The intense backlash extended beyond the stage and into the media, where the family faced vicious trolling that threatened their mental health and public image.
Despite these challenges, the whole family found success on the small screen. Life off-stage had its own setbacks, as they grappled with personal struggles and heartbreaking bereavements. Let's delve deeper into the post-X Factor journey of Samantha and Emma Chawner.
Lorraine Kelly's Big Fat Challenge
After being branded ‘too fat to work,’ the family took part in Lorraine Kelly's weight loss programme in 2010. Their combined weight exceeded 90 stone, and the show aimed to help them shed pounds and improve their health.
However, in 2013, the shocking revelation emerged that the family had collected an estimated £342,000 in benefits between 1995 and 2013.
Jeremy Kyle
A few years later, in 2015, the family appeared on the ITV talk show, Jeremy Kyle. The show featured Audrey Chawner seeking help to retrieve her Manchester United scarf after abandoning her kids and husband.
Emotions ran high as family members discussed their personal issues, with Audrey revealing her remorse for leaving her family and Phillip expressing his unwillingness to reconcile.
Nightmare Neighbours
The family caught the attention of Channel 5's Nightmare Neighbours program in 2016. Pressure mounted as the Chawners moved into a quiet suburban street in Blackburn, but their loud dogs, TV, and frequent fights led to complaints pouring in.
The episodes' synopsis read, “The Chawner family, who have caused over 600 complaints from angry neighbors, move into a quiet suburban street in Blackburn, and a psychiatrist in Clapham battles a huge renovation next door."
Complaints against the family were so numerous that Bury council evicted them from their three-bedroom property in Ramsbottom in the past due to the 130 complaints lodged against them.
Estrangement and Weight Loss
The feud between the sisters started a few years after the pandemic, with Samantha, now in Bolton with her husband Matthew, taking residence far from her sister.
Emma passionately worked on her weight loss journey, shedding 13 stone over two years and a half, and revealing her dramatic transformation on social media. She credits her weight loss to a 30-day detox in 2020, an elimination of snacking, and increased fluid intake.
Sadly, the sisters’ relationship remains strained, with conflicting reports of reconciliation and estrangement.
Midst Troubles and Grief
Tragedy struck the Chawner family in 2024 when they lost both Audrey and Philip. Emma confirmed the passing of her mom, Audrey, in January at the age of 73, and shared the devastating news on Instagram. Despite their estrangement, Samantha was reported to have reconciled with their mother before her death.
In December of the same year, Emma announced her beloved father, Philip, had succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 69. Heartbroken and struggling, she launched a GoFundMe page to help fund her father’s funeral expenses.
Samantha also lost a significant amount of weight prior to her wedding in 2024, fitting into a size 22 dress for the special occasion. The sisters’ heart-wrenching story is a remind of the challenges facing those thrust into the limelight overnight.
- The Chawner family appeared on Lorraine Kelly's weight loss program in 2010, aiming to shed pounds and improve their health, as their combined weight exceeded 90 stone.
- In 2013, it was revealed that the family had collected an estimated £342,000 in benefits between 1995 and 2013.
- A few years later, in 2015, the family appeared on the ITV talk show, Jeremy Kyle, where issues within the family were discussed.
- In 2016, the family was featured on Channel 5's Nightmare Neighbours program due to numerous complaints about their loud dogs, TV, and fights.
