TV Guilty Pleasures: From Made in Chelsea to Lego Masters

We all have them: TV guilty pleasures. Shows that we know are flawed, sometimes ridiculous, yet somehow we can’t stop watching. Over the years, my guilty pleasures have evolved—from Made in Chelsea in my twenties to Lego Masters, Celebs Go Dating and Suits now. And I’ll happily confess to enjoying This Morning repeats on the weekend and the chaos of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

A recent UK survey of 2,000 adults found that 54% of Britons admit to lying about their TV viewing habits, often to appear more sophisticated. Many pretend to watch documentaries or foreign-language shows, while in reality they enjoy familiar comfort series. Nearly four in five respondents feel societal pressure to like certain programmes. Classic sitcoms like Friends and The Office remain hugely popular, while shows like Death in Paradise and Unforgotten draw around 6 million viewers, outperforming heavily promoted new releases.

The survey also highlighted that guilty pleasures are often formulaic or light-hearted, yet they dominate leisure viewing. Shows like Love Island, Lego Masters, and daytime repeats provide escapism and comfort, even if they are “lowbrow.”

Suits: Comfy in a Pair of Slippers

Suits is a legal drama about Mike Ross, a brilliant college dropout with a photographic memory, who fraudulently lands a job as an associate at a top New York law firm under hotshot lawyer Harvey Specter. Together they close cases while hiding Mike’s secret, navigating power struggles, and balancing loyalty, ambition, and the law.

My go-to comfort series is Suits. The music, charismatic characters, and New York setting make it feel like wearing a favourite pair of slippers. I follow the podcast Sidebar With the Characters, where actors like Sarah Rafferty and Patrick J Adams do watch-alongs and interview key cast and production members.

I prefer the work-based stories over the more absurd sideline plots. Some arcs, like the lawsuit over a cat or the over-the-top English accents, are just too ridiculous. I’d also love to see more background characters, as the firm often feels thin on the ground.

Despite these flaws, the character dynamics are brilliant. It has become my go-to background TV, comforting and familiar.

The Mentalist: simon baker is a genius

The Mentalist follows Patrick Jane, a former psychic medium who admits he faked his abilities but uses his sharp observational skills to help the California Bureau of Investigation solve crimes. Driven by the murder of his family by a serial killer named Red John, Jane balances witty charm with a relentless quest for justice.

The Mentalist could be accused of being formulaic, even Scooby-Doo-like, but the pursuit of Red John and the chemistry between Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) and Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney) make it compelling. Kimble Cho adds great depth.

Gale Bertram should have probably been Red John and highlights one of the flaws of the show that the creator of the show didn't know who Red John would be prior to the show starting.

Like many American series, both Suits and The Mentalist don’t know when to stop. The last couple of seasons for each series dragged on, trying to extend franchises that probably should have ended earlier.

Lego Masters: Watching, Not Building

Another current guilty pleasure is Lego Masters Australia. I don’t play with Lego myself—too fiddly, even more so than aligning items in PowerPoint or Looker Studio—but it’s mesmerising to watch. Lego Masters Australia is a reality competition show where teams of two compete in creative building challenges using LEGO, judged by "Brickman" Ryan McNaught, a certified LEGO professional. Hosted by comedian Hamish Blake, the series is known for its mix of technical skill, storytelling, and over-the-top builds.

I prefer the Australian version, where Hamish is hilarious and Brickman gets emotional when contestants leave. The builds are consistently impressive. The UK version fell flat, feeling amateurish in comparison.

the Parisian agency: exclusive properties

Netflix's The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties is a French reality series following the Kretz family, luxury real estate agents who sell multimillion-euro properties in Paris and beyond. Blending family dynamics with glamorous listings, the show offers a mix of high-stakes deals, personal stories, and stunning homes.

The family dynamic is great - four brothers working together with differing personalities under the steer of father and mother duo: Olivier Kretz and Sandrine Kretz. The grandmother is Majo, Olivier Kretz’s mother who is constantly being set up on dates by their grandsons.

They explore properties across France and the world but the family dynamic is what sells the show. The odd thing about it is the inexplicable gangster rap music that connects different segments in the show. Hilarious, all the same.

Other Guilty Pleasures or just shows i watch

• This Morning repeats on the weekend – Light, easy, and comforting. Alisson & Dermot all the way.

• I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! – Ant & Dec. Enough said.

• Love Island – Garbage, trash tv. Something me and the partner can watch

• MasterChef – Always a staple, and I’m excited for next year’s hosts. I love watching food shows,

• Clarkson’s Farm – Hilarious, informative, and no shame in watching.

  
  

UK Viewers’ Guilty Pleasures: Survey Insights

A recent UK survey of 2,000 adults found that 54% of Britons admit to lying about their TV viewing habits, often to appear more sophisticated. Many pretend to watch documentaries or foreign-language shows, while in reality they enjoy familiar comfort series. Nearly four in five respondents feel societal pressure to like certain programmes. Classic sitcoms like Friends and The Office remain hugely popular, while shows like Death in Paradise and Unforgotten draw around 6 million viewers, outperforming heavily promoted new releases.

The survey also highlighted that guilty pleasures are often formulaic or light-hearted, yet they dominate leisure viewing. Shows like Love Island, Lego Masters, and daytime repeats provide escapism and comfort, even if they are “lowbrow.”

Why Guilty Pleasures Matter

These shows aren’t critically acclaimed masterpieces, but they serve a purpose: comfort, escapism, and pure entertainment. Some are ridiculous, some formulaic, some emotionally stirring—but they all hold a place in my TV rotation.

At the end of the day, guilty pleasures are about pressing play and enjoying yourself, no matter how over-the-top or trivial it might seem. Right, Gogglebox anyone?