10 reasons why Cleaning Up got it wrong…

Ten reasons why Cleaning Up got it wrong… (but why I’ll still continue to watch)

Today, whilst pretty much sofa bound and out of action after my op, I sat on the sofa (in between naps!) and watched the first two episodes of the new ITV drama Cleaning Up, starring Sheridan Smith cast as a single mum and zero hours contract cleaner at a Canary Wharf stockbrokers. The drama unfolds around her gambling addictions, the resulting spiralling debt, a broken family and how an opportunity to be involved in insider dealing arises when she overhears an unscrupulous employee. 

There are so many areas where Cleaning Up got it right – the desperation, the chase; the cruelty of addiction and how quickly it can catch you, escalate, and spiral out of control. The belief that just one more attempt might be ‘the one’, and that moment where rational thoughts and logic get overcome. Sheridan plays this part well, and watching the pain and physical anguish she feels after gambling away her friends money as well as her own was heartbreaking to watch. The denial, the failure to accept help and the broken relationships as a result is sadly a far to common occurrence when addiction is involved. 

However, like many, I was left a little frustrated about the many plot holes, the lack of research about office life and the parts of the storyline that just made no sense. Here’s 10 reasons why I think they got it wrong. 

1. Sheridan Smith is a great actress and plays the part well; however having recently watched the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, there is still a little part of me that is fully expecting her to break out into the robot and start chanting Gavlarrrrrrr. I need to get past this with four more episodes to go. 😂
2. There is clearly NOTHING more conspicuous than a listening device which is clearly labelled with a ‘Listening Device’ sticker. James Bond would be proud.
3. Sam lives and works literally minutes away from Canary Wharf but owns and runs a car – which clearly she doesn’t really need? Particularly when it’s only got 8000 miles as a W registration!! Surely when you’re sharing a burnt fish finger for your tea you’d start to look at non essential expenses! 
4. At the beginning of the series Sam is shown returning from work just as the office workers arrive for their shifts, clearly having worked during the night. Yet in the later scenes, Sam is cleaning whilst workers are all still at their desks. Most cleaners work when the majority of staff have gone home, not in the middle of the day.
5. Information security at this stockbrokers is pretty lax – no security guards, no cctv, and no pressing control alt delete when people leave their desks – clearly the research team staff paid no attention to this part of their induction!!
6. Most printers in an office would either a) need an ID pass to trigger confidential printing b) be out of paper or c) be jammed and covered in a ‘waiting for engineer’ post it note, requiring at least a ‘turn off and on again’ before the reports would have appeared.  
7. GDPR breaches *shudder*, lone office working and personal mobile phones on a floor dealing with high profile stocks and shares – let’s hope the ICO don’t get wind of this company else insider trading would be the least of their worries! 
8. Cleaning Up implies that office workers all look down on, are rude to, and don’t care about the cleaners when actually; in every office I’ve ever worked in they are actually very well liked, chatted to and respected. We have collections for ours at Christmas, chat to them when they arrive and are normally pleased to see them arrive (although yes, partly because it means it’s nearly time to go home)
9. Alice’s black eye appears to swap sides from one scene to the next. Continuity at its best.
10. Finally and possibly the most concerning plot hole at all, how the hell did her lodger, who clearly weighs no more than 8 stone, get a huge zanussi washing machine up the stairs and into the bedroom unassisted. PIVOTTTT!

Joking aside, whilst the script writing mat not be perfect; and the story a little far fetched at times; this drama highlights some real issues; and if it raises awareness of gambling and addictions and helps people recognise the signs then it’s done its job.

I may have raised an eyebrow at times, but I am still keen to see how it pans out. 

Have you been watching? What are your thoughts? 

*Photo credit – Radio Times.