The Untold Truth Of TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me
In January 2020, TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me, a reality show that gave whole new meaning to the phrase "putting your best foot forward," debuted. The series introduced Dr. Ebonie Vincent and Dr. Brad Schaeffer, two podiatrists who, according to the network’s announcement, "have never met a foot too funky to fix." With Vincent based on the west coast and Schaeffer on the east, TLC explained that the new series would follow the docs as they take on some of the most jaw-dropping, eye-popping foot problems ever seen on television.
"It was clear, following the debut of Dr. Pimple Popper, that our audience was craving even more powerful and heartwarming stories of medical transformation," said TLC president and GM Howard Lee, promising to take viewers on "emotional rollercoaster journeys through to their uplifting conclusions." From folks with extra toes to a patient with Proteus syndrome (a.k.a. Elephant Man’s Disease), My Feet Are Killing Me is all about fixing feet and changing lives.
The new series quickly made an impression, with nearly 2.8 million viewers tuning in to the premiere episode. There is much to be discovered about this unique show, so buckle up for the untold truth of TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me.
TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me is not for the faint of heart
If viewers found themselves shocked by the downright frightening feet on display on TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me, they can’t say they weren’t warned. That’s because each episode opens with a stern disclaimer. "This program examines podiatry conditions and the procedures involved with treating them," reads the warning. "Due to their graphic nature, viewer discretion is advised."
Even People, which shared a brief trailer of the show on its website, cautioned its readers that the clip "contains graphic images that may be unsettling." In fact, viewers who watched the clip did indeed encounter some downright horrific-looking feet. Among these were a patient whose massive infected growth on the sole of her foot looked like something out of The Walking Dead and another who had neglected his feet for so long that one of the doctors had to use a kind of power tool to grind all the nastiness off.
"At last," read a tongue-in-cheek review on Jezebel, "TLC has formulated a show that is as (or perhaps more) disgusting than Dr. Pimple Popper."
The promo "foot" for TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me freaked people out
Ahead of the debut of the first episode of TLC’s My Feet Are Killing Me, the network used an unusual promotional strategy to draw attention to its new show. During broadcasts of other TLC programming, a gnarly-looking pixelated foot appeared at the bottom of the screen, along with the show’s logo.
Viewers, however, weren’t quite sure what to make of it, and many of them took to Twitter to express their confusion and, in many cases, dismay. "Hey @TLC. Get that foot out of the corner of my TV. Super Annoying," wrote one viewer on Twitter. Another wrote, "I don’t know whose idea at TLC it was to put this foot at the bottom of the screen but they need to be fired IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!"
Along with the complaints were the usual attempts at Twitter humor, including this one: "Dear @TLC, please stop with the zit doctors and the shows about horrifying foot issues. I can’t take much more of these ads during my completely normal shows about polygamists, 90 day fiancés, little people, and people who don’t know how to buy a decent house with lottery money." Yeah, why not let viewers of 90 Day Fiancé and Seeking Sister Wife watch their shows in peace?
