Jana Pittman’s heartbreak at viewer backlash

Jana Pittman has opened up about her battle with a debilitating health problem that she once thought was “normal.”

Pittman and her 17-year-old son finished a respectable fifth on the show, which this season saw Australian celebrities join a loved one in a race through countries including India, Cambodia and Malaysia.

But following their elimination, hurdles champion and mother-of-six Pittman shared a lengthy post on Instagram, revealing that viewers’ comments about her relationship with her son during the season had stung.

“Absolutely heartbroken to read some super critical messages from people about our relationship and my mothering skills. That I called him a buddy, that I was annoying and overly critical,” she began.

Pittman isn’t exaggerating – here’s an example of the Twitter reaction when the pair appeared on screen:

Recent posts on the show’s Facebook page have also been littered with comments from viewers complaining about Pittman’s relationship with her son.

Pittman said she “heard” the criticism: “I watched the montage and cringed too… the portrayal of my mother-son relationship was laid bare for anyone to comment on,” she wrote.

Pittman explained that after a successful first six stages of the race, “the pressure increased and it became very tough,” which played out on TV.

“Of course they mainly show the parts where we argue and I seem to push him too hard. It’s reality TV!! It has certainly made me look at myself and realize that I need to be less ‘intense’… do better… enjoy life a little more. Listen up better.. It’s hard to turn off the switch when you’ve been this way your whole life.. but there were so many other amazing moments where we pushed and supported each other way beyond our limits,” she wrote.

In the lengthy post, shared after midnight in the hours after the episode aired, Pittman also called for compassion in dealing with the criticism.

“Behind every celebrity there is a person and most of us bleed and cry the same way as everyone else. Reading some harsh comments hurts my heart. My stomach hurts with disappointment and my brain won’t switch off,” she wrote.

“Yes, I signed up to do it, so it’s up to me to carry this and I will, but right now it hurts. Tomorrow I still have to get up, put on a smile, show up for patients, hug the kids and give a speech, but I will do it tired because tonight I am teary-eyed, heartbroken and feeling incredibly vulnerable,” she revealed.

“So it’s just a small call to remind us all that our words are powerful. Comments will likely reach the person they are about and if that is your intention that’s fine but please remember that it is a person breathing, crying and hurting behind the ‘name’ and a director who has to turn on the TV , ‘she said.

The great race host Beau Ryan was one of the first to offer their support for Pittman under her post, writing: “Walk tall Jana. You are a great mother and you were both fantastic during the race. Both you and Cor can be proud.”

The elimination of Jana and Cor leaves four teams in this season of the show: Darren McMullen and his cousin Tristan, Emma Watkins and her sister Hayley, Alli Simpson and her mother Angie and Harry Jowsey with his friend Teddy.

Ten recently revealed during their Upfronts 2024 that this Celebrity edition of The great race will return to screens next year.