Reality Show Shooting in Zanesville

An Australian based reality show is filming in Zanesville this week.

The show “World’s Strictest Parents” sent two Australian teenagers to live for a week with the McDonald family in Zanesville. Nathan McDonald is a pastor at Apostolic Christian Church and his wife Cassandra is a singer and musician. They say they were recommended by a friend to the producer of the show and the experience has been a blessing.

“It has been a little while since I have raised 17 years olds and it just took so much emotion and giving and loving and opening up and the whole thing is like you can mandate, which I told the producers, but I said I wanted to get into their hearts and their souls and let them know they are special. That they would learn to value themselves and then they wouldn’t have these issues,” says Cassandra McDonald.

The teenagers, Aza and Troy, will be here until Tuesday and are excited to attend the Muskingum County Fair. Aza struggles with excessive partying, whereas Troy hopes to stop drinking. Both say living with the McDonalds has changed their lives.

“I have learned to be myself without the drugs and alcohol and I have learned to respect myself and others and my attitude has really changed since I have been here,” tells Aza.

Aza and Troy both say they would like to move to America someday. The show will air sometime next year in Australia.