# Wife Swap (British TV series)

Wife Swap is a British reality television programme that aired on Channel 4 from 7 January 2003 to 15 June 2017.
In the programme, two families, usually from different social classes and lifestyles, swap wives/mothers – and sometimes husbands – for two weeks. In fact, the programme will usually deliberately swap wives with dramatically different lifestyles, such as a messy wife swapping with a fastidiously neat one. Despite using a phrase from the swinging lifestyle, couples participating in the show do not share a bed with the "swapped" spouse while "swapping" homes.
In November 2009, Channel 4 announced that they had cancelled Wife Swap, and no new episodes of the show would be made for the channel. The final episode was broadcast in December 2009.
It was announced that Wife Swap would return for a special Brexit episode to air on 15 June 2017 on Channel 4.

## Synopsis

During the first week, the new wife must adhere to exactly the same rules and lifestyle of the wife she is replacing. Each wife leaves behind a house manual which explains her role in the family and the duties she holds. This almost always determines what rules the wives will apply at the "rules change ceremony".
During the second week, the new wives are allowed to establish their own rules, and their new families must adhere to these new household rules. It usually takes a while for the families to adjust to this policy, meanwhile the wives disburse a sum of money to the family they have become involved with, to do what the wives see fit to spend it on.
At the end of the two weeks, the two couples all meet together for the first time, and the wives, along with their husbands, discuss how they felt about the two weeks. This often descends into personal insults and has degenerated into violence at least twice. More often than not, however, both families reach toward a middle ground and express that they have learned from the experience. Sometimes, the table meeting is a very heartfelt and emotional time for the two families who sometimes have complete and mutual respect for each other. A few weeks later, the cameras return to record what changes have occurred since the wife swap.

## Transmissions
### Series

| Series | Start date | End date | Episodes |
| 1 | 7 January 2003 | 28 January 2003 | 4 |
| 2 | 30 September 2003 | 4 November 2003 | 6 |
| 3 | 29 June 2004 | 3 August 2004 | 6 |
| 4 | 19 October 2004 | | 6 |
| 5 | | | 6 |
| 6 | | | 4 |
| 7 | | | 5 |
| 8 | | | 10 |
| 9 | | | 9 |
| 10 | | | 5 |
| 11 | | | 6 |

### Specials

| Date | Entitle |
| 30 September 2003 | Changed Our Marriage |
| 11 November 2003 | Celebrity Special |
| 29 June 2004 | Changed Our Marriage |

## International versions

| Country | Title | Network | First airdate |
| Australia | Wife Swap Australia | LifeStyle You Seven Network | 9 January 2012 |
| Belarus | Обмен Жёнами Obmen Zhjonamy | ONT | 24 September 2011 |
| Belgium | De Nieuwe Mama | vtm | ? |
| Brazil | Troca de Esposas | RecordTV | 14 February 2019 |
| Bulgaria | Смени жената Smeni zhenata | bTV | 1 March 2017 |
| Chile | ¿Quién cambia a quién? Intercambio de Esposas | Canal 13 | 14 March 2006 |
| Czech Republic | Výměna manželek | TV Nova | 5 September 2005 |
| Denmark | Par på prøve | TV3 | 6 October 2003 |
| France | On a échangé nos mamans | M6 | 13 January 2004 |
| Germany | Frauentausch | RTL II | 14 July 2003 |
| India | Maa Exchange | Sony | January 2011 |
| Italy | Cambio moglie | Fox Life LA7, SKY Vivo NOVE | 2004 2005-2008 20 May 2020 |
| Israel | אמא מחליפה Ima Mahlifah | Channel 2 (Keshet) | 2005 |
| Netherlands | Jouw vrouw, mijn vrouw | RTL4 | ? |
| New Zealand | Wife Swap NZ | TVNZ 2 | 30 May 2019 |
| Norway | Konebytte | TV3 | 22 November 2004 |
| Poland | Zamiana żon | TV4 | 7 June 2007 |
| Poland | Zamiana żon | TTV | 19 April 2018 |
| Romania | Schimb de mame | Prima TV | 2006 |
| Russia | Обмен Жёнами Obmen Zhjonamy | STS | 9 July 2011 |
| Russia | Обмен Жёнами Obmen Zhjonamy | Yu TV | 2017 |
| Serbia | Мењам жену Menjam ženu | RTV Pink Happy TV | July 2006 |
| Slovakia | Zámena manželiek | TV Markiza | 6 September 2004 |
| Spain | Me cambio de familia | Cuatro | 5 February 2010 |
| Ukraine | Міняю жінку Minyayu zhinku | 1+1 | 8 March 2010 |
| United States | Wife Swap | ABC CMT | 26 September 2004 |

## Spin-offs
### Boss Swap

A spin-off, Boss Swap, was broadcast as a series in the UK. A pilot for a US series was shown on ABC but was not commissioned. Husband Swap and Vacation Swap pilots were also broadcast in America, but were not picked up for series production. In the Netherlands and Belgium Vacation Swap episodes, are produced as "Jouw vakantie, mijn vakantie".
At least once a husband and a live-in boyfriend swapped while the women stayed with their families.

### X-Change

There is an ongoing series on Hunan Television, in which the people being swapped are mostly the eldest children (or in rare cases, youngest or all children) of between 9–16 years old. One of these comes from an affluent family, but with behavioural and legal issues, in which they must surrender all technological gadgets and money (except for the allowances left by the opposite family, or any money they earned or collected). The other is from a poorer agricultural village, often orphaned or with single parents. This show also has celebrity mentors making videos of support for the participants.
In the Netherlands the same format is being used in KRO's Puberruil, broadcast on NPO3. The children are 15–18 years old. Most of the time Dutch children are swapped, but there are also episodes named "Puberruil buitenland" where Dutch children are swapped with children in countries like India, Brazil and Sierra Leone. Longer episodes are called "Puberruil Xtra".

## In popular culture

* In 2007, Richard Thomas's BBC Two series Kombat Opera Presents included a musical parody of the USA version of Wife Swap, under the title Spouse Change.
* In The Vicar of Dibley, Alice Tinker mentions going on the programme.
* In 2009 during a week of EastEnders, Max Branning and Tanya Branning swapped lifestyles with Ian Beale and Jane Beale for a week.
* The programme was parodied in the children's programme Horrible Histories, where it was called Historical Wife Swap. In the sketch, wives from different positions, such as a Viking and a thrall, or a Pharaoh and a peasant would swap, showing how these people lived. There were seven sketches in total, appearing in series 1–5.