Who are Erica and Spencer Shemwell? Meet 'The Blended Bunch' couple and their 11 children before show premieres
TLC has a list of family series that have been a part of their programming for some time now, for instance the Duggars on 'Counting On' and the Plaths from 'Welcome to Plathville'. TLC and its love for huge unconventional families where parents are seen raising their progeny on camera has been favored by fans. Shows like 'Outdaughtered', 'Sister Wives', and 'Bringing Up Bates' too have been one of the most watched shows and joining their ranks is 'The Blended Bunch' that premieres on Tuesday, March 16, 2021.
The show features Erica and Spencer Shemwell and their blended family of 11 children all under the age of 13. "We're kind of like the modern day 'Brady Bunch'" Erica says in the first look trailer of the show. "Except we have no (maid)Alice!" Spencer adds. "We need an Alice!". The couple met after suffering huge tragedies in their previous marriages but life offered them and their kids a second chance when they met each other and decided to move ahead in life together.
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Managing a smaller brood is a herculean task in today's time especially with everything that is going on in the world. However, the Shemwells will be seen tackling 11 kids with different temperaments and needs and before you watch them live out their lives on a show which is going to get rough at times since a couple of their children have trouble mixing with each other, here's what you need to know about the family.
Erica Shemwell
Erica was in a very happy marriage with her first husband Tony Means till December 2016. She is a mother of six and was expecting her youngest child when her husband succumbed to a long-drawn battle with cancer. It wasn't sudden, he suffered from L-Fraumeni Syndrome and the long and short of it was that his body was missing one of the two cancer-fighting genes. His mother, grandfather, uncle, three cousins, an aunt, and an uncle had all died due to cancer. Tony was diagnosed with brain tumor in his second year of being married to Erica and even though he beat cancer thrice, it returned to claim his life.
Erica has four daughters and three boys all between ages 3 to 12 years old, the eldest being Landon (12), then Emma (10), another daughter Lily (9), then there's Sophie (8), Tanner (6), Amelia (5) and her youngest Caleb (3).
Spencer Shemwell
Spencer was married for to his first wife Aimee but a tragic road accident in November 2017 turned his life upside down. The couple were running some errands with their kids after spending a long but fun family day in Front Royal, Virginia. The family van was T-boned by a semi-truck and she died on the spot while the others escaped with minor injuries.
Spencer was left widowed and his four kids were distraught with their mother's passing. Spencer has three sons and a daughter between the ages 4 to 12 years old. The eldest being Brayden (12), Harper (8), Avery (6) and Bexley (4).
Erica and Spencer met each other during a conference in Utah after meeting online in a widower support group. They became instant friends and connected on a deeper level since they had the same ideologies even religiously as they belonged to the same The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They went on their first official date on November 24, 2018, and married each other on January 22, 2019 in Provo, Utah and the family now resides in Lehi.
Check out the trailer of 'The Blended Bunch' below to get an idea about their life before the series premieres.
'The Blended Bunch' premieres on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 9 pm ET on TLC.
