With falling figures of people tuning in to some programmes and the axe of \u2018The X Factor\u2019 this year, the nation appears to be falling out of love with a fair few reality shows.<\/p>\n
As intense public scrutiny is also reportedly affecting participants\u2019 mental health, is the honeymoon phase for the likes of ‘Love Island’ and other dating programmes over? And what about the infamous \u2018Strictly\u2019 curse? What lies ahead for the dance-off shows?<\/p>\n
Celebrity Journalist Angela Sara West digs deeper with reality show stars to find out what they think is in store for such series\u2026<\/p>\n
From ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, ‘Made In Chelsea’ and ‘TOWIE’, to ‘The Great British Bake Off’, ‘Sewing Bee’ and Ant & Dec’s star-studded \u2018I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’, the reality TV show portfolio covers a plethora of genres galore.<\/p>\n
Brightening up our summer screens since 2015, the spark of lust’n’love and dating dramas with the audience seemed to dissipate for \u2018Love Island\u2019 this year, with the series opener pulling in the show’s smallest overnight launch viewership since 2017, and viewers enjoying Euro 2020 and Wimbledon instead.<\/p>\n
Unlike the first fly-on-the-wall reality shows like \u2018Big Brother\u2019, with numerous reality shows we now observe scripted showdowns, mandatory meet-ups, manipulated cast members, and scenes structured for \u201cour entertainment\u201d, often making things feel forced.
\nWe also have\u00a0glossier, more aspirational participants, with constructed reality stars making careers out of crossovers, as personalities move on to the challenges of plentiful other popular reality programmes after starring in their first, going on to compete in shows such as \u2018Celebrity MasterChef\u2019 and \u2018Celebs Go Dating\u2019, resulting in super star success stories.<\/p>\n
Acting as springboard to success in other mediums, careers in acting, pop music, and even the business world, ordinary people frequently find overnight success off the back of the shows. But with producers putting pressure on participants, contestants losing their \u2018dignity\u2019 on a public platform, scripted reality shows, too, it seems reality TV has lost its grip on reality and is thereby losing public support.<\/p>\n
So, just what is it that is turning people off from these previously phenomenally-popular programmes? Are we fed up with the copycat formats? Are reality shows still relevant? Have they gone too far? Or is it the damaging mental health aspects that are putting us off? After all, there have been rumours rumbling for years over the lack of show aftercare\u2026 The fact that there have even, sadly, been subsequent suicides and incidents of self-harm among reality stars and hosts could well be the cause of the channel switchover… There’s also the savage social media outrage culture, which Ofcom says reflects a “trend of growing complaints about high-profile TV. Shows should, of course, have a duty of care\u2026<\/p>\n
What is the future for reality series? To find out more, I chat exclusively with a few famous faces about what it\u2019s REALLY like to star on a reality show, delve into their highs and lows, and discover what they believe the future holds for such series.<\/p>\n
Love Islander 2021, Amy Day – Insta @amy_dayx Her highs on the show? \u201cThe fact you\u2019ve been picked out of the entire nation to go on!\u201d she tells me. \u201cPlus the chance to experience what it is actually like, and the great platform once you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n The brunette bombshell felt prepared when entering the villa. \u201cI am quite strong minded anyway when it comes to negativity and so on, but I spent a long time deciding about going on, so I definitely went through all the pros and cons and knew I\u2019d be ok. I did not feel any pressure and was just excited to be on \u2018Love Island\u2019. I kept fit before going in because I knew I\u2019d be in a bikini, so I guess that was my biggest pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n As for aftercare, the Casa Amor contestant and theatrically-trained actress & singer reassuringly reveals that that particular aspect proved a positive experience for her. \u201cThere is a lot of support from the aftercare team! There is no fault.\u201d<\/p>\n The stunning social media star is now reaping the rewards of that time in the limelight, which has acted as a launchpad to amazing opportunities. She has since modelled at our LFW show in Surrey, been auditioning for West End and TV shows, and dons her dancing shoes to chat all things \u2018Strictly\u2019 every Sunday evening for her IGTV series \u2018Strictly Between Us\u2019 with TV & radio presenter Benjy Potter and, among countless other public appearances, the 2021 Love Islander\u00a0 will be performing at Lady Wimbledon\u2019s famous Boo Bash at the Dog & Fox in Wimbledon Village this Saturday October 30th.<\/p>\n Celebrity Interior Designer, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen – @llewelynbowen As one of the first reality shows, the unprecedented home makeover series exploded viewers’ interest in interior design and DIY, and BOOM… Britain was bitten by the home improvement bug! Fun, fast-paced and full of drama, the 90s show revolutionised home decoration, with being creative with colour and design becoming the nation\u2019s favourite weekend pastime.<\/p>\n The interiors guru first burst onto our screens in 1996 in the BBC’s landmark lifestyle game-changing home improvement programme, turning its resident maximalist Laurence and his crafty colleagues, including Linda Barker, into household names overnight. \u201cWhen we started the show back in the mid-90s, nobody dared to decorate out of their comfort style,\u201d Laurence explains. \u201cOur show brought interior design down from its \u2018posh\u2019 pedestal, inspiring everyone to pick up their paintbrushes and get arty in their own abode.\u201d<\/p>\n He admits he wasn\u2019t keen, initially, on starring on TV. \u201cI remember the first couple of very negative responses, when we were just starting out and my children were very young. This was before social media, but then I received LOTS of letters from people writing in to say, \u2018Well, they might not have liked it, but I did!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He reveals that made him realise that taste is \u201cabsolutely subjective\u201d. \u201cSo I thought, in that case, I\u2019m going to go on TV to encourage people to do it THEIR way, to just have a go and have some fun along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n The phenomenally-popular series led to copious copycats on other channels, with show-after-show copying the ‘Changing Rooms’ format. Laurence starred in a string of highly-successful home makeover series, notably ‘DIY: SOS’, which he still stars in today.<\/p>\n He says the first big shoot he did was for the cover of The TV Times after the first ‘Changing Rooms’ series. “That was an odd moment in TV where the expert on the programme (me!) suddenly became the cover star, which hadn’t happened before. This was 1996, long before the cult of the TV expert ever really happened, way before Jamie Oliver…”<\/p>\n Revived on Channel 4 this September, out-there Laurence reveals that he still loves pushing people out of their comfort zone, and revels in the fact that he\u2019s different. \u201cI love that people\u2019s expectations when I walk into the room, they know that it\u2019s going to be taken somewhere they would never take it to themselves,\u201d he says. \u201cIn the early days, the first series, it was absolutely extraordinary\u2026 \u2018Changing Rooms\u2019 was the first real proper reality show\u2026 the first time that everything was kept in, even if it didn\u2019t work. It was the debut of what you saw on TV that was happening to real people, the first-ever kind of reality show where that was allowed to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n With showstopping concepts ensuring establishments are sexy and luxurious, he\u2019s still shocking and inspiring the nation through his elegantly-executed, elaborate overhauls and outlandish OTT creations. “I think what Channel 4 have done with programmes like ‘Pottery Throw Down’ and ‘Bake Off’, which were originally BBC shows, they’re very good at taking these traditional BBC ideas but giving them a bit of a spin, making them more rock’n’ roll and a bit more fun!”<\/p>\n “Uplifting ‘Changing Rooms’, ‘Sewing Bee’… these sort of shows are really heartening to feel that we are going to make something that people will really enjoy… they’re about the creativity, and everyone gets on, whereas other shows are about the competition.”<\/p>\n TV Star, Jungle Queen, Masterchef finalist, Vicky Pattison – @vickypattison Those annual jungle shower scenes are gold for the media, and as a mental health and positive body image advocate, Vicky champions body positivity, inclusivity and inner confidence, leaving women feeling strong, beautiful and empowered. What does body confidence mean to Vicky? \u201cLearning to love the skin you\u2019re in – embracing every inch of your body, shunning society\u2019s ideals of what is considered \u2018attractive\u2019 and celebrating your uniqueness! We\u2019re all fabulously flawed, and that\u2019s what makes us human and beautiful. Big butt, little butt, huge boobs, itty bitty ones, cellulite, rolls, flat stomach, tall or small – we are all perfect in our own way – and once you realise that and learn to appreciate your body as so much more than a number on a scale, that is body confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n On her mission to empower women, Vicky has teamed up with global lingerie retailer and has just launched Pour Moi x Vicky Pattison edit, offering a stunning collection championing inclusivity and creating styles to fit and flatter all\u202fbody shapes.<\/p>\n Singer\/songwriter\/The Voice Coach, Olly Murs – @ollymurs<\/strong><\/p>\n Sensationally dropped after hosting the 2015 \u2018The X Factor\u2019 series, singer\/songwriter and \u2018The Voice\u2019 coach Olly Murs revealed he battled with depression after his presenting duties on the show, alongside the now, sadly, late Caroline Flack, were met with much criticism. He says dealing with the pressures of the industry when first in the public eye was not easy… and it got even worse. Coming second on the ITV singing competition himself in 2009, the singing sensation confessed that the pressure to present what was “at the time, the biggest show on TV” was “intense”.<\/p>\n Opening up his mental health, the pop star admits he had a difficult time, experiencing anxiety and panic attacks. “It was intense”, he says. Although following\u00a0his \u2018X Factor\u2019 axe and short-lived career as a presenter, multi-talented Olly’s career has gone from strength-to-strength, seeing him mentor aspiring singers in his high-profile role as a coach on \u2018The Voice UK\u2019.<\/p>\n He wrote the song \u2018Talking to Yourself\u2019 about his anxiety and encourages other men to speak up about their mental health. His tips? \u201cI\u2019d encourage anyone struggling to talk to someone. You\u2019d be surprised how many people will empathise, and probably open up themselves. I think it\u2019s becoming more acceptable for men in particular to talk openly together about their mental health. But I\u2019d also advise anyone to go and speak to an impartial counsellor. It definitely did me the world of good, to have a stranger give me an impartial view and advice. Finding a hobby, or something that makes you feel good is always a positive, too. Having an outlet for any stresses or anxieties, even if it\u2019s as simple as going for a walk.\u201d<\/p>\n Calling for Brits to #BanTheBland, his campaign with Peperami, he reveals he’s presenting a brand-new talent show for ITV. I have a new show coming out soon called \u2018Starstruck\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n Singer, actor & TV presenter, Peter Andre – @peterandre Shortly after leaving the jungle, the 2004 re-release of \u2018Mysterious Girl\u2019 went straight to the top of the UK charts, eight years after its original release, seeing Peter enter the Guinness Book of Records as the only singer to have the same song hit the top of the UK charts three times!<\/p>\n Along with reality shows a-go-go, there have subsequently been small and big-screen appearances aplenty, including presenting gigs on \u201860-Minute Makeover\u2019, showbusiness reporter jobs on \u2018This Morning\u2019 and even a Hollywood movie.<\/p>\n Peter tells me he\u2019s grateful for the opportunities he’s had. \u201cIt\u2019s just been amazing that I\u2019ve had so many doors opening, and I\u2019ve been lucky enough to give new things a try!\u201d Gracing our screens to show off his cool dance moves on \u2018Strictly Come Dancing,\u2019 and going back Down Under to take on jungle challenges were both big learning curves for the celebrated singer. ‘Strictly\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019m a Celebrity\u2026\u2019 are two shows that are entirely poles apart, but where you learn different things about yourself,” he explains. “Let\u2019s just say that both shows taught me a lot!\u201d<\/p>\n Alex Murphy – Dancing on Ice Champ & Celebs Go Skating Presenter – @almurph18 She says such shows can be stressful. “I\u2019m super lucky to have an amazing support system around me that has helped me through all the ups and downs\u2026 But yes, reality show life can be stressful! My family keeps me grounded and always reminds me of what\u2019s important.”<\/p>\n As for the future of the shows, “I don\u2019t think reality TV will ever end anytime soon!” she says. “Sometimes, reality shows can be quite similar to others, so maybe that explains the boredom that viewers are having.\u201d<\/p>\n The stroke survivor agrees that the mental health aspects are affecting people’s viewing choices. “I do think people are a bit worried but aftercare protocols are now being put into place, which is so important!”<\/p>\n “I think reality shows will continue for a very long time\u2026 I\u2019d definitely sign up for another! I\u2019ve been very fortunate to have been on a few where I have met some of my best friends!\u201d<\/p>\n Hollywood & Bollywood actress, Sofia Hayat – \u00a0@sofiahayat After ‘Bollywood Star’, Sofia was \u201cdeeply shocked\u201d at how she was used to create drama on a show. “Another time, they put me in a room with a teacher and we were told to scream a lot. The screams bought me back to when I was being sexually assaulted, and I couldn’t stop crying for three days… There was no help or support. They just said, ‘Let her cry, it’s part of the process. On \u2018Bigg Boss\u2019, I was hit in the face with a mop by another contestant, a man. He called me all sorts of sexual names that were abusive. I wanted to leave but they didn\u2019t let me. In the end, when they evicted me due to the decline in my mental health, I went to the police and it was all over the news\u2026 India\u2019s number two news story,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe police arrested the man after they saw the footage, but the presenter,\u00a0who is very wealthy and famous, paid for him to be released. Once again, I felt like, as a woman, I was being taken advantage of. I was too scared to go to the show finale and escaped on a plane back to the UK after the show producers told me I had to be on the show again. I said I would not share a stage with a man who hit me. There is no aftercare and the shows really play on your insecurities. At one point, they sent me some anti-anxiety medication to help me. I would much rather have had support in a different way. I had a major panic attack on the show after everyone got a message from their family except me. It broke my heart, really\u2026 They did not art that episode because I was in such distress and could not breathe. They just sent in some medication.\u201d<\/p>\n Sofia reckons reality shows are on the decline due to the negativity and mental health aspects. “Which are overlooked time and time again. Shows like ‘Dancing on Ice’ and ‘Strictly’ will probably be the way forward, because people are learning a skill. But then again, one of the show’s selling points is the curse… couples break up, and they play this up in the media.” She also believes people are bored of the “fake drama”. “Reality shows have a recipe for their success, and they think that is aggression, violence, sob stories, poverty stories and sex. People are fed up with seeing these stories being played up.\u201d<\/p>\n “I really think people today are more tuned into a higher vibration,” she continues. “We don’t want to see people competing, when we can be co-operating. We don’t want to see people’s mental health decline. And we don’t want to see people belittling others, like they do on shows like ‘The X Factor\u2019. Putting people down was fashionable when reality shows started, but we are over it. Viewers have evolved and don’t want that anymore.”<\/p>\n “\u2019Strictly’s a light-hearted show and people support each other. That’s what is lacking in other reality shows. We need to support each other, and the show needs to support us, the contestants, and our mental health<\/p>\n The press is currently going wild for Sofia\u2019s recent film festival selection. Her short film, taken on her mobile ‘phone during lockdown, has been selected for the Cult International Film Festival. Having become a nun following her TV & film career, she\u2019s now being beckoned back into entertainment. Would she be up for another show? “I would definitely do ‘Dancing On Ice’ or ‘Strictly’, because I love dancing and have always wanted to dance on ice, but I would not fall for the curse,” she laughs..”<\/p>\n Celebrity Chef – Aldo Zilli – @aldozilli_official \u201cI did \u2019Celebrity Fit Club\u2019, where I was told to lose weight or die, basically… I was so scared and managed to drop three stone in just three months,\u201d he explains. \u201cThis was a massive mistake as I piled it all back on again as soon as it came off. So, no more drastic dieting for me\u2026.\u201d Having gained a huge following from the show, where he led his team to victory, his experience of managing to lose weight, however, sparked a new-found passion for health and fitness, which he still maintains today.<\/p>\n He then captivated the nation with his singing prowess and performances on taking part in the celebrity version of \u2018The X Factor\u2019 alongside three other famous chefs; Jean-Christophe Novelli, Paul Rankin and the now sadly-late Ross Burden. \u201cI named the Band Bake That!\u201d says Aldo. \u201cThe stress of learning songs and trying to sing in Italian in front of lots of people got to me so badly that I started drinking again during the shows to calm my nerves!\u201d<\/p>\n His most recent reality show appearance came just before the pandemic, seeing him team up with fellow chef Jean-Christophe again on \u2018Celebrity Hunted\u2019, where eight celebrity fugitives went on the run, taking on the \u2018Hunted\u2019 challenge to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer. \u00a0\u201cThis is maybe the worst and most mentally-strenuous reality show on telly if you take it seriously,\u201d award-winning Aldo tells me. \u201cAnd, of course, I did, and won in the end. But it took three weeks to recover from panic attacks about been chased!\u201d<\/p>\n Apron anxiety struck again\u2026 But all for a good cause though, Aldo!<\/p>\n Love Islander 2018 – Idris Virgo @idrisvirgo Now a boxer signed to Hennessy Sports, he describes the mental health aspect of the show as “decent”, and tells me to that, to be king of the reality ring, he thinks shows need to up their game. “I believe the producers need to spice things up regarding reality TV. Get characters like myself back on the screen!! The public is comfortable in what they know… There have been new shows that have boring characters, and the public can\u2019t connect with them.”<\/p>\n He thinks reality TV \u201chas a bright future ahead\u2026 especially \u2018Strictly\u2019 and \u2018I\u2019m a Celeb\u2026\u2019 Would he star in another? “Yes, I would love to. I really hope they will do a ‘Love Island’ all-star… that would be great!”<\/p>\n Ex on the Beach star & model ZaraLena Jackson – @zaralenajackson She tells me she dealt with a lot of image issues following the show. “But that\u2019s expected. When you expose yourself on TV, you allow the world to judge who you are and be able to say things about you, and that\u2019s just how it is. I was picked on for my face looking like a transsexual, and told I looked like Voldemort. It wasn\u2019t easy, and certainly pushed me to be more open to having surgery. A few weeks after the show, I didn\u2019t want to leave the house and constantly felt I was being watched in a very strange way. I think having cameras on you 24\/7 and constantly being filmed in the rooms massively made me feel anxiety and led to slight paranoia after the show.\u201d<\/p>\n Shockingly, she says there was zero contact from the show following filming. “So, in my honest opinion, there was no aftercare. I think reality TV isn\u2019t actually reality, and that\u2019s what the nation’s problem is,” she explains. \u201cThese shows always have attractive cast members that too many of the ‘norm tv viewers’ don\u2019t find relatable, so they don\u2019t interact well. A lot of these shows are clearly staged, too, which stands out. Reality TV is very disposable, the people on the shows are disposable, and as soon as a new show is aired, the last stars are disposed of. I feel it\u2019s time real people with real problems, or something that makes them unique, are encouraged in the TV world. That, after all, is reality TV.”<\/p>\n Would she sign up for another? \u201cI\u2019d definitely do another now that I\u2019m living with alopecia. Mainly because TV is the biggest platform to get awareness out there. However, before my hair loss, I probably wouldn\u2019t have considered further tv work as it is all very fake and without purpose most of the time. That said, I don\u2019t think reality TV shows will ever go out of style, maybe just oversaturated. After all, we all love watching reality TV!\u201d<\/p>\n Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up star, Shanice Croasdaile \u00a0– @shanicemua_ The make-up artist is always \u00a0is openly honest about her struggles with mental health. Living and breathing make-up, the passionate pro MUA is also an advocate of body positivity. “My mental health was affected quite badly after leaving the show, I can\u2019t lie. I left quite early on, so I went back to reality, while everyone else was still filming, and that really sucked,\u201d she tells me. \u201cI spent a few days in bed, cried a lot, and fell into quite a deep hole of depression… Nothing can really prepare you for that kind of thing I don\u2019t think\u2026 I\u2019m quite a headstrong person, but that broke me.”<\/p>\n As for the aftercare, she says it could have definitely been better. “I had gone from living in this ‘out-of-reality\u2019 environment, to being plummeted straight back into ‘normal’ life without warning, and felt like there was no type of safety net to help soften the blow. The BBC provided a psychiatrist we could talk to at any time, and she was lovely and helpful, but as the weeks went on and more contestants left the show, more-and-more people wanted to speak to her, so naturally, her time was stretched.”<\/p>\n “Looking back at it now, I\u2019m grateful for all of the things I experienced, good and bad, because I thought back then, that was the end for me and my career, when in reality, it was just the beginning. I definitely didn\u2019t see any silver lining back then, but I do now!\u201d<\/p>\n “I do think people are getting bored of reality TV. I personally can\u2019t tell you the last time I watched a reality show\u2026 Things like healing, self-love and spirituality are really popular at the moment, and a lot of people are taking the time to look after themselves, especially when it comes to mental health. Programmes that are filled with arguments, gossip and drama are not as attractive to a lot of people as they used to be.”<\/p>\n As for the future, \u201cI see more-and-more huge reality stars coming under fire for not being authentic, and I just think a lot of people are getting bored of watching people that they can\u2019t relate to all of the time\u2026 not everyone is glammed to the high heavens 24\/7 or covered in muscles and tattoos,\u201d she says. \u201cI think if the script for reality shows was changed, and people who are more relatable to the wider public were shown more, then the interest would rise again. That\u2019s one reason why I think shows like ‘Glow Up’ and ‘Bake off’ do so well, because the contestants are easy for people from all walks of life to relate to.\u201d<\/p>\n Would she do another? “In a heartbeat. Definitely TV over having another child! I\u2019d absolutely go on \u2018Glow Up\u2019 again and do reality TV in general. I have interesting aspects of my personality and stories I think a lot of people would connect with, so if a show wanted a weird hippy type \u00a0who doesn\u2019t take herself too seriously and prefers banter over drama, then call me!”<\/p>\n Naked Beach contestant & body confidence podcaster, Danielle Broadbent – \u00a0@danielle.broadbent She says the programme assisted with her pre-show anxieties. “I wouldn\u2019t say that the show caused me any mental health issues. I think, in all honesty, I was addressing my existing mental health issues by being on the show to begin with. After the show, I was on quite a high as I felt fabulous. I had developed this new-found confidence and was beginning to feel like my old self again. I did have one setback just before the show aired, which was more anxiety\u2026 how would the show be perceived, would I be trolled online, would people have high expectations of me now to be this super confident person 24-7 and never have an off-day? The team was really supportive though, and I have some great friends around me who also gave me a lot of reassurance.\u201d<\/p>\n She agrees that the reality genre is seeing some shows showing signs of becoming stale, and are, consequently, suffering from flagging viewing figures. “I love reality TV, but I do think some shows definitely lose their spark as a lot of people have seen it all before and need something new. ‘The X-Factor’ was a great show for many years, and I do know that they made several attempts to switch things up a bit to get people back engaged… It\u2019s a shame, really, it seemed to go a bit pear-shaped for me, personally, when Cheryl left.\u201d<\/p>\n “I love ‘The Only Way Is Essex’, but with TOWIE, RHOC, Love Island, for example, they have certainly had phases where things have got a little boring and a little bit same-old, and that\u2019s when major mix-ups have been needed,\u201d Danielle continues. \u201cTOWIE recently axed a lot of the cast, RHOC are always adding new housewives to try to keep the drama going\u2026 The shows need to stay relevant, fresh and exciting, but most of all, I think they need to be very real if they want to keep people\u2019s attention. I do think we live in a world now where a lot of people are sick of seeing what’s deemed to be the perfect look, the perfect body, the perfect hair etc. on our screens. Is there even such a thing as the perfect person and perfect look? I think people want to see more relatable characters, authenticity is a must… I certainly think that the pandemic and lockdowns have shifted people\u2019s mindsets massively. I personally feel that fewer people are now as consumed with how they look, and actually value more of a relaxed way of life. I know I do! And doing my hair and makeup and getting my glam on every single day just isn\u2019t part of my life anymore, and I do think people appreciate that realness more. Maybe ‘Love Island’ and other reality TV shows need more real, normal, everyday people on there!”<\/p>\n The future of the shows? “I think that there will always be that next new reality TV show… People enjoy them and if you have relatable characters on there, I think that people buy into it much more. Depending on the show, I would certainly consider participating in another!”<\/p>\n TV upcycling guru, Max McMurdo – @maxreestore<\/strong><\/p>\n Supercool British designer\/engineer\/entrepreneur\/upcycler extraordinaire Max McMurdo is a go-to TV presenter for product design. The upcycling genius gives junk and cast-offs a completely new lease of life by transforming them into exceptionally-useful products. Beyond passionate about the upcycling process and the idea of \u2018giving back\u2019, his extraordinary commitment to saving our planet saw multi-talented Max create a booming business utilising waste destined for landfill, designing, engineering and manufacturing bespoke creations from junk, transforming trash into high-end furniture with the aim of proving that upcycled furniture, accessories and eco-friendly products from objects destined for landfill can be turned into treasures that are contemporary, stylish and desirable.<\/p>\n No stranger to our screens, Max\u2019s first TV appearance saw him face the Dragons as he entered the BBC\u2019s fiery \u2018Dragons Den\u2019 with his company, plus a few of his innovate products, including a carrier bag recycling bin, in hand. Quickly snapped up by the BAFTA-nominated show\u2019s investors Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis following his perfect pitch, Max coolly left \u2018The Den\u2019 \u00a350k in backing better off. With their investment and input, Max and his Reestore brand grew to be among UK\u2019s most respected and renowned designers and manufacturers of upcycled products.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we are all influencers,\u201d forever humble Max tells me. With modern social media, we all have the opportunity to inform, educate and inspire others to make better decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Having been catapulted to fame with his sustainable ideas, the spotlight and the investment injection have seen him rise from a hobbyist to fame and, before long, Max turned his hand to TV presenting, alongside acclaimed architect George Clarke on his highly-successful \u2018Amazing Spaces\u2019 and \u2018Shed of the \u2018Year” on Channel 4. A crafty Kirstie Allsopp soon snapped up Max, too, whisking him away to more sustainable TV stardom, working alongside her on \u2018Fill Your House For Free\u2019, before she handed over the repurposing reigns to Gok Wan, seeing Max continue on the show with the gifted fashion guru\u2019s team of upcycling experts, including \u2018The Repair Shop\u2019s\u2019 Jay Blades, encouraging Britain\u2019s families to embrace saving the pennies, and the planet, through easy upcycling.<\/p>\n Max reveals the reality of reality shows. \u201cLong days, less pay than people imagine and a very intense environment. Very tough for a creative person who is used to designing and make everything in their own workshop to a high standard.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been involved in over 100 shows and have never been officially offered any aftercare\u2026\u201d he tells me. \u201cThat said, the team spirit and camaraderie is usually amazing; one united team working on tight deadlines and budgets creates a real supportive community spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n He explains how, with experience, you start to realise that it\u2019s only TV. \u201cThere are bigger issues going on in the world. I try to remind myself to relax and enjoy the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n As well as starring on \u00a0‘Find It, Fix it, Flog it’, where restoration supremo Max yet again illustrated how to turn unwanted trash into treasure, the go-to presenter for product design and repurposing, the mental health advocate is working on big-scale eco-projects for his OUTLANDISH Campers brand @outlandishcampers. \u201cIt\u2019s a range of sustainable motorhomes and campervans to encourage people to be environmentally friendly and explore this beautiful planet,\u201d says the sustainability champion. \u201cI\u2019m loving anything that promotes mental health through the opportunities adventuring, exploring and glamping have to offer. Getting back to nature and breathing are so good for the soul in this manic, stressful time. My new range of Campervans are going to, hopefully, enable those who may not currently think it possible to get out and enjoy what nature has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n Passionate about helping the next generation, Max has also been busy with his BOTL BLOX project, too, using recycled plastic as insulated building blocks for new schools in Kenya. He also assists UK schools in his mission to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and eco warriors and has also campaigned with rapper Professor Green.<\/p>\n Why are reality show viewing figures dwindling? \u201cI\u2019m sure the negativity surrounding mental health plays a part,\u201d says Max. \u201cHowever, I would predict that the growing number of people able to reach their audience through social media and YouTube means they no longer need to be on traditional TV shows. My shows are more factual entertainment than reality, and I\u2019m making a conscious effort to stay away from TV and move towards YouTube, partly for my own mental health, partly to give me more control over timescales and budgets, and partly to reach the right demographic who are no longer tuning in to traditional TV channels.\u201d<\/p>\n TV comedian, Shazia Mirza – @ theshaziamirza Pushed to their physical and mental limits, the contestants endured many days without food. \u201cSurvival is an ongoing situation so, even though you catch food, you still have another 28 days to survive and you need to keep catching food and surviving. So, you get excited, but it’s short lived.\u201d Having at one point exclaimed, \u201cI feel how Christopher Columbus felt on discovering America!\u201d, she later likened her experience of a mini tsunami to the Vietnam War. \u201cThe highs were very high, but the lows were very low, and they soon bring you back down to earth.\u201d<\/p>\n Driven by desperation, determined Shazia became \u2018The Island\u2019\u2019s warrior. No-one, it seems, was amused in such an unforgiving place. \u201cOn the island, there was no laughter\u2026 we didn’t laugh once. It was strange\u2026 We were struggling all the time, lying awake at night with nothing to do, thinking about your life, what you’re going to do and change when you get out\u2026 Being alone with your thoughts at night for such long periods of time was hard, like being in solitary confinement.\u201d<\/p>\n After a month of dehydration, starvation, coconut-dodging and being dashed against rocks (knocking her unconscious), Shazia was one of the final six stranded contestants who survived to the end. The comedy queen\u2019s travels and gruelling island experience have served as a source of inspiration for material for her sell-out shows. \u201cOnce you’ve survived \u2018The Island\u2019, you can do anything in life!\u201d<\/p>\n Strictly Come Dancing stars, Flavia Cacace-Mistry & Jimi Mistry @flavia_cacace @mistryeats \u201cMy favourite moment was when Russell and I performed our Jive at Wembley and he was launched out of a cannon!\u201d she tells me. \u201cIt won \u2018TV Moment of the Year\u2019 at the National TV Awards.\u201d<\/p>\n The accomplished dancer says loved her star-studded time on \u2018Strictly\u2019. \u201cThe opportunity to share our style of dancing with so many people I wouldn\u2019t otherwise been able to reach, and choreographing and performing routines alongside A-list musicians, including Beyonc\u00e9 and Westlife…\u201d How did it feel to win the Strictly Glitterball Trophy with the Olympic gymnast? \u201cOne word\u2026 AMAZING\u2019!!\u201d says the dazzling Neopolitan dance star.<\/p>\n \u2018Strictly\u2019 aside, the multi-award-winning dance champ was painted by Laurence Llewelyn Bowen on BBC\u2019s \u2018Celebrity Painting Challenge\u2019.<\/p>\n How was her Hollywood husband Jimi\u2019s experience of \u2018Strictly\u2019, where he foxtrotted into Flavia\u2019s life with his fancy footwork as her celebrity dance partner, leading to them to them waltzing down the aisle in 2013? \u201c\u2019Strictly\u2019 was an incredible experience that certainly changed my life in more ways than one!\u201d he tells me.<\/p>\n
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\nAll-singing, all-dancing Surrey star Amy\u00a0 Day shot to fame on this year\u2019s \u2018Love Island\u2019 and, hot out of the villa, is now in much demand as a performer and model for shoots for glossy magazines and so much more!<\/p>\n
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\nTwenty five years on from when the TV show which turned velvet-and-purple-loving Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen into a creative superstar first hit our screens, ‘Changing Rooms’ is back on the box, with Laurence returning to his \u2018feather-ruffling\u2019 role as extravagant designer extraordinaire in the cult interior design show, delivering interiors inspo in spades, with a 2021 twist… \u201cIt was such an iconic series!\u201d Laurence tells me. \u201cAlong with being about the transformation of a room through a makeover, it was also about the panto, the casting, the energy and the reality\u2026 And, of course, purple!\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nReality royalty and influencer Vicky Pattison reeled in the nation with her fun’n’honest personality on \u2018I\u2019m A Celeb\u2026\u2019 in 2015. Crowned Queen of the Jungle, she\u2019s also the queen of keeping things real and known for her inspiring social media presence and promoting body positivity.<\/p>\n
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\nFrom the \u2018Strictly\u2019 dance floor to jungle life,\u00a0 \u201990s pop pin-up Peter Andre took time out from the public eye before coming back with a bang, finding fame again on entering ITV\u2019s hit jungle-based show \u2018I\u2019m A Celebrity\u2026 Get Me Out of Here?’ in 2004, where he met Katie Price, wrote the song \u2018Insania\u2019 and gave fans a daily dose of those impressive abs.<\/p>\n
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\n“I absolutely love reality TV!” two-time Champion of \u2018Dancing of Ice\u2019 and presenter of \u2018Celebs Go Skating\u2019 tells me. “I\u2019ve been so fortunate to have been on a few myself, and hosting them is really exciting; you never know what\u2019s going to happen… and that\u2019s the best part!”<\/p>\n
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\nFilm & TV star Sofia Hayat, on the other hand, tells me she’s had a terrible time taking part in reality TV. “I was in Channel 4\u2019s \u2018Bollywood star\u2019, India\u2019s Bigg Boss, the same one as Jade Goody, and have also been on a cooking reality show in India, like ‘Come Dine With Me’ here. On all the shows, you were basically asked questions pre show about your life\u2026 selected questions by psychologists working on the show. On \u2018Bollywood Star\u2019, they asked me about my mum and the one thing I remember, and I said that my mum loved my hair and said it was the mark of a woman. They used this against me and cut my waist-length hair off to just my shoulders at a hair salon. I wore a wig for the rest of the show, but had a meltdown and ran away. Family members encouraged me to go back. Unfortunately, I did, and the show said I ran away to a 5-star hotel and made me look like a spoilt brat,\u00a0when I was in deep psychological trauma.”<\/p>\n
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\nWhen he\u2019s not serving up Italian gastronomic \u00a0delights from his ‘5-star-rated Neighbourhood Kitchen’ at his home CASA ZILLI in Surrey, celebrity chef Aldo Zilli can frequently be seen cooking up a storm on our screens. His extensive TV credits include being a judge on BBC One\u2019s \u2018Celebrity Masterchef\u2019, and he has also signed up as a contestant in no fewer than three major reality shows for ITV and Channel 4.<\/p>\n
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\nIdris Virgo enjoyed finding fame overnight in his first reality TV appearance. \u201cMy experience on ‘Love Island’ was life changing… The whole build-up before I entered the villa was incredible. The ITV team was amazing, and being in the villa was a dream come true to experience, especially in the sun, surrounded by beautiful females… what a dream!!<\/p>\n
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\nZaraLena Jackson says her experience on ‘EOTB’ was “horrific”. “It was like being back in school but the producers are the teachers and they want you to be bullied. There was always pressures to act up and have \u201cdrama\u201d, and they\u2019d tell you that other cast members have said something about you to make you react or feel a type of way. That show wasn\u2019t for me at all, I don\u2019t act up or have sex on platforms that my family will be watching. So, unfortunately I had a bad experience. The wrong show at the right time, I guess.”<\/p>\n
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\nIt’s a mixed reaction from reality star Shanice Croasdaile. “It was the best thing I\u2019ve ever done, and the most stressful thing I\u2019ve ever done,” she divulges. “Doing a reality TV competition like \u2018Glow Up\u2019 is kind of like having a child… you can guess and develop conceptions by watching from the outside, but nothing will ever prepare you for what it\u2019s really like, until you experience it yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\n“‘Naked Beach’ was a great experience”, says Danielle Broadbent. “I went on the show feeling quite insecure about how my body had changed since having my second child, and genuinely thought I would never be happy within it again. To appear on ‘Naked Beach’ we had to go through therapy and a lot of coaching from body confidence hosts, which was fantastic for me. I don\u2019t think, though, that ‘Naked Beach’ was your typical reality TV show… When people think of reality TV, I think often they associate it with a bit of drama and scandal, but ‘Naked Beach’ was very much a feel-good show.”<\/p>\n
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\nBeing abandoned on a remote desert island in the Pacific by Bear Grylls \u00a0proved no laughing matter for comedian Shazia Mirza. \u201cIt was 10 times worse than what you saw on TV\u2026 I had some of the worst nights of my life there. But I realised that you don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only option. It\u2019s a test of mental strength, but there were times when you just had to stop thinking and get on with things.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nFormer \u2018Strictly\u2019 pro and Surreyite Flavia Cacace sashayed her spectacularly-sequined way into our living rooms on Saturday nights to become one of the hit TV show\u2019s best-loved professional dancers. Performing on \u2018Strictly\u2019 for \u2018SEVEN!\u2019 \u2018tantastic\u2019 years, winning not only the nation\u2019s hearts with her bubbly character and infectious enthusiasm, but clinching the coveted competition\u2019s crown in 2012 with Olympic gymnast, Louis Smith, Flavia also won the 2013 Christmas Special with comedian\/actor\/presenter Rufus Hound, and the \u2018Children in Need People\u2019s Champion\u2019 trophy with Russell Grant.<\/p>\n