Our lives have never been the same since 15 minutes of fame

Our latest reality TV champion was crowned this week. Following months of trials, tests and terrifying interviews, Dr Leah Totton was the lucky contestant to hear those most longed for of words from Lord Sugar.

"Leah, you're hired."

But will her 15 minutes of fame last? Will she make a success out of her cosmetic surgery business venture and become a regular on our TV screens and magazine pages or will it all fizzle out into nothing?

Reality TV is littered with casualities who have failed to make the most of their time in front of the camera and those who have gone on to bigger and better things.

But what is life really like once those cameras stop rolling? Do the likes of Big Brother and Britain's Got Talent just chew people up and spit them out or is there a career to be had?

Here, four local reality TV stars share their stories. . .

By Elizabeth Joyce

Name: Craig Phillips

Age: 41

From: Newport

Show: Big Brother

When: 2000

What happened: Craig was crowned the first ever winner of Big Brother, donating his entire £70,000 prize to his friend Joanne Harris, who suffered with Down's Syndrome.

I think I've had the best innings out of any of the Big Brother contestants.

My 15 minutes of fame has just kept on going. Sometimes there are quieter times but I've generally kept busy ever since with TV shows, trade shows, sponsorships and endorsements.

I've done more than 850 makeover shows on TV over the last 13 years and just last week, I filmed four 60 Minute Makeovers with Peter Andre. Who would have ever thought that?

My media career has gone from strength to strength – and that's something I could never have predicted before I went on the show. I just thought I would go on and that would be it. Because it was the first series none of us had any idea of the impact it would have.

But I think it's because I had a trade to fall back on that I've stuck around – I have this other thing I can offer, not just being on Big Brother.

I was at a wedding the other day with some of the other Big Brother contestants and we were chatting about this. Some of them saw their 15 minutes of fame pass quickly, while others have endured.

I would say 95 per cent of things that have happened since being on Big Brother have been positive for me – not everyone is so lucky, some of them get abuse shouted at them in the street.

Obviously, there have been one or two negative things along the way for me and sometimes I wish I haven't been recognised at certain places but on the whole, it's been positive.

I mean, I walked down Newport High Street today – the first time I've been back for a while – and I was stopped 15 times. People always want to say hi or get a picture with me and I'm happy to do that.

I'm actually a sitting in the living room where I filled in my application form all those year ago. It was 90 pages long and one of the questions was so personal, I decided not to fill the form in and carry on doing my VAT forms instead. Coincidentally, one of the producers rang me and said 'You're down to the last 50 but your's is the only application form still outstanding, send it in, we really want you'.

I'd completely given up on it so I think that call was probably a sign all of this was meant to be.

Name: Ruth Badger

Age: 35

From: Wolverhampton

Show: The Apprentice

When: 2006

What happened: Straight-talking, no-nonsense Ruth was runner-up in the second series of the hit BBC show

The Apprentice was a fantastic experience and it still hasn't stopped.

I keep thinking 'I'll be able to take a breath at some point, it will slow down' but it just doesn't.

I didn't really go into it thinking 'Oh my God, I will be famous' because before the show I was successful with the business Compass Finance Limited – I helped the turnover grow from £3.1m to £13.1m in two years. So I didn't really think it would change my life but, from a profile point of view, it certainly has.

For some reason people really really remember me. Everywhere I go people are like 'Oh my God, you were on The Apprentice, can we have a pic with you'.

Once the show finished, I filmed my own series called Badger or Bust for Sky 1 and it was also shown in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. I also launched two businesses and do at least two public speaking engagements a week.

But I'd like to think it hasn't gone to my head. My businesses may be based in Manchester now but I still consider Wolverhampton my home, it is a place that is very very important to me. Coming from a place like Wolverhampton keeps you grounded. In fact, I've just been back there for my niece and nephew's sports day.

I wouldn't say the show increased my confidence – I've always been like this! – but personality-wise I think it's probably affected me in the opposite way to what you would think. I spend money more wisely now. I still go out every weekend and I'm taking my mum and dad on a cruise, but I'm careful.

I am really successful, sorry if that makes me sound like a big head, but I love what I do. I also got married last year.

I had a great experience from reality TV and I got to work with Lord Alan for around six or seven months afterwards. I still watch the show to this day.

It was a great experience, you'll get nothing but praise about it from me.

I have no regrets but I can see why people get burned – reality TV shows you for what you are, so if you're good at what you do, you'll look good, if you're bad, you'll look bad.

Don't risk it if you're not sure of yourself, that would be my advice.

Name: Jean Martyn

Age: 62

From: Brewood

Show: Britain's Got Talent

When: 2011

What happened: A sparkly-jacketed Jean won the nation's hearts with her energetic keyboard playing in front of Simon Cowell & Co. She made it to the live finals but the eventual winner was Jai McDowall

"It changed my life completely - you could knock me down with a feather at what's happened.

I've gone from performing in front of 100 people in village halls to crowds of 20,000 at the Dartford Festival.

I remember as soon as the cameras stopped rolling on the live show we were whisked off into a week of non-stop rehearsals for the national tour. I was 60 years old and I was on tour like a rock star. I remember we were on the road for my actual 60th birthday and the bosses paid for me and all the contestants to go and watch We Will Rock You in the West End.

There were dark days though on the tour. I remember just as I was about to walk on to the stage of the O2, my son called me to tell me my mum had passed away. The producers said to me 'Do you want to go on or do you want to home?' and I said 'I'm going on stage'. But good can always come from bad because that show at the O2 earned me a place on Songs Of Praise as part of their Inspirational Women special.

After that, the bookings started coming in thick and fast. And they were for huge crowds this time around of 15,000 to 20,000 people.

I've also appeared on Big Brother and Love Or Marriage recently on ITV. When I came on the screen I took a picture of it to remember the moment.

As well as the gigs, these days I'm signed up to a speakers' agency and they send me all over the place to give speeches. And the other day I went to Buckingham Palace for a garden party. I was in the celebrity section and all these people like June Whitfield and Anton and Erin kept coming up to me going 'Oh, it's Jeanie from Britain's Got Talent'. Can you believe it?

I've gone from being just a normal school teacher, mum and grandmother to having people stop me in Sainsbury's for a picture and everyone asking for an autograph.

I'm excited for the future - more performing, more public speaking and I'm getting married to my fiancé Bob.

I can honestly say there have been no downsides or any negativity to any of this. I have no regrets."

Name: Paul Shuttleworth AKA Shuttsie

Age: 40

From:Telford

Show: Come Dine With Me

When: 2013

What happened: DJ Paul came second in the cult cookery contest with his dinner party of wacky outfits, bouncy castles and fun food.

"They filmed the show almost a year before it was broadcast and I'd pretty much forgotten all about it. But then, within the first few seconds of it airing, my social networks were going crazy. I'd had 90 comments within four minutes.

Because I'd done a breakfast radio show for 11 years and presented ice hockey on TV and been in Cutting It with Amanda Holden, I was used to being recognised. But I've noticed when it comes to reality TV it's very different - people are more confident because they feel they have something they can talk to you about.

I remember the first time I was recognised because of CDWM I was in Telford shopping centre and this old couple walked past and she said 'Oh, that's that man from CDWM' but her husband was adamant it wasn't me and they carried on walking having this big argument about it - they didn't even ask me.

The Saturday night of the week the show aired, me and my friends went for a night out at The Buttermarket in Shrewsbury and I honestly had my picture taken about 90 times with different people. I was quite happy about it at first but by the 90th time I was like 'I just want my pint!'. And if I've heard one joke about trifle, I've heard a thousand of them. But it's all been positive, people love to have a laugh and a joke.

And people love CDWM, they're fanatical about it. It's months later now and they still remember me. I've sort of moved on now but every now and then I'll get someone looking at me and it's obvious they're thinking 'I know him from somewhere'.

Four of the five of us who appeared on the show also went out for a curry a little while afterwards and we were getting some very funny looks in the restaurant. It must have been pretty surreal for the other diners. I bet they were thinking we go out all the time but it was just a random meal out.

I actually applied to be on the show the previous year but they wanted me to wind people up and be more aggressive so I turned them down - I just wanted to be myself and not go out of my way to be nasty. But they moved on from that sort of thing and approached me again a year later and I said yes.

It hasn't changed my life or career drastically but I do get recognised a little bit more than before, that's about it."