“Reality stars make crazy money in seconds but will never be household names”

NIKKI GRAHAME, SERIES 7

Known for… Her temper tantrums in the Diary Room and a romance with fellow contestant Pete Bennett. Now: TV personality.

“Big Brother used to be a social experiment; nobody had a clue what to expect when they left. I was certain I was going to fall in love in there and I might get pictured in Heat magazine falling out of a club. I had no idea I’d get an agent. It was a complete whirlwind. On my first photoshoot they gave me a pair of shoes and a dress to keep and I didn’t understand it, but it made me feel quite special. Now they come out of Love Island and have agents and an Instagram following – we didn’t even have Facebook when we left! Today’s [reality] stars make crazy money in seconds, but they’ll never be household names.

You know what you’re getting yourself into when doing the show. I got to see a therapist for as long as I needed it, I spoke to

one for about a year. I went into a reality show as an experiment and as a huge fan of the show, and got enormous success. When Pete and I broke up it was really hard, and the press commenting on my weight was tough. There are good and bad bits, but the ups outweigh the downs. People come up to me all the time and are always really nice. I’ve got a flat, and I don’t have to do a 9-5 job. But it’s refreshing to be somewhere you’re not recognised. My goal is to live in Australia and start again. I have no regrets; I’ve had the time of my life. Actually, I do have one: I would have won Big Brother.”