REAL TALK WITH FLEUR EAST
The singer and presenter tells Charlotte Oliver about her mission to uncover the truth behind our favourite telly shows
Quite frankly, we don’t know what’s scarier: getting showered with a bucketful of cockroaches, or singing in front of Simon Cowell. So, the fact that Fleur East has done both is no mean feat. And in the six years since she shot to stardom on The X Factor, Fleur’s consistently outdone herself, winning legions of fans as a singer, becoming a Hits Radio presenter and an I’m A Celeb campmate. She’s also done crucial work – particularly over the last few months – in highlighting the systemic racism in our society, speaking out about discrimination she’s faced in the music industry, and releasing the incredibly moving rap song We All Bleed The Same (if you haven’t heard it yet, go listen).
But, right now, it’s her gig as a podcaster that’s got Fleur buzzing, especially because it’s all about her favourite subject: reality TV. Every week, she’ll be speaking to a titan of the genre (guests this series include Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, I’m A Celeb co-star Harry Redknapp and Vicky Pattison) to get the lowdown on what really goes on behind the scenes. Speaking exclusively to heat, the 32 year old, who got married last year to her long-time love Marcel Badiane-robin, tells us why she’s determined to show the highs and lows of reality telly, how she can finally see change in the way we’re tackling racism in society and what it’s like to Zoom call Harry Redknapp…
What made you want to do a podcast about reality TV?
I’ve always been a fan. When I went on The X Factor and I’m A Celeb, it felt like winning a golden ticket. I loved seeing how it worked behind the scenes. Plus, I’ve always been intrigued by the world of scripted reality, because it seems like the lines become so blurred between real life and scripted life. You’ll have to wait for Vas J Morgan’s episode, but he reveals the truth about TOWIE’S coincidental “bump in” – when they bump into each other on the street! It’s so funny. What’s been the most shocking revelation so far? We speak a lot about the dark side of reality TV, especially in [former X Factor contestant] Janet Devlin and Vas’ episodes. There are a lot of
‘My husband would need a lot of convincing to do a reality show’
themes around manipulation behind the TV shows – it’s such an eye-opener. Does it change your attitude to reality TV? I’ve always been aware of the darker issues surrounding it – because of my experiences and also because I’ve had these conversations – but they’ve never been documented. That’s why it was so important for me to do this podcast. If you want to go into reality TV, that’s great and you can make an amazing career out of it, but at the same time, you need to be aware of the risks. The Vivienne was your first guest – would you like to appear on Drag Race? That would be a dream! To see a lip sync to [Fleur’s hit song] Sax would be an ultimate dream of mine. I follow it avidly – I’ve been to the Drag Race tours and Rupaul and Michelle Visage both follow me on social media, so I’m getting there! Who’s your dream guest? My dream now is to go even deeper and speak to producers, judges, the people who book the talent, the people who work on the ground and find out what goes into making the show. But I’ve also got to hit up the queen of reality TV, Katie Price. I would just love to talk to her – she’s the pioneer of reality TV in so many ways. I love that she’s so honest – I think it’s important to speak to someone like her, because she won’t mince her words. Are there any other reality shows you’d go on? I think the only other one I’d consider is Strictly, because it’s based on skill and it challenges you, which appeals to me. But it’s never been on the table.
Have you ever been unhappy with the way you’ve been edited on TV? It’s difficult. I remember when I came out of the jungle and a lot of my friends told me there were comments saying, “Why is Fleur always on screen? Quit hogging the camera!” That’s what surprises me, that people take it at face value and think, “Well, Fleur was shown a lot, she must have been in front of the camera all the time.” Surely, you understand that I don’t decide what’s shown? This is what I mean about the risk – when you sign up to a reality TV show, you waive your rights. All that you can do is be yourself and pray that whatever is edited will show you in the best light. Does it wind you up when people think the I’m A Celeb jungle is staged? Oh. My. Goodness. The first thing I’d say is, “Do you think we lost that much weight for that?”
No one’s going to do that! And a freezing cold shower every day? Those cockroaches you see, that is not CGI – that is so real. There are so many myths we need to clear up. This is what I talk about with Harry Redknapp on the show. He entered the jungle clueless and honestly thought he was going to be on a film set.
Would you ever do a fly-onthe-wall reality series with your husband Marcel? I don’t know. Before I’m A Celeb, I was very dubious about being filmed 24/7. It would depend how controlled that situation was. But doing this podcast and talking to people who have done those kinds of shows has given me a better understanding. But I think Marcel would need a bit more convincing to sign up to something like that, because he’s completely outside the world of entertainment [he’s a fashion designer].
How have you found the first year of married life – under lockdown, no less! Lockdown was such a blessing for us, actually, because we’re normally so busy. If anything, it’s like we’ve done a reset and realised how crucial it is to spend time together. It’s going to be really hard now to readjust to being apart from each other. How did you celebrate your anniversary? I made a little den in the living room, so we got inside the den, had Champagne, looked over all our wedding photos and videos and just reflected over our first year of marriage.
Your dad sadly passed away in March. How have you coped in such strange circumstances? It was so difficult at the beginning. My mum decided to stay in quarantine with me, so we were a lot closer than we normally were. To be honest, I feel like lockdown made it easier for me to deal with my grief, because I didn’t have to face the world immediately. And you also had to postpone your tour… Yes, releasing an album and not being able to promote it or go on tour was tough. As an independent artist, it was doubly hard. We still put the album out and it actually got to number 14 on itunes, so people did get behind it, which was incredible. But I was so excited to do my tour. We’ll just have to wait and see when we can gather again.
You’ve recorded the podcast during quarantine – how did you find Zoomcalling your guests? I think it actually made it better, because people were in their home environments and opened up more. There were several times where they’d say, “I almost forgot we were recording! I’ve never shared that before.” And I got to see them as they are. Whereas, if you go to a studio and the cameras are there, it’s a bit more formal, and I think they put their guard up more. I think it made the conversations more authentic. Plus, you got to peek inside their homes… Yes! Vas was in his bedroom on his bed, Harry was at home with the dogs – I think the dogs are in the podcast more than him, they were barking nonstop. Sandra [Harry’s wife] was in the back making dinner.
Your song about Black Lives Matter, We All Bleed The Same, has gained more than 2million views. Can you see real progress being made? I think, little by little, we’re starting to see change. Seeing all those people who took the risk to protest during a global pandemic – that just shows you the magnitude of the issue. It’s died down a little bit, but conversations are still happening. I just think representation starts from within the team. Opportunities in the workforce need to be available to people of every race and background, because then, immediately, we’ll
get a truer representation of our society. The UK is such a diverse country, with so many ethnicities and walks of life, and it’s about time we see it. How did it feel being told to straighten your hair when you first appeared on The X Factor [Fleur entered as part of the girl group Addictiv Ladies in 2005]? It’s interesting, when I say I was told to straighten my hair, a lot of people might say, “So what? So many people are told to straighten their hair or change their outfit, that’s the nature of the pop world, that’s not racism!” Of course, someone saying straighten your hair isn’t racist, but it’s the intent and motive behind that. The motive in my case was for the individual to say that my hair in its natural afro state wouldn’t appeal and people wouldn’t buy my music. I can clearly hear the message behind it. There was another girl in the group with big hair, so I was told to straighten mine, because there couldn’t be two girls with big afro hair – one was enough. It’s difficult. I don’t blame people for not understanding – if it hasn’t affected you, there’s a level of ignorance. I can excuse that to a certain extent, but at the same time, I say, “Well, listen and try to understand.” You can’t fix a problem if you don’t see the problem. Alexandra Burke has revealed that she was told to bleach her skin. Did that surprise you? It’s funny, these conversations have been happening for years, but in private. So, for a lot of us, this isn’t news. These are stories that aren’t shocking to me, because it exists. But what is surprising is that people are more confident enough to speak out. That is what is so empowering right now. n
The Reality Of Reality TV With Fleur East is available every Tuesday from Apple Podcasts, Spotif y, the Hits Radio website and all mainstream podcast providers