$$$ MILLION DOLLAR CLUB
Today’s crop of reality stars couldd learn a thing or two from Big Brother’s biggest earners
Sara-marie Fedele, 39 SEASON 1, 3RD PLACE, 2001
With her bunny ears and cheeky bum dance, Sara-marie shot to fame in the first series of Big Brother Australia 17 years ago – and wasted no time in capitalising on her 15 minutes of fame: recording a hit song, producing a line of pyjamas and even writing a bestselling book.
“Sara-marie played it really smart and banked several million dollars in the four years after Big Brother,” says an insider. “She may have come across as a bit dim, but she really did have the last laugh.”
The former strip-club manager went on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother and Dancing With The Stars, before she disappeared from public view... until last week when she popped up on Studio 10 as a guest panellist.
“Now I’m a mum,” said SaraMarie, who has a three-year-old daughter who she prefers not to name in public, adding she has an online business selling grains of rice personalised with names.
When she reappeared last week, the blonde hair was gone, replaced with longer brunette locks, and she has slimmed down after giving up her Big Brother diet of pizza and alcohol, but the booming laugh remains, as does her sunny smile.