“What are you going to do when you’re not wanted?”

IMOGEN THOMAS, SERIES 7 ›

Known for… A post-show scandal with footballer Ryan Giggs. Now: A single mum of two girls.

“My life now is so different to the one I had growing up on a council estate. I’m really grateful for Big Brother. Before the show I was living off loans and an overdraft. After it, I was modelling and earning up to £70,000 a shoot. I invested it all in property because I knew then that things don’t last forever. It’s still nice to be recognised, and you miss it when it stops. It makes it harder with relationships as a lot of guys don’t want the attention that comes with dating me. But I have no regrets. I’m still really good friends with Nikki [Grahame] and we go on holiday together. If you don’t have a real talent, going on Love Island could be great, but it comes with a stigma – fame is hard. What are you going to do when you’re not wanted any more? Reality stars have a

maximum of six months to ‘make it’. The depression comes once you’ve made a little bit of money and have to go back to a normal job. I don’t know how I’d cope if I’d had to deal with social media; you have to look perfect all the time and live up to a filtered image. It’s harder now. With Big Brother you could have a nice bit of fame – today it happens overnight and when it changes no one cares. Now, it’s short-lived and saturated.”