Being voted off of a reality TV programme first or early might be sad, but it’s not the end of the world for a select few.
The hopefuls are thrown back into the real world before they can say “Jack and the Beanstalk” after months of expectation, excitement, and thinking how much their lives will change.
The good news for the lad who was kicked off Love Island this week is that there is always an exception to every rule, and these celebs illustrate that leaving a reality programme early doesn’t have to stop you from pursuing a showbiz career…
Alison Hammond
If you watch ITV on Fridays between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., you’ll see Alison, 48, presenting one of the most popular British daytime programmes, This Morning, alongside Dermot O’Leary.
Back in 2002, she was one of 14 competitors hoping to become the nation’s favourite housemate on Big Brother, but she was sent out after just 15 days.
It might have all ended there, but Alison’s enormous personality got her a job as a reporter for This Morning. She’s given us many great moments, such as playing Connect 4 with Beyoncé and shoving a sailor into the River Mersey in Liverpool.
Her interview abilities, empathy with interviewees, and lively energy propelled her to the position of primary presenter.
Zara McDermott
Zara, 26, entered the Love Island villa on day 15 in 2018 and soon drew Lothario Adam Collard’s attention. Their bond wasn’t enough for the public, and she was dumped ten days later without him.
When he eventually left the villa, the two enjoyed a brief outside connection, but it wasn’t to last.
Zara’s lack of a partner and limited exposure did not deter her from building a name for herself in the profession.
She hosts BBC programmes on a variety of issues, including revenge porn and compulsive eating. She’s also got Made in Chelsea lover Sam Thompson.
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She also collaborates with the royals on programmes, such as the creating Us campaign, which attempts to increase awareness of the crucial relevance of early development in creating the adults we become.
Megan McKenna
You might have assumed she got her start on The Only Way is Essex or that she first ranting and raving on Ex on the Beach, but both are false.
Megan, 30, debuted on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 with her friend Demi as part of the musical duet Harmony.
They cruised through the auditions with their rendition of What is this Feeling from the musical Wicked, but were kicked out of the programme at the semi-finals due to a popular vote.
Years later, she reconnected with Simon Cowell on Celebrity X Factor. Megan triumphed this time, as her track This reached number two on the iTunes list. She’s subsequently played at Glastonbury, toured with Michael Bublé, and continues to release country music.
Lewis Capaldi
He’s one of the biggest music talents to emerge from the United Kingdom in recent years, yet he was turned down for Britain’s Got Talent.
Simon Cowell is probably kicking himself!
During a Heart Breakfast show interview, Lewis, 26, revealed startled judge Amanda Holden that he had came along to one of their producer auditions, thus he presumably never got to display his ability in person to the judges.
‘I did go on Britain’s Got Talent, Amanda,’ he confessed.
‘I went on Britain’s Got Talent and I went to the auditions, and I went up and I sang White Blank Page by Mumford & Sons.’
‘And then I got a phone call saying, “Lewis that was great we’re going to put you through, and we’re going to try and hurry it through”.
‘Then I never received another phone call again.’
Lewis has definitely done well for himself, with two best-selling albums, over one billion song streaming, and five number-one hits.
Jedward
With their massive quiffs and apparently limitless energy, the Irish twin boys immediately stood out on The X Factor.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough to propel John and Edward, 31, to the finals in 2009, when they placed in a decent but not spectacular sixth place.
They did, however, grab the nation’s attention and have since maintained a strong entertainment career, releasing four studio albums, the first two of which went double platinum in Ireland.
They’ve also been on several TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother, where they finished second to Coleen Nolan, and their children’s programme OMG! Jedward’s Dream Factory.
They are said to be worth £5.8 million in total. Not bad at all!
Jake Quickenden
Jake, 34, made it through auditions, bootcamp, and the judges’ homes on The X Factor in 2014, but when it came to the public vote on the live events, he was gone. (This was his second try; he did not make it past the judges’ house in 2012.)
He finished the competition in 12th place, but while the singing competition was still going on, he was hired for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. Because of his pleasant nature and eagerness to get involved in the trials, he finished second to Carl Fogarty.
He won Dancing on Ice with professional skater Vanessa Bauer in 2018 and has had a fairly constant media presence afterwards, including an appearance in Hollyoaks and a spell on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
He’s also been in the stage productions Dreamboys and Foot Loose, as well as pantomimes.
Jessica Shears
Jessica, who arrived late on day one of Love Island 2015, instantly set to work courting Dominic Lever. On day 17, she departed alone, but when Dominic emerged from the villa, the two enjoyed a whirlwind relationship.
They got engaged in a matter of months and married in 2018. The couple has two children presently.
The 27-year-old has 1.1 million Instagram followers (more than winners these days), where she provides fashion inspiration and family life insights.
She is also the owner of the infant clothing firm Natral & Nuutral.
