Surviving being a celebrity

Even when you find out that the celebrities involved are a not-very-exciting bunch made up of model Nell McAndrew, psychic Uri Geller, boxer Nigel Benn, singer Darren Day, socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, comedienne Rhona Cameron, veteran DJ Tony Blackburn and Christine Hamilton, wife of former Tory minister Neil, there’s still a certain amount of enjoyment to be had in watching these famous figures, some of whom are much maligned, stripped of their glamorous sheen and left to the elements.

Already they seem to be having a tough time of it. On the first day, the eclectic bunch made life even harder for themselves by munching their way through three days’ rations in just two hours. It meant they were left to the mercy of viewers who decided whether they would eat or starve.

It’s all a far cry from the showbiz lifestyle that the contestants are used to, so what has possessed them to leave behind their comparatively luxurious lives?

According to media studies lecturer Debbie Goode, the changing culture of celebrity means that it’s no longer surprising to see famous people getting their hands dirty doing shows that are normally reserved for the general public.

“We now have a culture that pushes ordinary people into celebrity through things like Big Brother so in turn we have celebrities trying to prove that they are like ordinary people,” says Goode. “The mystique celebrities used to have is being eroded now as we see every aspect of their lives, even if it is carefully constructed in showbiz magazines.”

Of course, celebrities have their careers in mind as well and, like Big Brother which gives ordinary people a lift into showbiz, celebrity versions of reality TV shows also provide much-needed boosts to flagging careers.

“The success of Celebrity Big Brother for a number of celebrities has made this sort of show an attractive proposition,” says Liz Vercoe, deputy editor of Radio Times. “While the actual programme might not be beneficial, by remaining in the public eye they maintain their income through other interest.”

Celebrity Big Brother provided career boosts to at least two of the contestants involved. Brookside regular Claire Sweeney went on to become a personality beyond her soap character and received numerous offers of record deals and presenting work.

Former Boyzone singer Keith Duffy also proved popular on the show and has gone on to launch an acting career in Coronation Street. But whether the eight celebs currently stuck in the outback will get that boost remains to be seen.

“We could end up loving one of them madly,” says Vercoe. “Claire didn’t expect that from Celebrity Big Brother and neither did we, it was just lovely for her. Maybe it will be the same for one of these. There might even be a hit single from Christine Hamilton!”

Looking at the eight celebrities that have been picked, people could be forgiven for saying that they could do with the boost. While some are just not that famous, others are the sort of celebrity that gets as much bad press as good. Their appearance on the show could be seen as an attempt to show a different side of themselves to the public.

“They’re all very brave because they’re being seen with their defences down,” says Vercoe. “Perhaps they’ve got something they want to show that we might not have seen before. Normally celebrities have a skill that is dancing, singing or performing and they can hide behind their talent. These people are being brave by saying, ‘See me without my talent’.”

Goode feels the backgrounds of some of the people involved make them ideal for the show.

“A lot of them are survivors already, in their own way. There’s Tara and her drug habit and Christine Hamilton and her recent troubles. They could just be swapping the harsh environment of the unrelenting media for the genuinely harsh environment of the Australian outback. They probably want to prove that they’re survivors in every sense of the word.”

Of course, cynicism aside, they could just be doing it for the fun of it. As well as making money for charity, they get to experience one of the most adventurous holidays they’ll probably ever have.

With viewers deciding what the celebrities have to endure throughout the show and ultimately who will win it, it’s difficult to say, at this early stage, who will come out on top, both in the show and in their career.

“We haven’t been able to get to know them yet,” says Vercoe. “It’s the same as Celebrity Big Brother in that we can’t know how it will evolve because we don’t know them enough. But if it was predictable why would we watch?

“There are so many hooks and snares that come up with the tasks that you might have a runaway winner in the first week who bows under the pressure in the second. It’s just whether it turns out to be a test of them against the environment or them trying to win over the public.”