Reality TV Rich List - page 2

5 months ago 29th May 15:45

Castaway’s Ben Fogle is estimated to have earnt £2million having forged a career in TV presenting, while Jeremy Spake’s unforgettable appearance in Airport landed him a position at number 22, as well as earnings of £800,000.

Those who narrowly missed the list, but seemed destined for a favourable financial future, are Britain’s Got Talent’s 13 year old vocalist Faryl Smith, who has since scooped a £2.3 million recording deal, string quartet Escala (also finalists from Britain’s Got Talent), and Jodie Prenger, who won series of both Biggest Loser and I’d Do Anything, and is now wowing West End crowds as Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Oliver!

Girls Aloud    £25 million
Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, Sarah Harding

The girls won Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, and monstered the UK charts with their first single. But they seemed to fade until staging a massive comeback, starting in 2007. They’ve proved they’ve got real staying power, producing a stream of top ten UK albums, and launching their bestselling autobiography last year.

As for all music stars, the big money is in touring and merchandising, and they are working their little stilettos off right now on a major UK tour, just as they did last year.

They have had some lucrative advertising contracts, for Kit Kat and Nintendo. Cheryl Cole gets an extra £1.5 million for her new role in reality television, as a judge on The X Factor, and the others all have individual ad and modelling deals.

Will Young  £12.5 million
Age: 30
 
It is seven years since he won Pop Idol, and he has earned consistently well ever since. All four of his albums have charted well, with his fourth, out last year, going in at no. 2. He did a solid 17 date tour to support it last year, culminating with performing at the o2 with Elton John on New ear’s Eve.

This year he has a smattering of festival and other dates, but is working mainly on a new dance/pop album. He has made a couple of successful ventures into action, in the film Mrs Henderson Presents, with Judi Dench, and on stage in a Noel Coward play. Having survived the first critical years, it looks as if his career has legs.

Leona Lewis   £10million
Age: 24
 
Leona won The X Factor in 2006, and since then her career has zoomed into the stratosphere. Unlike most reality TV one-hit wonders, she has a huge career already- and the best is yet to come. She’s made the important transition from UK star to international star, making it big in the US market.

The critical second album comes out in November, and will be backed by an international tour. She’s our top tip for a career that will run and run.

Jade Goody  £8 million
5th June 1981- 22 March 2009

Without talent or education, Jade could so easily have been one of the many ex-BB stars who burn brightly for a few months and then fade back to oblivion. But something about her disingenuous charm and her truly horrific childhood took a trick with the British public, and her great achievement was to build a lasting career out of fame.

She ‘wrote’ books, put her name to fragrances, fronted her own TV shows, and made countless appearances in celebrity magazines- all for good financial deals. Even the racism row that boiled over after she took part in Celebrity Big Brother was soon forgotten, eclipsed by the news of her terminal cancer.

More books followed, and there was a £700,000 deal for coverage of her wedding, a month before her death. Her legacy: a touching wish that her two young sons should have a better childhood and education than she had.

Myleene Klass  £7.5 million
Age: 31

Winning Popstars in 2001 with the manufactured band Hear’Say was her first stab at fame and fortune- but it didn’t last. Within two years the band had broken up acrimoniously. Her career as a classical musician and a TV and radio presenter staggered along until she appeared in I’m A Celebrity- Get Me out of Here in 2006- when her bikini showers wowed the nation.

She has gone on to major success as a presenter on the One Show, Last Choir Standing, and Ten Years Younger, as well as hosting two radio shows.

But her highest profile has been her M and S ad campaign, and although the credit crunch has seen her contract slashed from £1 million a year to £750,000, it’s still a nice little earner. Add on her Pantene ads, and her contract with Mothercare for her own baby clothes range.

Gareth Gates  £6.5 million
Age: 24

Two thirds of this money was earned in the first two sensational years after coming runner up to Will Young in Pop Stars. Back then, it seemed as if Gareth was the real winner, landing a couple of plum advertising contracts and watching his album go straight into the charts at no.2.

But the critical second album flopped, and Gareth’s career went with it. He dropped out sight for a while, taking time away from performing to qualify as a speech coach. But last Christmas he was back on stage in panto, and February this year took over from Lee Mead as Joseph on the West End stage. He says his future career lies in musicals, not producing albums.

Paul Potts  £5 million
Age: 38
 
Winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2007 launched Carphone Warehouse manager Paul on his dream career, as a ‘pop’ opera singer. His first album, One Chance, was huge across Europe- he has a very solid fan base in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

He has even starred in a Japanese ad campaign for a throat medicine. His long-term future depends on the success of his second album, Passione, released here on June 1st, but it’s safe to say he won’t have to sell mobile phones again.

Craig Phillips  £5 million
Age: 37

Craig won the first ever Big Brother- and famously gave his prize money away. But he didn’t feel the financial draught, because he has been earning a very steady income from TV, personal appearances, advertising campaigns, and lectures on cruise ships.

He has made more than 800 TV programmes, always in his role as a builder and DIY expert. He has his own production company, and makes films for building companies. If we were to factor in his property empire, he would be much higher up this list- but we have stuck to earnings from showbusiness. His biography comes out next month (June) and he has even signed up to do panto next Christmas.

Lemar   £4million
Age: 31

You probably can’t remember who beat Lemar on Fame Academy in 2002, because the real winner was the man who came third- and who has become the best black British male soul singer of recent years. With two Brit awards and three Mobos, Lemar has established a career with legs.

He can pack a concert tour, and he has sold more than two million albums. Oh, and in case you are interested: the winner was David Sneddon. Remember him?

Jane McDonald   £3.5 million
Age: 46

It is eleven years since Jane catapulted to fame as the struggling singer on a cruise ship, featured in a BBC top-ratings series. A number one album and sell-out tours followed, and an autobiography made the bestsellers list.

She even did a stint in Las Vegas. But her career slumped after her first two albums and the break up of her marriage. She’s now enjoying a revival, thanks to her popularity on ITV’s Loose Women. She’s in the middle of a sell-out tour and her latest album reached number seven.