Posted: 28 / 06 / 2019
The glitz and glamour of fame and celebrity is something that many people desired and aspire to.
In the age of influencers, being considered a success following a short-term meteoric rise is commonplace and finding yourself in the public eye can grant access to riches and red carpets that most may categorise as a dream.
But with today’s media containing a heavy digital footprint, 15-minutes of fame became a whole lot longer and this has led to the often-everyday unsuspecting person finding themselves treading similar paths to those famous through other more conventional means.
For unsuspecting celebs await the same fame perks that those in sport and media enjoy, but behind that mask also lies a truth that doesn’t necessarily match up to the front pages.
That’s the opinion of the guests on the most recent Taking Care of Business podcast – Michelle Heaton of Liberty X, Dane Bowers of Another Level, Ben Ofoedu of Phats & Small and DJ Rick Live.
Chatting candidly on the topic, the conversation turned from the best perks that fame can bring to the side of it that most don’t see.
Reflecting honestly on his memory of fame and success with British soul and R&B-influenced boy band, Another Level, Dane Bowers said:
“It was the free stuff. My memory of it is just not really having to pay for anything. It was like the more money you had, the more free stuff you got – You’d go to a club and never have to buy a drink, you’d get free clothes. And when things like that change, you’re up there and you get everything you want and then suddenly you don’t – the next person gets it. Any little thing like that is a difficult thing to do with success and that’s a big problem with fame in general.”
Ben Ofoedu of chart-topping Phats & Small fame agreed, adding:
“I’d second that, especially if you’re coming from nothing. Everything else I had to fight for, but fame provides that.”
Michelle Heaton’s memories of fame during her time with Liberty X brought something else, however. The Just A Little star recalled:
“Fame and success brought something different for me – the press. They always pick one to use as bait for magazines and controversy. Maybe I brought it upon myself as I was the one who wanted to have fun whilst I was living my dream.
She continued:
“I was loving life, I was a popstar. But because I wanted to live both sides of the coin and still managed to do my job – I was never late, I was an ultimate professional when it came to work – but I played hard too and the press took hold of that.”