I once had a work colleague who boasted that she had applied for The Apprentice. She did not get on.
Of course The Apprentice was never about learning about business principles. It was all about making good television and for this to happen the contestants need to come across by and large arrogant and idiotic. In the case of the business magnate chairing the judging panel, I am not sure if they had any principles at all looking at one former host of the US version.
Radio DJ and television presenter Reggie Yates has written Make Me Famous. It looks at life after your initial fame from reality television shows wears off.
The film focuses on Billy (Tom Brittney) as he auditions to go on a Love Island/Big Brother type reality show.
In the auditions he comes across as cheeky, arrogant, a bit sure of himself. Confident that he will make good television, women will find him attractive, just the type of person the producers are looking for. Billy was a pudgy schoolboy who has reshaped himself.
These scenes are inter-cut with Billy 12 months later. A year of doing personal appearances but fame is about to wear off as a new series of the show is about to take off. The new contestants will be in demand for their 10 minutes of fame.
The aftermath of fame leads Billy to a downward spiral. Other contestants have taken advantage of new business opportunities. Billy is just shallow, he cannot even get back to his old job and despite the money he has earned. There is not enough money left to pay his phone bill. As the days go on he gets more abusive social messages and the booking dry up.
There was more than a hint of tragedy to this and Brittney gives a very sincere performance as someone on the edge of a breakdown, knowing he is not too bright. In recent months there were suicides by several reality show contestants which has put pressure on television companies and their after care service to them.
Reggie Yates found in his research that most reality show contestants experienced the downside of fame wearing off. There are just too many reality shows and too many ex contestants chasing personal appearances.
