Here's the interview. I haven't had chance to scan the pics yet, but I'll load them up later.
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Helen Laid Bare
She’s best know for her love of glitter, but as
Celebrity Looks found out when we gave her the ‘au naturel’ treatment, there’s more to
BB’s Helen than meets the eye…
Helen Adams is annoyed with herself: ‘I wish I’d never said I like blinking. People are never going to forget that now!’ Like all of us, she’s said a few silly things in her time. Problem is, instead of just looking daft in front her of mates she did it in front of the nation, courtesy of
Big Brother cameras. Blinking, her amazing porridge-making abilities and, of course, her burgeoning relationship with fellow house resident Paul Clarke, endeared her to millions of fans. But those who just associate Helen with all things pink, glittery and giggly would be surprised to see her when she arrives at the shoot. Quieter than you’d imagine (perhaps it’s the effect of the drive from Reading, where she’s been staying with Paul), and wearing top-to-toe black and dark denim, she’s sharp, sorted and seemingly unimpressed with her new-found celebrity status. We had a good old natter with the lass from the land of leeks about what life involves for a normal girl, thrust under the spotlight. Plastic surgery for one thing….
So what’s all this about plastic surgery? You’re not going to do a Jordan are you?
Oh. My. God. No. It’s just that when I was really little, I had a mole on top of my head and I got it taken off, so I had to have plastic surgery, my mum says. They had to cut my head open and push it together again! When we were in the
Big Brother house we had to tell everyone our deepest, darkest secrets and I told that story. Paul Clarke was like. ‘Oh my God, if that’s the worst thing that happened to you, you’re pretty lucky…’
So, do you have any more deep dark secrets to share?
Well, I once said something I really regretted to a customer in the salon I worked in. This lady came in and she was hobbling and I was just messing around and said, ‘Ooh, got a bad leg have you?’ She was like, ‘Actually, no. As it happens, I don’t have a leg.’ I just wanted to die, I felt so awful.
Ooh poor you. And poor one-legged lady! Do you miss working in a salon?
There are definitely some things I miss about it. I miss the fact that you can cheer someone up just by changing their hair. And people tell you everything when you’re a hairdresser. They sit in the chair and they tell you they’re having an affair with so-and-so. I once had a lady who came in and told me her husband was having an affair. I cut his hair too – and it turned out I also cut his mistresses’ so I was hearing all these different sides of the story! I did my friends hair at the weekend though and I can’t believe how excited I was. So I might go back to it. We’ll just have to see what happens.
Would you go and work in your old salon again then?
No way! I’d never ever work there again. The lady who runs it sold stories about me while I was in the
Big Brother house.
The cheeky thing! That must have really pissed you off…
It did. I think she’s a cow for selling the stories. She’s horrible. She even made me cry before I went into the house because she said to me, ‘I don’t think there’s going to be a job for you when you get back.’ So I told her I go and find another job somewhere else, because I didn’t think all this was going to happen.
What? Didn’t you think Big Brother would be a success?
Well, I watched it the first year, but I honestly didn’t think it was going to be that big this time. When we went for interviews they told us the second series wasn’t going to be as successful. They didn’t want another Mel, Craig and all that. I just went on because there were no Welsh people on it and you need Welsh people represented. I thought it would be a laugh, that’s all.
Oh come on, you must have known millions of people would watch it…
No, we really didn’t. On Friday nights we had all this music played in the house so we couldn’t hear the crowd. We didn’t know anything.
So why didn’t you and Paul just do the biz then?
Oh we couldn’t! We had to resist. Mind you, it really wasn’t that hard because we both talked about it and said, ‘Imagine if our parents are watching.’ That would have been awful. Or your nan! I think Paul had too much respect and I’m not that kind of girl anyway.
D’you think Big Brother has turned you into a celebrity?
No, not at all. I haven’t changed – and I haven’t started hanging around with anyone different. I don’t really go to celebrity parties. You have to be careful with that because you’re not a true celeb. If it’s a choice between going to a celebrity party and staying in with Paul playing Snakes and Ladders, I’ll stay in every time. Mind you, I just couldn’t resist
An Audience with Kylie Minogue!
Are you a Kylie fan then?
Yes! I’ve got her music on my new fitness vid.
Ah yes, Dance Workout with Helen. Tell us about it…
Well, I just did it because I like dancing. It’s just about having a laugh, and bopping to Kylie Minogue. Nothing too difficult. I used to teach dance four times a week back in Wales and I miss it a lot. I try and go back and do a few private lessons and classes when I can. It used to keep me fit as well, and now I’m doing nothing!
What? Not even, er, ‘stuff’?
Well, I have just been on holiday with Mr Clarke. We just lay around, drank a lot of pina coladas and sunbathed a lot. Oh, and we did go on a jet ski. Nothing too strenuous though!
Yeah, right. Do you and Paul ever get followed by autograph hunters?
Oh, yes. At the weekend, we were in Newport. I was having my hair cut and he wanted a new phone, and there was a crowd of 40 kids following us, all wanting autographs. I don’t feel famous, but everyone I meet knows things about me. I never have to introduce myself to anyone any more. I hate that, not having to say my name any more.
Do you have to dress up more now everyone’s looking at you?
I do have to pay attention to what I wear, but I don’t go in for all that stylist stuff. I’ve got a designer friend called Paul (no, not
that Paul – another one). I’ll phone him up and say, ‘Oh, what shall I wear?’ and he’ll say ‘Right, what haven’t you worn for a while?’ and he’ll find me something.
So have you splashed out on lots of designer gear now?
Well, I just bought a lovely cosy jumper from Monsoon. I like the normal places like Gap and Zara and, well, I do like Gucci, but I’ve got a black Gucci handbag and a pair of black Gucci shoes that Paul (yes, Clarke this time!) gave me. They go with everything so that’s more than enough for me.
Any anyway, Gucci don’t really go in for pink, glittery stuff!
True, but I do like my black too. It’s nice and slimming. It’s good when you’re having a fat day and you want to look a bit thinner.
Ooh, d’you get fat days too?
Oh God yeah. You know when you have those times you just eat and eat and eat, like at the weekend. This weekend I just ate and ate. Lovely!
Let’s just hope it wasn’t all porridge, eh Helen?
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Yes, that is the end. It had me looking for the next bit too!
