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From the Sun

Samanda are twin the money

By CAROLINE IGGULDEN
September 26, 2007


ONCE upon a time – well, four months ago, actually – pink princesses Sam and Amanda Marchant were humble students studying for social work degrees.

Then they were held prisoner behind razor wire for 13 weeks by evil Big Brother telly bosses.

Their every hyperactive, absurdly optimistic, yappy word and move was scrutinized by a cynical nation, who sat in judgment on them.

Now, just three weeks after emerging blinking into the limelight, the dizzy 19-year-old twins might not have met their handsome princes — but they seem certain to live happily ever after.

For while this year’s BB winner, Brian Belo, walked away with the show’s £100,000 prize, it was the sisters — dubbed “Samanda” by The Sun for their closeness — who were the real winners of Big Brother 2007.

And now the Samanda brand looks set to sweep Britain like an unstoppable pink tide, with the girls having made an incredible £1million in just three weeks.

They have already secured huge deals including their own fragrance, a teenage skincare range and a fitness video.

And while it might look like the girls take style tips from Angelina Ballerina, High Street stores including Miss Selfridge and Jane Norman are currently locked in a bidding war to sign them for an exclusive fashion line.

Next week the pair release their first single, a cover of what else but Barbie Girl — originally a 1997 hit for Danish band Aqua.
Not bad for a couple of girls from the Midlands who had never been to London, let alone abroad, before entering the Big Brother house.

Sam says: “After Big Brother we thought we might get to do a few personal appearances in nightclubs but this is unbelievable.”


Amanda chimes in: “Never in a trillion, million years did we expect to make a video. It’s the favouritest thing we’ve ever done.

“Barbie Girl has always been our favourite song. It would be dead, dead good if it got to No 1.”

According to the twins, many things about their new life are “dead, dead good” and they talk a lot about “hotties” — that’s good-looking blokes to you and me.

They also definitely like using the word “defo” — at the end of every sentence, in fact.

Amanda says: “We were asked to model at Naomi Campbell’s charity fashion show during London Fashion Week, which was really exciting.

“We met the model Erin O’Connor and she told us she had become hooked on our catchphrases and kept saying, ‘I love pink, it is dead, dead gorgeous.’ But to us they aren’t catchphrases, it’s just how we speak with all our friends.”

But beneath their fluffy persona the girls, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, seem to have their heads firmly screwed on.

Sam says: “We haven’t really spent any of our money yet. We went to Topshop, but that is all. We had to buy some new duvets and went to a couple of department stores in London. But they were like £200 so in the end we got some for 20 quid in Primark!

“Our mum has done so much for us. She filled in, like, all the forms for Big Brother. We want to pay her mortgage off and give some money to our dad too.

“We also want to buy ourselves a flat in London. We aren’t really into designer clothes, we can’t bring ourselves to part with the money for them.”

Before Big Brother the girls were students at Manchester Metropolitan University and Amanda says: “People are always surprised when we tell them we were doing social work, but we found it dead interesting.

“We’ve taken a year off to see how all of this stuff goes, but we defo want to finish the course.”

The pair very much operate as a single entity — cute and girly, they squeal, giggle, skip and do everything in unison.

A cynic could be forgiven for thinking it is all a well-rehearsed act, but if it is, it is a good one. They constantly finish each other’s sentences and even answer to each other’s names.

But while they are keen to be seen as an innocent and wholesome pair, the twins are not oblivious to their saucy appeal.

In the video for Barbie Girl, for example, they are pictured splashing about together in a bath. Amanda says: “Being twins certainly used to help us get a lot of drinks bought for us, that’s for sure.”

However, the pair have turned down big-money offers to strip for lads’ mags, and both girls are spoken for.

Sam has been dating 21-year-old boyfriend Richard Jones, from her home town, for more than a year, while Amanda has begun a tentative romance with Big Brother winner Brian.

For now, the girls are happy to take their new-found celebrity career in their stride.

Sam says: “Before Big Brother we had never even had a manicure and now we are doing modelling, photoshoots and all sorts.

“We know it might not last for ever. We’re just going to go with it and see how long it lasts.”

“We think that is the best plan,” adds Amanda.

That seems like a good idea to me – defo.

c.iggulden@the-sun.co.uk