[James]

Not on her way to fame and fortune according to her home newspaper.

Is it Orlaith over now?

12 October 2005

The headlines after Northern Ireland's Orlaith McAllister walked out of the house during Big Brother 6 left no doubt in anyone's mind: the 26-year-old model was heading for fame and fortune. But two months on, that fame and fortune seems to be eluding the lusty model - at least in the mainstream.

After an initial flurry of reports in Northern Ireland and UK-wide tabloids, the newsprint she's garnered would, in total, be only enough to wrap a couple of servings of fish and chips.

Before Big Brother, Orlaith had made a name for herself in Northern Ireland as a beauty queen and model. She won the Miss Belfast crown and was a runner-up for Miss Northern Ireland in 1999 (Zoe Salmon, now hosting kids' show Blue Peter, won). More recently, the Alison Campbell Modelling Agency named her Belfast Model of the Year.

But now Orlaith has moved to London, and Ms Campbell is referring all queries about her to a London-based agency called Money.

A call to her public relations representative, Emma Rose, shed little light on when and where we are likely to see Orlaith next. I telephoned her, mentioning that Orlaith had been expected to make up to £1m, and wondering what her client was up to. "I wouldn't disclose any kind of financial figures for any of my clients," she said, laughing.

When it was pointed out that the figures weren't what we wanted to know - rather, we wanted to know what Orlaith was up to, she responded: "We're considering a number of options for her at the moment. There are a number of things on the table but I wouldn't want to jeopardise anything by talking about it."

A mere half a week later, Orlaith was splashed - in the nude - across the pages of the tabloid News of the World.

According to Polly Graham, the reporter on the story, Orlaith was, apparently, doing a photo shoot for a magazine, and the photographer that sold the picture to News of the World managed to get some extra snaps to sell on.

Orlaith is also, less revealingly, taking part in a "dream date" auction being held by datingdirect.com - a company that's managed to recruit "gorgeous GMTV presenters Penny Smith, Andrea McLean, sultry GMTV weather girl Clare Nasir, former Atomic Kitten singer Jenny Frost, sophisticated Anthea Turner, and sexy Big Brother 6 star Orlaith."

It isn't bad company for her, all things considered, and the feelgood factor is there, with all proceeds of the auction going to a variety of charities.

Including those two appearances and a mention in a variety of articles, Orlaith's post-Big Brother appearances have added up to:

÷an invitation to the Leeds Festival to promote Carling's Cold Beer (apparently Jennifer Ellison was originally asked to do it, but wanted £10,000 and other perks). The festival wanted to pay only £5,000, and asked Orlaith to do it at the last minute. Let's assume, then, that Orlaith got £5,000 for the opportunity.

÷a topless appearance and interview with the News of the World immediately after she left BB6 (amount paid unknown, although the Sun picture desk told me that for a 'standard unknown' person, the fee for an afternoon photo shoot is about £300 to £400, but for someone like Orlaith, who got to Page 3 because she's famous, her fee would have been negotiated individually).

* an appearance in the lad's magazine Zoo (one of the most popular men's mags in the UK).

* an appearance in FHM magazine and a special shoot for subscribers only of fhm.com (FHM is the UK's best-selling men's mag - apparently there's no payment for appearances, it's done for the, er, exposure).

* an appearance at the MOBO awards.

* a story in The Sun talking about her "stalker hell".

* Orlaith has also undertaken a number of reported smaller modelling jobs and appearances.

She will have been paid for some of those gigs but almost certainly not all of them, and it's a reasonable guestimate that so far her earnings post-BB run to tens of thousands but not hundreds of thousands.

In other words, still a long way off that million.

Nor, let's face it, has she garnered much of what could be termed mainstream coverage.

And, while a number of national tabloids have picked up on various Orlaith stories, many of those have run only in the Ulster editions of those papers.

Crucially, too, the appearances Orlaith has been making are carving out a very specific career path - and one which some observers say is narrowing her options with every move.

Big Brother, as with many reality shows, has become a vehicle for people who want to become famous.

Like a songless, danceless, version of Pop Idol or the X Factor, Big Brother contestants have instead used the power of familiarity to gain their place in the media spotlight. In some cases, the participants have experienced a certain degree of fame after being in the shows.

Vicky Grimshaw, assistant editor of leading celebrity magazine Closer, points out the example of Kate Lawler, who won Big Brother 3.

Like Orlaith, she tried to become famous before being selected for Big Brother, modelling for a variety of clients. Post Big Brother, she has taken part in a celebrity wrestling contest, produced a fitness video with her fitness instructor, acted briefly as a disc jockey and television presenter, and now writes a newspaper gossip column.

But the momentum that participation in Big Brother could generate three years ago seems to be dying down.

Grimshaw points out that the Big Brother machine is waning in the public eye.

"I didn't watch much of Big Brother this time around," she says. "Maybe there's been one Big Brother too many. Nobody's coming out of it (and becoming a celebrity).

"There are too many reality shows now, and too much competition. Even celebrities are using these shows to boost their fame."

She points out that Lawler's success was due to her "sparkling" personality, and, tellingly, she doesn't believe that McAllister has the same appeal.

"I don't see her as having an amazing personality," says Grimshaw. "She strikes me as very one-dimensional."

Even three years ago, Grimshaw points out, Big Brother was a new idea and so easily garnered public interest. But now participants "are so obviously wannabes. The public is losing interest and seeing people for what they are. They're desperate for people who actually have some talent."

If the idea is that celebrities must do something - then McAllister has been focusing on her most obvious assets: her size 30E breasts. Baring them, and even the full nudity of her recent News of the World spread, are gaining her a certain amount of notoriety.

But is it the best career move in the world?

"She's removing herself from the possibility of doing kids' TV," says Grimshaw. "She can't go down any road where kids can be involved; I can't see where that leaves her."

But it doesn't mean all possibilities are ruled out.

She's still doing some modelling in Northern Ireland but one would assume her chances of family-orientated - and lucrative - accounts would be limited, given her new, sexy image.

She may not be family viewing any more but, with appearances in some of the biggest men's magazines in the UK, and other upcoming appearances seeming to be in the offing, she may indeed be in line to make at least some of the money everyone was expecting.

Whether she's building a career that'll take her through the next 30 years, however, is another question.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...p?story=664936