Love Island and Big Brother contestants on going back to the 9-5

Appearing on reality shows and being watched by millions of people often brings with it dreams of fame, fortune and a glamorous career.

Some who have appeared on shows such as Love Island, including influencers Molly-Mae Hague and Maura Higgins – are using their time in the villa as a springboard to even greater success.

So what happens when your time in the sun is over?

Ellie Jackson, 24, from Cardiff, spent nine days on Love Island after entering Casa Amor in 2024 and told what it was like to return to the 9-5.

“I’ve been watching Love Island since it started, seeing these really top influencers like Molly-Mae and Maura Higgins and thinking ‘oh my god this could really change my life, I could be one of them’,” she said.

“This is the perfect opportunity to go on TV, have some fun, flirt with some boys, and step into a different lifestyle.

“But I don’t think I realized that only a select few actually make it.”

The success of her fellow Welsh contestants certainly has her dreaming.

Amber DaviesThe winner of the show is currently appearing on Strictly Come Dancing and performing in the West End. Liam Reardon And Doctor Alex George Both found great success after Love Island.

It was Ellie’s friends who encouraged her to follow them to the villa.

He was working for an accounting firm at the time and added: “I love the corporate lifestyle but I’m always someone who wants a little more.”

After leaving the villa, he felt huge pressure to succeed, with many people assuming he would become a major influence.

But thanks to a few brand deals, he was only able to remain self-employed for a year.

“They were really fun, but I found myself getting into a toxic situation where my measure of success was completely off and I was measuring success by the number of followers I had, the amount of brand deals I had,” she added.

Ellie said her mental health was deteriorating and that some months she would make a lot of money and the next month she would make nothing.

There were also negative comments online from people who didn’t know him. He added: “I guess after a while you learn how to deal with them, the block button is free.”

Ellie said she “completely forgot” how successful she was in other areas.

“I forgot about the part of my life where I got an English degree and got into a really big accounting firm,” he said.

“I had forgotten that and made my life dependent solely on my followers and my social media, which was wrong.”

Looking back, she realizes it was “really toxic,” adding: “I applied to go back to my old job and thankfully they took me back.”

She’s now earning her full-time salary again, “with a bonus” of her social media work.

“I’m really busy and I feel fulfilled because I get to do what I love, which is being successful at my corporate job, and being successful on social media,” she said.

Katie Lloyd is a researcher and lecturer at Cardiff University and sees a culture among young people where many want to be impressive.

“This is what is wanted. The dream career. Society perceives this as an easy profession,” he said.

But he said many people were shocked, especially those “who quickly rose to stardom”, so he welcomed Ellie’s openness and honesty.

“From an audience standpoint, I definitely think people really value that authenticity and openness,” he said.

Jenkin Edwards, 27, from Bridgend, was part of the renewed series of Big Brother in 2023 and it had been a “dream” of his since he was a teenager.

Jenkin, who did not intend to be impressive when applying, said that he initially had “difficulty” entering social environments after leaving home.

” I didn’t know how to handle these situations, it was so crazy it only lasted six weeks [in the house] “to reset everything, but as time went on it got harder to go out and do things for the first three months, but eventually I got there,” he said.

Jenkin’s social media content is now full of videos about her bartending job.

She added: “I remember not wanting to share that I was going back to work because I felt like I had somehow failed, even though that was my goal.

“I never wanted to be anything other than living a normal life.”

He said that when he left the show, he was very aware that the people who followed him on social media were fans of the show, not fans.

“I have a place where I share myself, make my funny videos or whatever I do, and now I’m getting more followers as Jenkin instead of Jenkin from Big Brother,” he said.

Dr Howard Fine is a psychologist and founder of Mindzone Media, who has worked on shows including Big Brother, The Traitors and Hunted.

Her team works with the cast and crew and then reminds people why they are on the show, as well as managing social media.

“It’s very likely that there will be armchair critics out there who will criticize them and feel that they could have done a better job from the comfort of their armchairs,” he said.

“But the reality is that the person who applied for the program and was chosen because of who he or she is is this particular contributor.”