Big Brother rich list reveals forgotten stars like Imogen Thomas & Sophie Reade cashing in on Insta – top 5 are surprise
IN its heyday, the winner of Big Brother could walk away with a cash prize of as much as £150,000.
But for some savvy former stars, the real money-making came after they left the house.
This Sunday, the legendary reality show returns on ITV with new hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best – and a much-anticipated cast from “all walks of life”.
They would do well to follow the success of ex-housemates like Alison Hammond and Josie Gibson, who are now some of the biggest names in telly.
But even some of the more forgotten faces have still built up a huge social media following, which could land them valuable deals advertising for brands.
Using Hype Auditor‘s influencer calculator, which crucially measures engagement as well as follower count, we have compiled the ultimate Big Brother Instagram rich list – and some surprising stars can even out-earn the most famous thanks to their loyal followings.
Kate Lawler
Series three winner Kate Lawler, 43, is one of Big Brother’s most famous success stories – she’s released a best-selling book and is a TV and radio presenter.
The devoted animal rights campaigner is married to Martin Bojtas – they share a daughter called Noa.
In 2021 she revealed she managed to trick the Big Brother cameras after they failed to catch her and Spencer Smith in a sex act.
On Instagram, she is followed by 487,000 fans and able to make £2,555 whenever she posts an ad. Although she is not the most followed ex-housemate, factors such as engagement make her the highest-earning on social media.
Deana Uppal
Deana was a contestant on the second instalment of the show’s Channel 5 reincarnation. She famously received the most nominations that year and survived five evictions.
She has since said she had a rough time on the show and felt she was bullied by some of her co-stars.
Deana, 34, also took the show’s production company to court in a defamation case but ended up losing. She says she had to pay her legal team’s £80,000 bill.
These days, the former Miss India UK winner is a businesswoman and this year was awarded a Points of Light Award by Rishi Sunak for her charitable work.
With 705,000 followers, her potential earning per sponsored post is £2,300.
Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace
There’s no denying that Aisleyne, 44, is one of the most unforgettable Big Brother stars of all time.
She was a late addition in the seventh series and wasted no time in ruffling the feathers of OG housemates such as Grace Adams-Short.
After finishing third on the show, the outspoken and often controversial star began a glamour modelling career and has appeared in several lads’ magazines.
On Instagram, she has over 828,000 followers, which means she can make up to £2,144.
Alison Hammond
Alison captured the hearts of the nation with her big laugh and infectious personality on the third series of the show in 2002.
Although the Birmingham native, 48, was the second housemate to get the boot, she was able to land a role on Doctors and a reporting gig on This Morning.
Today, she is one of the main presenters on the weekday show and has interviewed countless A-List celebrities.
Alison recently baggedf a role as a co-presenter on The Great British Bake Off and has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity MasterChef, and I Can See Your Voice.
Thanks to her popularity, she has 1.4million followers on Instagram and is able to make a little over £2,000 per sponsored post.
Brian Dowling
When it comes to Big Brother legends, very few come close to Brian Dowling, who won the second edition of the show in 2001.
He then returned to compete on Ultimate Big Brother, which he won and went on to host two seasons when it moved to Channel 5.
The Irish star, 45, has since appeared on other reality shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and has presented The Real Housewives of Cheshire’s reunion since 2015.
With more than 240,000 followers and an enviable engagement rate, Brian is able to make £1,978 per sponsored post on Instagram.
Josie Gibson
In 2010, Josie became the winner of Big Brother 10 – the last to be broadcast on Channel 4 – and competed on Ultimate Big Brother that same year.
Since then, the 38-year-old has, like Alison, forged a successful career as a TV presenter.
Josie is now a regular host on This Morning and has amassed over 463,000 followers on Instagram.
Thanks to her engagement rate, she makes up to £1,700 whenever she posts an advert on social media.
Sophie Reade
During the 2009 series blonde bombshell Sophie Reade had to change her name to Dogface as part of a challenge in order to remain a housemate.
It paid off – she eventually won by the highest-ever percentage of votes. Like many others before her, she too went into glamour modelling, posing for Playboy at one stage.
Sophie, 34, even had a fling at one point with footballer Mario Ballotelli and now has an OnlyFans account where people can subscribe to see her exclusive content.
Although she only has 116,000 followers on Instagram, her moderate engagement rate means she is able to earn £1,200 per sponsored post.
Lateysha Grace
Although Lateysha, 30, gained mainstream recognition when she appeared on the 17th series of the show, that wasn’t her first foray into reality television.
Her first taste of fame came when she starred on MTV’s The Valleys for two years.
On Big Brother, she had one of the most brutal exits ever when she was booted despite not being up for eviction. Jason Burrill was asked to evict a housemate in order to receive a cash prize.
But it seems she’s now had the last laugh as she is followed by over 1million fans on Instagram, putting her in a position to potentially earn £1,000 each time she posts an advert.
Imogen Thomas
A former Miss Wales, Imogen Thomas became a hit with lads’ magazines and has appeared on dozens of covers.
She entered the famous Big Brother house in 2006 and narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
In 2011, she was embroiled in controversy when it emerged that she had a six-month love affair with married footballer Ryan Giggs.
Imogen, 40, has since moved on from the scandal and has two children with Adam Horseley.
Her 298,000 followers on Instagram translates to an earning of £1,000 per sponsored post.
Chantelle Houghton
She was plucked from obscurity and placed on Celebrity Big Brother 2006 and given the task of convincing her fellow housemates that she was indeed a star.
Chantelle, 40, managed to excel in the mission and was ultimately crowned the winner of that series.
She went on to have a highly publicised marriage and divorce with Samuel Preston, who she met on the show and has made appearances on shows such as The Weakest Link, Come Dine With Me, and Snog, Marry, Avoid,
Chantelle has also done well for herself on social media, where she has over 73,000 followers, giving her an earning of £830 per sponsored post.
In a recent interview with The Sun, Chantelle opened up about how finding fame on the show ruined her life and left her bald.