Reality drama of Billy’s dream to be ‘famous’!

While E4 celebrates the 20th anniversary of Big Brother, clips of folks made famous by the show will make some wonder about the impact of fame on reality TV stars.

That’s the theme of this one-off drama penned by DJ Reggie Yates. It centres on Billy, who a year ago thought his life was set to change after appearing on a constructed reality show.

However, while some of his fellow contestants’ careers are thriving, assorted tabloid stories force his vulnerabilities to the surface.

Tom Brittney, who plays Billy, didn’t have to think too hard before signing up.

“Every now and then you get sent a script through that really stands out, and this was one of them. I really clicked with it,” he explains. “When I saw the storyline and synopsis, I knew it was a story that needed to be told. This story is fictional but reality TV has affected so many real people in the society we live in.”

Amanda Abbington plays Billy’s mum Amanda; she’s a midwife who lives alone in a flat.

“Amanda has raised Billy. She’s wary of what he’s getting in to and is scared about what it is doing to him. She just wants him to be okay,” explains the former Mr Selfridge and Sherlock star.

“When she sees him starting to change, getting more insecure and lacking in self-esteem, it really affects her. They are very close, they have a beautiful relationship and he loves her. There is a strong bond between them. When they are together you get an indication of Billy’s life before fame; they have looked after each other. He’s looked after her and she’s looked after him.”

What does Ms Abbington think affects Billy’s self-esteem?

“One of them is definitely social media,” she explains. “Billy is exposed on social media. It’s easy to hide behind an avatar and spout toxicity. If you call someone a horrible name and can’t physically see how it hurts them, it can cause real damage.

“It’s very dangerous. Social media can be an amazing platform, but we have to be very careful about how we teach it to young kids.”

Amanda adds: “Being on these shows must be exhausting. After a while, you’ll forget you’re being watched. You have to let your guard down at some point.”

However, she doesn’t think it’s all bad news with reality TV.

“Absolutely. There are people making really great lives and careers out of reality TV. But these people have to be looked after. There is a duty of care that has to be applied.”

What does Amanda hope audiences will take away from Make Me Famous?

“I hope people will realise we have to treat people carefully.

“Social media can be a great forum, but it can also be a platform from which people bully.

“There should be a rule to say you have to be listed as your real identity on social media and that you can’t hide behind an anonymous one. You can’t say those things to people.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you