How 15 minutes of fame is, er, often just that

Here's a sobering thought for all you Fresh readers daydreaming about your big chance to spring to superstardom via a reality show or telly talent contest ...

Remember Lee Otway from Hollyoaks and Celebrity Love Island? It's not that long ago that he was such a big star that he couldn't go anywhere without being recognised and pestered. He was on the crest of a wave and as always happens, the wave lost momentum, petered out, and now Lee's working hard to keep himself in the public eye, and his career on track.

I've known him a long time, and we met up for a drink the other day at my bar, Fibre. I hadn't seen him for a while and the first thing I noticed was that he'd filled out a bit.

"Don't tell me, I've put on weight!" he said, as if reading my mind. "No," I said: "You look well," because he did. Lee brought his new girlfriend along, a tall and willowy brunette, really beautiful, I think she's a model.

Lee's been living in London but he also has an apartment in the city in Leeds and he told me he's coming back to his native Yorkshire - he's from Bradford originally - to live, as life in the big smoke's too hectic for him.

"What's paying your rent in London?" I asked him, and Lee replied: "Personal appearances," but he admitted that as Love Island became a more distant memory, the opportunities were thinner on the ground.
It's Lee's ambition to break in to West End theatre, he narrowly missed out on a part in Fame and he's going to audition for the Take That theatre production, which I think he'd be brilliant in. He told me he fancies playing Gary Barlow, and he promised me free tickets to go and see it if he does get the gig!

Lee and his lady came along to my nightclub, Mission, and stayed till about 12.30am before they left for an early night. Then who should turn up, just a few minutes later, but Kate Lawlor?

The Big Brother star had been ringing and texting me all night - she'd come to Leeds with five of her mates to do a DJ set at the Leeds University student union. She arrived in the city and checked into her hotel, only to find that it had been cancelled.

Kate's a great DJ, she plays funky house, but her appearance had been badly promoted and ticket sales had been disappointing. She was determined to have a fun night anyway and phoned to find out what time Mission was open until.

She was delighted when I told her we weren't shutting till 9am, and her gang turned up and danced like mad till 4.30am. She was only drinking water and you should have seen her on that dancefloor, she really had a sweat on!

Both Kate and Lee are examples of celebrity grafters who don't take their success for granted. Even though everyone's already heard of them, they work hard to stay in the public eye.

They're a reminder, if you need one, that you still need to put in the hours and the effort when you're a star - nothing's handed to you on a plate.


Drama comes looking for me

My friends and associates have taken to calling me the Drama Queen because wherever I go, things happen. Even if I'm minding my own business at the office in Beeston, Leeds, checking my emails and drinking tea.

On Tuesday last week we were all just winding down for the day when armed police appeared outside, cordining off the road and ordering us to stay inside our building.

They were dealing with an incident at a house very close by, and of course I had my camera with me so I was able to snap away.
My team and I were there with our noses pressed against the windows, watching the whole thing unfold, for about an hour and a half.

It's funny, you spend hours a day at the office but when someone tells you not to step outside, you suddenly feel like you're going stir crazy ... despite the drama to hold your attention. Despite the extra time we spent in our workplace, I can safely say no work got done!


Guess who didn't turn up? You Gest it ...

In this column I was looking forward to telling you all about a one-to-one with the bizarre David Gest. He was due to sign copies of his book at Asda house, Leeds, but cancelled "due to illness". I don't know what was wrong with him but I hope he gets well soon and reschedules! I'll let you know what happens ...


Tempting fate

Did you read about the guy who put a £100 bet on, at the age of 90, that he'd live to be 100? Then on the landmark birthday last week he pocketed £25,000? That's better than your average insurance policy but I have to say, if that was me I'd feel I was tempting fate a bit ... It got my friends and I onto the morbid subject of how long we expected to live. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, we all looked to the ages our parents and grandparents had survived until, and felt we'd reach the same age.