Yahoo News 8 reality Z-listers that became the star of the show
Most reality stars tend to come as quickly as they go, but now and again, a special one crops up that the public can't seem to get enough of.
The likes of Binky Felstead, Sam Faiers and Megan McKenna are all reality TV legends – but it wasn't always that way. In fact, most of our favourite stars from shows like TOWIE and Made in Chelsea started off almost totally irrelevant.
Anyone remember Binky's first MiC appearance? No? Us neither.
Here, we've rounded up a list of TV icons who, after a rocky start, unexpectedly managed to beat the reality curse and become genuine, bona-fide celebrities.
1. Binky Felstead – Made in Chelsea
She was one of the original stars of E4's breakout reality hit Made in Chelsea when it launched back in 2011, but during the first series, Binks mostly lingered in the background.
As the show progressed though, fans quickly warmed to Binky's feisty attitude and strong bond with fellow reality star Ollie Locke, and she soon became a staple of the series.
After a rocky relationship with co-star Josh 'JP' Patterson, the pair were reunited when she fell pregnant. Binky gave birth back in June, and although she's since quit MiC, she's now set to star in her own spin-off. Quite the turnaround!
2. Megan McKenna – TOWIE
The feisty star first appeared on Britain's Got Talent all the way back in 2009, but failed to make much of an impact with her audition.
Six years later, she was cast in the 2015 series of Ex on the Beach, and her outspoken attitude won her a huge following. But it wasn't until she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother the following year that Megan became a reality star icon.
Her infamous meltdown – one of many – over John Partridge and Tiffany Pollard, which led to her breaking down in the diary room and screaming bloody murder at Big Brother, helped the series become one of the most-watched ever.
(At one point, she even had a meltdown over mashed potato. Yes, mashed potato. Who knew complex carbohydrates could be so controversial?)
Megan promised to go into anger management, but after bagging a role on TOWIE shortly after CBB ended, we've yet to see the results of it... not that we're complaining.
3. Kendall and Kylie Jenner – Keeping Up with the Kardashians
The Kardashians were just a blip on the social scene until Kim, who started out as Paris Hilton's employee, infamously became the victim of a sex tape scandal.
The family then bagged their own E! reality series, with Kim, Kourtney and Khloe becoming huge stars. Younger sisters Kendall and Kylie initially remained out of the spotlight, but in recent years, their fame has skyrocketed and they're now the absolute queens of Instagram and Snapchat.
Kylie's launched her own sell-out make-up brand, had a high-profile relationship with rapper Tyga and been embroiled in her own fair share of controversies. Kendall, meanwhile, is one of the most sought-after catwalk models in the world.
Move over Kim, there's a new Supreme to take your place.
4. Tiffany Pollard – Celebrity Big Brother
This outspoken star started out on a show called Flavor of Love – as one of a group of contestants battling it out to find love with rapper Flavor Flav – and ending up causing so much petty drama that she was invited back for the second season, before later finding fame with her own series I Love New York.
Tiff, though, was virtually unheard of in the UK until she signed up for Celebrity Big Brother in 2016. She flew low on the radar at first, but her sassy attitude quickly saw her established as a CBB legend.
Since returning to the US, she's bagged herself a spot on the second series of reality dating show Famously Single, so here's hoping she finally manages to find herself a decent bloke.
5. Marnie Simpson – Geordie Shore
When Marnie signed up for Geordie Shore back in 2013, viewers didn't warm to her at first and neither did her female co-stars. Even her very own cousin Sophie Kasaei wanted her booted out of the house.
As her first series unfolded, life in the Geordie Shore house went from bad to worse for Marnie. She fell out with practically everyone and when the cast went for a night out "on the Toon", she was left dancing on her own.
But a few years down the line and all of that has changed. Marnie's now the lead female on the show and her on-off romance with co-star Aaron Chalmers has us hooked.
6. Bethenny Frankel – Real Housewives
One of the major success stories from Real Housewives, Bethenny starred in the New York edition for three seasons before calling it quits after the network offered her the chance to host her own chat-show.
Things got even better for the budding entrepreneur when she created the Skinnygirl brand, only to go on and sell it for well over $100 million. Not bad for a reality star, huh?
Despite becoming a huge success outside of the show where she made her name, Bethenny returned to Real Housewives in 2016, where she remains arguably the most loved cast member. (She's ours, at least.)
7. Sam Faiers - TOWIE
Sam was part of the original TOWIE cast and went on to appear in 11 series of the Essex-based reality show. To start with, her role on the show was pretty much just 'mate of Amy Childs' – but all that changed as the series went on.
Her turbulent relationship with Joey Essex became a major talking point on the series as viewers saw them get engaged, only to end up calling it off months later.
In 2014, Sam quit the show, and landed herself a place in the Celebrity Big Brother house. A year later, she gave birth to her first child, and starred in her own popular reality special that documented her pregnancy over on ITV2.
It became such a hit with viewers (who can forget that bizarre kiss between her partner Paul and his mum?) that the broadcaster ended up commissioning a full follow-up series.
8. Speidi
It's hard to deny that The Hills was all about Lauren Conrad, but it would never have been the same without her #1 frenemy. While Heidi started out as just LC's roommate, the pair's on/off friendship soon became the central storyline on the show, and Heidi's universally hated boyfriend, Spencer, was to blame.
While most of The Hills' stars faded into obscurity, the couple have since clung onto fame by appearing on numerous reality shows, most notably Celebrity Big Brother in 2013, and now they're having a baby! So don't expect them to disappear from celeb magazine covers for the foreseeable future.
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