EXCLUSIVE Rylan Clark-Neal reveals the secret to his post X Factor success

When Rylan Clark-Neal first appeared on our screens during the 2012 series of the X Factor, it’s fair to assume that nobody thought he’d be one of the biggest TV presenters in the UK five years later.

Especially as he was at the centre of a huge controversy during the very first week of the live X Factor shows when Carolynne Poole was sent home after they both landed in the bottom two, leaving fans outraged.

However, viewers at home soon warmed to Rylan and he ended up finishing in fifth place overall, with the star cleverly using his newfound fame to take part in Celebrity Big Brother a month later, where he won the show and fully established himself as a household name.

Since then, Rylan has landed copious impressive presenting roles, including This Morning, Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, and The Xtra Factor, also fronting game show Babushka and his own chat show – much to the shock of his critics.

Last week Rylan acknowledged how “lucky” he has been to still be in the spotlight, tweeting: “On paper I should have disappeared with the rest but I didn’t. Thank you for supporting me.”

And speaking exclusively to Yahoo Celeb UK at the Specsavers’ Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards, Rylan revealed what he thinks the secret to his success is – and it couldn’t be more simple.

“I’m not an a******,” he told us, “I’m decent, if people give me a job I do the job and I do it well and I get on well with everyone.

“I couldn’t give a f*** if you’re a runner, executive producer, or own the channel, I speak to every single person the same.

“I give every person the time of day and if someone f**** me off I will mug them off but until that moment I’ll give anyone my undivided attention and I think that’s the reason I got to where I am.”

The star continued: “There is not one person in this industry who will say I am hard to work with, just be nice to people.

“And be nice to the people at the bottom because they’ll bring you down when you’re at the top, I tell ya.”

And despite making a name for himself in the TV industry, Rylan also confessed to us that there is one show that he wouldn’t ever do unless he was completely at rock bottom.

When asked if he would ever go into the I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! jungle, he told Yahoo Celeb UK: “Absolutely not.

“If they offered me a million pounds I would still say no. No make-up, sleeping on the floor… I just couldn’t do it.

“If I am broke and can’t pay my mortgage I will do the jungle but that’s the only time. If I break both legs and can’t work for four years and I need to pay the bills, I’ll go on I’m A Celeb… But I will die.”

Which is a bit of a shame considering Rylan in the Aussie outback is TV gold just waiting to happen.

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