Chantelle Houghton: The Rise To Fame
Not even Chantelle Houghton could have predicted that a promo girl from Essex would transform into a £2 million television personality practically overnight…
Well, it turns out for this aspiring glamour model, dreams really do come true!
In 2006, Chantelle Houghton became the very first non-celebrity to enter the Celebrity Big Brother House and became the only ever non-celebrity to win the reality series!
Chantelle, whose idol is Katie Price, found herself thrust into the limelight very unexpectedly and after winning over viewers, she left the Big Brother house with everything that she’d ever wanted and more: money, fame and success.
From working as an office clerk to signing £300,000 writing deals, this is the story of how Essex girl Chantelle became a reality sensation.
21st August 1983 – Chantelle Houghton Is Born In Wickford, Essex
Chantelle Vivien Houghton is born on 21st August 1983 in Wickford, Essex to parents Allan and Vivien.
Image Source: /Instagram @chantelle_houghton
Aged 15 – Chantelle Houghton Leaves School With Seven GCSEs
She attends Bromfords School – the same school that Big Brother 8 winner Brian Belo attended (hmm coincidence?!)
Chantelle leaves with seven GCSEs at the age of 15.
Image Source: Twitter @chantellehought
1999 – She Works In A Bank And As An Insurances Telesales Representative
Following school, Chantelle starts working a regular 9-5 at a bank and then as an insurance tele-salesman. Still, this is a far cry from her dream job.
She dreams of becoming a professional model and is encouraged by friends to pursue it.
Image Source: /MSN.com
2001 – She Wins A 2001 Modelling Competition Run By A Motorcycle News Magazine
In 2001, the future star decides to enter a modelling competition run by a Motorcycle News magazine which she ends up taking first prize.
Like her heroine Katie Price, she starts doing some glamour modelling.
Image Source: /Iconic Images
2003 – She Enters A Daily Star Competition As A Page 3 Girl
Having set her sights on becoming a ‘Page 3 girl’, Chantelle enters a competition for the Daily Star in 2003. She doesn’t win but did make one appearance in the paper – a small victory!
Image Source: /wallsdesk.com
2004 – She Was Paid To Be A Paris Hilton Lookalike
Still wanting to ‘better herself’ and go down the modelling route, Chantelle starts working as a Paris Hilton lookalike for a lookalike agency.
Now we think about it, the resemblance is uncanny…
Image Source: /Scrup
2005 – She Took Part In A Miss Greater London Beauty Pageant But Didn’t Win
In 2005, Chantelle takes part in a beauty pageant but unfortunately loses the crown to Jenny Velasquez.
Image Source: /OK! Magazine
2006 – She Is Chosen To Be The First Non Celebrity Contestant To Enter Celebrity Big Brother
Just as she is on the verge of giving up on becoming ‘famous’, Chantelle applies to enter Big Brother 6 (which she later reveals to Piers Morgan was a last resort). She becomes a stand-in for the series and is never called up.
Then, as luck would have it, the producers finally contact her and ask her to enter the celebrity version of the show.
Image Source: /Look Magazine
The aim of the game: go in to the house and convince the other contestants that she is, in fact, a celebrity.
Chantelle Houghton Wins Celebrity Big Brother 2006
Chantelle makes Big Brother history after becoming the first non-celebrity contestant to ever win Celebrity Big Brother.
Image Source: /The Popjustice Forum
May 2006 – She Publishes An Autobiography After Signing A £300,000 Deal
Chantelle’s world is turned upside after leaving the Big Brother house. She signs a £300,000 deal and publishes an autobiography which is released later that year.
She also receives a nomination for ‘Most Popular TV Contender’ at the 2006 National Television Awards.
Image Source: /Amazon
August 2006 – She Marries Ex-Housemate Preston
After a growing romance in the Big Brother house, eyebrows are raised when Chantelle announces her whirlwind engagement to The Ordinary Boys lead singer Samuel Preston (a.k.a. Preston).
The pair move in together and live happily ever after…
Image Source: /Alarmy
…NOT, sorry this is reality after all!
June 2007 – She And Preston Announce That They Are Separating After a 10 Month Marriage
Chantelle and Preston announce that they were separating after less than a year of marriage. They release a joint statement:
‘After much soul-searching and tearful discussions we have sadly decided to end our marriage.
‘We hope we can always remain friends and still love each other but we both think we put so much pressure on one another to make our marriage work that it has ended up destroying our relationship. No one else is involved in our decision.’
Image Source: /This Is Big Brother
Fast forward three years…
September 2010 – Chantelle Becomes The New Face Of La Senza Underwear Range
Image Source: /ClosetBox
November 2011 – Chantelle Announces That She Is Expecting A Baby With MMA Fighter Alex Reid
In November 2011, Chantelle announces that she is having a baby with Katie Price’s ex-husband, MMA Fighter Alex Reid.
Image Source: /digitalspy
June 2012 – Chantelle Gives Birth To Baby Girl Named Dolly
Image Source: /Mum to Millionaire
October 2012 – Chantelle Becomes A Single Mum
The reality star decides to go back to black after her split from Alex Reid.
Image Source: /Irish Mirror
October 2017 – Trading Glamour For Au Natural
Brunettes have more fun? It seems that motherhood has changed the star as she decides to go for a more natural look. We like it!
Image Source: /Instagram @chantelle_houghton
May 2019 – Chantelle Houghton Is Settling down
Chantelle Houghton’s 2018 and 2019 have been fairly quiet as the glamour model seems to have taken some time out of the limelight.
Image Source: /Instagram @chantelle_houghton
