A survey of 1,300 youngsters has revealed that eight out of 10 want to be famous, and more than half the boys and 40% of girls would quit school if they got the chance to chase celebrity status.
Money is the driving force behind the quest for fame for 61% of teenagers, while 55% of them also cited success as a motivator. Half those questioned thought being famous would be “fun”, another 40% saw fame as an opportunity to “prove people wrong” and nearly a quarter of teenagers just wanted to be on television.
The survey, carried out for the Fame series on RTE Radio, found that 15% of teenagers believed being a celebrity would make them “more attractive”, a finding that shocked presenter Geri Maye.
“I think that is really concerning because it shows that teenagers actually think that becoming famous would change them or the way they are perceived,” she said. “It’s as if to feel secure and happy they have to be recognised. They think that being famous would make them complete and they would have it all. Little do they know that you just don’t have it all.”
Maye, who has worked in both television and radio and who competed in Celebrity You’re A Star, said teenagers have no idea how much work is involved in the business.
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“Anybody in television will tell you that what you see as the final product is the tiniest bit of what has been done. It can take two or three days of rehearsals for the smallest amount of transmission. An awful lot goes on in between.
“Louis Walsh made the point on Celebrity You’re a Star that young people who become famous all of a sudden don’t understand that a photo shoot might be really hard work. They see the pictures in the papers of celebs looking really glam and they think it just takes a quick snap, when it can actually take hours of work in make-up and then getting the photograph right.
“Teenagers don’t see that at all. They think that it’s all about glamour and fun and that’s because there are so many magazines out there with countless pictures of stars, apparently doing no work at all, just walking around looking beautiful,” Maye said.
The Fame survey found that 38% of respondents want to become actors, 31% pop stars and 21% sports personalities. A further 12% want to become television or radio personalities, 6% writers and 5% reality-show contestants.
Bottom of the barrel is politics, with just 1% stating that their road to fame would be via Leinster House. When asked who they admired, Roy Keane, Bob Geldof and Bono were the top choices. Eminem, Britney Spears, Ronaldinho, Brad Pitt, Hilary Duff, Podge and Rodge, Oprah Winfrey and 50 Cent followed.
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Maye, 32, says she hates being recognised in public. “I just don’t get it. Why would anyone want to be screamed at? I’ve said this to people but they just say ‘ah, come on, surely it’s everyone’s secret need or want?’ Well I’m sorry, but it’s not my need or want.
“I think people who say they want to be famous don’t understand how shocking it can be when you are going about your business and someone starts roaring your name. It is not pleasant. It is embarrassing.”
Maye said Ireland’s celebrity climate has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. “I suppose it all happened with the advent of reality TV. Ireland has moved in the same way the UK has. A celebrity is no longer someone who has done the hard graft and earned their place as a presenter or whatever. These days the routes are different.”
Maye added: “Being a celebrity is a lifestyle choice and there are people who simply just trail around these parties. In my case, I’m afraid I have to work and don’t have time to spend the day lunching.
“I couldn’t stand around all day with a plastic smile and a glass of champagne. It is just not me. I feel that there are people in my life that I don’t get to spend enough time with, never mind do the rounds of those parties.”
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Fame is on RTE Radio One on Mondays at 11am