How to get famous

17:57 23 June 2010

Christine Bleakley has shot into the stratosphere in terms of celeb status.

And now with a multi-million pound contract from ITV under her belt – making her one of the highest paid females on the channel  - and a hunky footballer on her arm, there's no sign of slowing down.

But if you crave the lifestyle of the rich and famous and are an ambitious aspiring TV wannabe, here's our fun guide to how you too can achieve star status:

1 – It's who you know

Move to London – and get makeover and hair treatment while you're there!

Now you've lost the frizz, go meet the right people - like Bleakley, try Amanda Holden.

She chummed up to the Britain's Got Talent judge, letting her reveal she and Frank Lampard were a couple.

Holden then introduced her to Simon Cowell. Now her feet are well under Si's table, and networked!

2. Get people to gossip about you

You've got a job, and a co-host obviously smitten with you. What to do? Respect the fact he's married and ensure your relationship remains purely professional?

Or hide your hair under a baseball cap, sneak into a South Kensington flat and have a secret rendezvous with him for an hour and a half? (And allow him to drive you to the airport at 7.45 in the morning for your hols?)

Only one of those options will get everyone talking about you! So just lie back and think of the extra viewing figures

3. Become a WAG

Once you've made everyone think that, despite your beauty, you might just be deep enough to fancy an average blokey bloke next door, your work is done.

Now you can concentrate on getting your claws into a footballer. As you know, when two celebrities go out with each other, their fame multiplies, but aim high. He's got to be pretty (so the pap photos work), rich (for obvious reasons) and relevant, which at the moment means involved in the World Cup.

And of course don't simply come out and admit you're together straight away. Try and string it out for as long as possible –  you'll get so much more attention, for a lot longer. Don't worry, it won't get annoying for the public at all, they'll love it.

4. Dance clever (..even if you can't dance)

Yes, viewers see you on TV every day for half an hour - BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!

Bite the hand off the first person to offer you a reality show (preferably one where you don't have to eat kangaroo bits, but in a saturated market, take what you can get).

Your fans only know the autocue-reading, professional side of you. This is a chance for them to glimpse a fascinating insight into "the real you".

Obviously it goes without saying - don't really be the real you, be the real you the viewers will like most.

Bleakely may have had two left feet on Strictly Come Dancing, but that worked to her advantage.

It would have been hard to warm to her if she'd been a great dancer on top of those looks.

With two left feet, the public  could feel protective of her while Arlene Phillips gave vicious comments. She also did a great line in humility and being a good sport which has served her well.

5. Charity girl

Charity's a great thing for celebs - it makes them look like they've got big hearts, love to give back, care about others.

At the same time, they get loads of exposure, praise and publicity for swimming/waterskiing the Channel (which they wouldn't have done if they'd simply gone to the gym).

It also means they will probably get away with any future questionable behaviour because people will think they can't be all bad if they did so much to help others.

There'll also be interview opportunities for years after the fact, talking about how hard it was and how sore they are now but obviously it was all so, so worth it.

6. That's showbusiness kid!

You know the people who took a chance on you when you were unknown? The ones who made you? The folks without who, you'd still be just another aspiring TV presenter? Don't look them in the eye while you fire them!

Bleakley executed this step perfectly – sacking her long time agent by text, and then responding to his puzzled reply with a legal letter.

Then she repaid the channel who gave her the first big break by dragging her heels for so long over her new contract that they were forced to withdraw their offer, leaving them to look like the bad guys and Bleakley to walks away, to brighter sofas and better money, scot free.

Loyalty schmoyalty! You're the star, they're just piggybacking on your massive talent of being able to read out loud and smile! And you'll never meet them again on your way back down, so who cares about their stupid "feelings"?

Source: The Mirror