1 day Ago
Paddy McGuinness was reunited with the breakout star from a popular reality show he hosts following a gig this month. Samantha Willett, 41, endeared herself to viewers after competing against fellow contestants on Tempting Fortune. The mum-of-two braved the jungles of Malaysia on the show’s second season – a far cry from her native Wirral.
Although Sam only came to our screens in March, the show was filmed last summer, so watching it back was “incredible,” she said. Sam said: “It’s incredible watching it back because when you’re there – and living in it – after a few days it really is difficult. “The conditions, starving – and everything has been stripped away from you.
“Then, you’re surrounded by personalities that you wouldn’t ordinarily be around in life – going into the jungle with 11 strangers was difficult enough as well. “Watching it back is really quite enjoyable because we got to see what we were doing in each episode – and trying to remember how I felt on those days!” Samantha Willett (Image: Samantha Willett) Sam said one thing surprised her about meeting Farnworth-born host Paddy during the production, however. She said: “I didn’t realise how tall he was – quite a lot taller than I thought! “I absolutely love him – he’s really down to earth – and another thing I notice about Paddy is how genuine he is.
” Sam was invited by the Leeds Grand Theatre to watch Paddy’s last tour gig at the venue, where she was reunited with the presenter. She said: “At the end of his show we met for a hug and a chat and he was really genuine, and pleased to see me. “I knew he would be extremely welcoming and knew he would take the time to chat with me after the show.
“He’s just an absolute dude, that’s all I can say about him.” Samantha Willett was reunited with Paddy McGuinness after a tour date (Image: Samantha Willett) Sam said that Paddy’s attitude stands out from other experiences she’s had when acting in small supporting roles in soaps like Hollyoaks and Emmerdale. She said: “Some people like that wouldn’t interact with you, I’ve seen before when I did work on Emmerdale in a small supporting role.
“Some of the cast there wouldn’t speak to you when the cameras weren’t on. “But Paddy was making jokes with us and making us all laugh – and he’d always give you a wave from wherever when he saw you.” Now that Sam’s achieved her dream of TV fame, she hopes to keep pursuing acting – which has always been her passion.
Have a story? Get in touch at [email protected].
uk She said: “I’m an actress at heart, so I’m hoping to land myself a good role in the next year.” Although Sam has other projects in the pipeline at the moment, she can’t talk about them just yet. She said: “I’m just not allowed to say anything at the minute – but there’s some exciting things coming up, and I want to shout about them, really.
” When it comes to her dream role, Sam said that she would like to be “a female James Bond” or a “detective like Gillian Anderson in The Fall”. READ MORE: Bolton's Peter Street teams up with Serious Feather for short film READ MORE: Emmerdale fans fear favourite character is being axed READ MORE: Jeremy Clarkson calls for return of Top Gear - here's why For anyone else thinking about following their dreams of getting on the telly – Sam gave her advice for how to follow them. She said: “All I can say is go online – and just apply for everything that comes up.
“If you’re lucky and get an interview, tell yourself – this is what I want – and be absolutely adamant about it. “Times are hard right now for everybody, I think we’re at a point where people are just exhausted. “I’m very grateful for people coming out and supporting me, because people can barely keep the wolf from the door.
“So the last thing they would think of is supporting a reality star – so I’m grateful for that.”.
