Sorry for just picking on only one part of you're impressively detailed post sangreal

Helen just makes me feel angry (like Dawn French in the Churchill Ad angry)

Don't forget that Winston also had a part in the film 'Kick Ass 2' as one of the superheroes.
Which I'd say was a higher profile job than the part he had on Eastenders.

Derek Laud?
He was invited onto BB by BB themselves. He was treated as something apart from the other housemates his year.
He is quite well known in some circles and could quite probably have easily qualified for Celebrity BB nowadays. He could have possibly scraped through into CBB even back then.

Just googled that and watched the clip! Im not sure if he would have got paid a lot for that just standing there as a extra!

They really all just want to be famous!!

yes i agree with this.is there any point in people auditioning anymore?

You don't care about what people you don't know are doing but you're watching Big Brother.

You don't care about what people you don't know are doing but my post makes you feel mad???

My other half auditioned with her sister (who is Helen x 10 = nightmare) 4 years ago and got into the last 100.

They asked her to come back but she never has. Anyway, my point is they had 1000's of applicants at the Emirates stadium and it must have cost a lot of dosh to organize those auditions, so I think they would prefer not to have open auditions at all and just have folk send in VTs for them to short list, or, save even more dosh by scouting (which I'm told they always did, but in the old days it was more a case of them approaching people in the streets, clubs and pubs and inviting them to apply).

I guess it always comes down to money in the end.

I think getting to be an extra in a big Hollywood film would be very useful at getting your foot in the door. Just having claim to being in it wouldn't be a bad thing at all to get on your acting CV.