‘The winner of this year’s ‘Star Quality’ is…….. Janice Hopkins’
Janice could not believe it, she had actually won.
Pop, bang, clapping, the other contestants screaming, it was chaos. The big man himself
Mr Robert Lorenzo came over to congratulate, standing and posing with the camera’s
flashing.
‘How do you feel?’ asked Mitzy as she squealed like a pig in the microphone. Her big bosoms
were clearly visible from her top emerging like a ship from the sea. The camera’s were at a
close up inspection not obviously of her face which had make up smeared on layered as a
cake.
Janice thought for a moment, one minute she had been busking on the streets of London
and now she was a winner one of the biggest reality shows on television.
She could see Mitzy blinking faster, and faster waiting impatiently for the answer, so she
blurted out the cliche ‘it’s amazing I can’t believe that I would be winning the show’.
Mr Lorenzo stood posing for photographs and took the microphone from Mitzy, she looked
like a poodle facing a lion ‘I knew Janice has the talent, after all I was the one who mentored
her and look where she is now.’ He flashed his white teeth which glistened like diamonds
and flicked his greasy hair in front of the camera’s.
‘ ‘We are now off the air’ shouted someone from the sidelines.
‘Gosh I am shattered, I need a tequila and a cigarette, where are my cigarettes? Damn
CIGARETTES’ shouted Mitzy. She twoddled off the stage in her high heels, whilst saying
‘Lorenzo…’ winking at him and then going off the stage.
Lorenzo took a small mobile phone out his pocket and dialled ‘I am ready, come and get me
out of here, another year done and dusted. Time for next year’, as he whispered to the mobile as
though he was a snake charmer. ‘Stupid Bitch that Mitzy, should have sacked her, those damn
newspapers getting news of her addiction’. ‘Well kid enjoy it while you can’ he said as he looked
at the door rather than directly at Janice. He slithered his way across to it and disappeared like a
magician into the darkness.
Janice stood in shock, whilst all of the other contestants started to drink and dance around
the stage, flapping their bodies around and shouting loudly ‘Janice, Janice’.
In front of her stood Sunrise the lucrative television studio building: tall, lean and grey in
stature. Lights in bold and dominating like a queen sitting on a throne.
She had seen their show in the mornings but never imagined being invited to talk on the show.
She sat timidly in the make up studio, whilst she had her face altered by the artist and
could her the microphone on in the other studio.
‘What’s this girls name? Janice, another one off that show, I tell you Lorenzo is the only one who
is getting richer from this show’.
‘Yeah, another talent, what talent? No one will remember her. I mean who won last year?’
‘Wasn’t it Patrick that guy, who had the sob story of his mum dying of cancer?’
‘They all have a sob story… Damn the microphone is still on…’
Janice was ushered onto the couch, wearing Calvin Klein jeans and a Gap t-shirt she
had to return after the interview. She had makeup and her hair in a bun, which she never
wore it in.
‘3, 2, 1 on Air’.
‘Good Morning to Sunrise, today I have the winner of Star Quality Janet’
Janice sat there and was unable to correct Samantha Hayward, the presenter.
‘Welcome to the show...OH I have been told it's Janice…. Thanks Janice. How do you feel?’
Janice sat looking at the camera’s all posed and alert like meerkats staring at her direction.
All she could think of saying was the same cliche response ‘‘It’s amazing I can’t believe that I
have won’.
‘Well that's great babe, really congrats, now moving onto the main news of today’.
As quick as Janice had been put onto the couch she was whisked off and the clothes and
make-up were taken away like she had been burgled.
‘Here is your record….Big Beginnings’ Lorenzo handed it to her with gloves.
She had wanted it to be called ‘Butterfly Wings’, but Mr Lorenzo made all the decisions.
‘Good luck Janice, I am sure you will do well on this album. You are aware of all the paperwork
you signed at the beginning of the show entering it, good good’, not actually looking at her
faceless expression. ‘I have to go Janice, time is money’ as he snorted into the air.
‘You do realise honey, that you won’t get a penny from the album’ whined Mitzy
staggering into music room with a cigarette in her hand. ‘Cough cough, Lorenzo gets
one hundred percent, well he used to get me if you know what I mean, but now he
treats me like I don’t exist’ she slurred as she fell over into the floor sniffling with her mascara
running.
‘The number one album of this year is Big Beginnings congratulations to the Label Opal
which is run by none other than the business tycoon Mr Robert Lorenzo.’ Janice read
the newspaper heading a couple of times. Mitzy had been right, she did get no money from
the album. No one recognised her in the streets after a couple of months went by. There was
no telephone calls from producers or anyone interested in contacting her once her album
had been released. She had tried to contact Mr Lorenzo on his personal mobile number
but received the message ‘this number is no longer in use and has been disconnected’.
Janice had tears in her eyes, they were flowing down the cheeks, her friends had
unfriended from Facebook and WhatsAPP after her success.
But she wasn’t wealthy or popular, she was alone in her room with the newspaper and seeing
Mr Lorenzo on television smiling and auditioning for the next installment of Star Quality. Like her
they too would be used, churned out to make money for Mr Lorenzo and his record label Opal.
She would be forgotten a star from yesterday abandoned and no longer shining.
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