A former participant who appeared on the BBC makeover show Snog Marry Avoid? has lifted the lid on her experience.
Sophie Bow was 18 years old when she took part in the reality series, which sees over-stylised individuals being transformed through a ‘natural’ makeover - or ‘makeunder.’
Speaking to Zingo Bingo, Sophie recalled what it was like to be in the TV studio and described her reaction when she saw her final makeover.
She also had her say whether the show should make a comeback, and explained what her friends and family thought of her transformation.
Speaking to online bingo provider Zingo Bingo, Sophie Bow said:
Why did you choose to apply to be on Snog, Marry, Avoid?
“I was 18 years old and I signed up for it myself. I really enjoyed watching the programme and I was a huge fan. I wasn't actually expecting to get a response, because so many people applied for it at that time. I got an email saying I had been accepted and I went to Birmingham to film the show. It was all really quick.”
How long did it take to film your episode overall?
“So the POD (Personal Overhaul Device) filming was one day, and then the makeover was filmed the second day. So I was there for the whole weekend and they put me in a hotel.”
What was the biggest surprise when you saw the makeover studio in real life?
“I didn't really know what to expect. I thought it was going to be this whole computer screen, but it wasn’t like that at all. It was completely different. It was actually like someone sitting in a little pod, and it's just a white background. Also, the voice from the POD was actually a man speaking, but then it was changed to a woman’s robot voice when the episode aired.”
How did your family react after you said you were going on the show?
“I think they were a bit shocked at first. But then they were happy for me because they knew that was the sort of work I wanted to do.”
What was your initial reaction when you saw your transformation?
“I didn't like the hair. That was my main thing, because I was so used to being blonde. I went straight back to blonde after the makeover and I've still been blonde ever since. They initially changed my hair to a natural colour.
“They don't tell you what they're going to do, so you don't have a clue how you're going to look when you see yourself in the mirror. You’re blindfolded the entire time during the makeover. They changed everything - my makeup, the fake tan, outfit, shoes. You’re allowed to keep the new outfit afterwards.”
What did your friends and family say after your transformation?
“They loved it. It was obviously a massive improvement to what I looked like, because I look back now and think, ‘What was I doing?’ But, that was the look back then. I looked too much like a Barbie doll. I used to wear these massive blonde, volumised extensions. I was fake tanning pretty much every day and used sunbeds. I regret that now as they’re not good for you. It’s funny how you’re younger and you have no sense of anything.”
What was it like meeting the host Ellie Taylor? Did you speak to her?
“She was really, really nice. Very lovely and friendly. She was brand new to the telly scene at that time but she was a nice lady to me.”
Did you find the POD (Personal Overhaul Device) commentary rude or did you shrug it off at the time?
“I look at it now with thick skin and it doesn't really bother me. But at the time, I was so young. I said some things that didn’t make sense. The words came out wrong and I didn't know they were going to put it in the episode. I said the word sophisticated a bit wrong, as I was nervous at the time. That did bother me afterwards, but it doesn’t now.”
Do you regret being on Snog Marry Avoid?
“I don't regret it, because it's really helped with my career. I used to feel embarrassed when people would recognise me, but not anymore. It’s got me to where I am now.
“The show was a good thing for me because I look back and think ‘Why was I walking around like that?’ I wouldn’t say anything negative about it.”
