Skip To Content
BuzzFeed Homepage
Sign In
Search BuzzFeed

    This Is What 14 "Fame Academy" Contestants Look Like Now

    One of them is writing songs for Lana Del Rey, one of them has won a BAFTA, and one of them dated Simon Cowell!

    Tabatha Leggett
    by Tabatha Leggett

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. David Sneddon

    Andy Butterton / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @WeAreTheNexus

    Then: He won the first series of back in 2002 and his single, "Stop Living the Lie" stayed at number one for two weeks.

    Now: He's a super successful songwriter! He's written songs for Lana Del Rey, Matt Cardle, Newton Faulkner, Hurts, Will Young, Nicole Scherzinger, Olly Murs, and Pixie Lott!

    2. Alistair Griffin

    Anthony Harvey / PA Archive/PA Images, Twitter: @AlistairGriffin

    Then: He came second in series 2 and released "Bring It On", which was an absolute banger.

    Now: He's still singing and he released his third album in 2015.

    3. Camilla Beeput

    Tim Whitby / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @camillamarie1

    Then: She was on the first series and after the show she got a role on the best TV show in the whole world, Footballers' Wives.

    Now: She's still working as a singer and actress. Right now, she's doing a one-woman show called Stormy at the Norwich Playhouse.

    4. Lemar Obika

    Tim Whitby / PA Archive/PA Images, instagram.com

    Then: Omggg he was the best contestant ever. He came third in David Sneddon's year, but then he released "Dance (with U)" and "If There's Any Justice" which were such early '00s anthems.

    Now: He's so successful! Back in the day, he supported Justin Timberlake, Beverley Knight, and Mary J. Blige on their tours. More recently, he released his sixth album in 2015.

    5. Pippa Donaldson (formerly Pippa Fulton)

    Tim Whitby / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @PippaGabFulton

    Then: She was a series 1 contestant.

    Now: She married Birmingham City footballer Clayton Donaldson and still works as a singer and actress. She just finished a run of "Kings of Hull" at Hull New Theatre.

    6. Ainslie Henderson

    Tim Whitby / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @ainslie7

    Then: He was on series 1 and he wrote "Lullaby" with Lemar and David Sneddon.

    Now: He's an animator and he won a BAFTA for co-writing and animating The Making of Longbird!

    7. James Fox

    PA Archive, Twitter: @RealJamesFox

    Then: He was the Welsh guy from the first series.

    Now: He represented the UK in Eurovision in 2004 and came 16th (out of 24). He's still recording music and he also works in musical theatre.

    8. Paris Campbell-Edwards

    Pa / PA Archive/PA Images, Via facebook.com

    Then: He was on series 2 and everyoneeee fancied him.

    Now: He's still singing and performing around London. He and his wife also sold the story of how they met to the Mirror!

    9. Louise Griffiths

    Ian West / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @1LGriffiths

    Then: She was working as a model and dating Jenson Button when she went on Fame Academy.

    Now: She has moved to LA to pursue an acting career. She was also briefly linked to Simon Cowell!

    BONUS FUN FACT: Before Fame Academy, Louise was in a band that recorded "Sound of the Underground" years before Girls Aloud recorded it.

    10. Peter Brame

    Ian West / PA Archive/PA Images, Via starnow.com

    Then: He was the bad boy of series 2 who got drunk and missed rehearsals but worst of all he snogged fellow contestant Carolynne when she had a boyfriend!

    Now: He dated Fearne Cotton after the show ended and battled drinking and drug addiction for ten years. But he's now back to recording new music.

    11. Malachi Cush

    Tim Whitby / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @MalachiPCush

    Then: He was the Northern Irish guy from the first series.

    Now: He's recording religious music and he presents a radio show on Six FM.

    12. Sinéad Quinn

    Andy Butterton / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Facebook: BillingtonandQuinn

    Then: She came second to David Sneddon.

    Now: She's in a band called Sinéad and The Dawnbreakers with her husband, Paul Stewart from The Feeling.

    13. Carolynne Poole (formerly Carolynne Goode)

    Pa / PA Archive/PA Images, Via Twitter: @carolynnepoole

    Then: She snogged Peter Brame!!

    Now: She entered The X Factor twice: The first time she made it to Judges' Houses and the second time she made it to the live shows. She's also done some acting and she's currently releasing more country music.

    BONUS FUN FACT: Before Fame Academy, she made it to the final 15 in auditions for S Club 7.

    14. Lexi Parks (formerly Alex Parks)

    Yui Mok / PA Archive/PA Images

    Then: She won the second series, she had the coolest hair in the world, and she released "Maybe That's What It Takes".

    Now: She has disappeared off the face of the earth! In 2013 she told her fans she went by the name Lexi and said she hoped to be recording again by the end of the year. The next year, she was spotted at a songwriting bootcamp in London (with Joe McElderry from The X Factor). But I can't find anything about her since then!! How mysterious!