Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace is the ultimate Big Brother survivor, and in Aisleyne: Surviving Guns, Gangs and Glamour, she reveals a shocking life story that surpasses any reality-show plotline.
Her childhood journey began in a crazy punk household, where Siouxsie Sioux and Boy George were regular visitors. It shattered for the first time with the nightmare of seeing her half-naked dad dragged bleeding from the bathroom by police after a suicide attempt, and it ended when she saw her mum start a strict new life as a devout Jehovah’s Witness.
Hospitalised after an extreme bullying incident at school, Aisleyne left home at 16, having been cut off by her mother and let down by her father. Alone in London, Aisleyne’s lifeline was a place in a hostel, where she shared the roof over her head with the frightened women and predatory men of the city’s gang culture. While some of her friends were lost to drugs, knives and gun crime, Aisleyne vowed to pick herself up and get out of there.
Aisleyne threw herself into a new career as a promotions girl and glamour model. Slowly making a name for herself, Aisleyne’s big break came when she was selected to compete on Big Brother in 2006, and she was voted the most popular female housemate that year.
Three years on, Aisleyne is living proof that it is possible to escape the streets and make good. She’s become a successful businesswoman, fashion designer and established media celebrity. This is her remarkable story.
