By james art Darlington’s Anthony Hutton burst into the limelight appearing on Big Brother in 2005 – winning the hearts of the nation with his cheeky personality and charming personality.
He would go on to win the Channel 4 series 19 years ago – but not everything that happened after that was a positive thing.
What the County Durham reality star is up to now has been revealed – and it’s warning people about the fame element of TV shows like Big Brother and what happens when the cameras stop rolling.
The TV personality has been featured in a new Big Brother reality film, Surviving Reality: Beyond the TV Dream.
Anthony Hutton (Image: ITV) The film, which will premiere at the Tees Valley International Film Festival next month, also features interviews with 2006 Big Brother winner Pete Bennett and 2002 housemate Johnny Regan from Hartlepool.
The film delves into the psychological and social challenges they face after the show, contrasting their fame with the often-overlooked struggles that follow
Originally from Consett, Anthony won Big Brother when he was just 23 years old.
The next day he received a quarter of a million pounds through a magazine deal and more money was to come through TV work and sponsorship deals.
However, his time in the limelight was short-lived. The realization that he was no longer ‘Anthony from Big Brother’ combined with a lifestyle of excess eventually led him to a dark state of mind.
Anthony Hutton (Image: Lycetts) In an attempt to rebuild his life, Anthony moved to Darlington and began a career in the hairdressing industry.
It was this newfound passion and the payoff from the News of the World phone hacking scandal that allowed him to open the popular Mr Huttons bar and barbershop in the city centre.
The feature-length documentary is the latest production from acclaimed Teesside filmmaker Paul Suggitt, who was inspired to make the film after attending a screening at last year’s Tees Valley International Film Festival where Anthony and Pete Bennett discussed the intense blow to fame that Big Brader pounced on them and what life was like after the bubble burst.
Surviving Reality: Beyond the TV Dream movie poster (Image: 7ven Productions) Speaking about his new documentary, Paul said: “When I heard Anthony and Pete talk about the things the Big Brother cameras didn’t catch, I immediately thought their reality TV journey needed to be told on film.
“Their stories were compelling, heartbreaking, funny and inspiring in equal measure. From the dozens of hours of interviews we conducted with former reality TV stars for the film, it became clear that getting your fifteen minutes of fame always comes with a consequence”.
Nineteen years after his success on Big Brother, Anthony is happily married with two young sons and recently set up the ground-breaking Never Throw in the Towel Project, an initiative designed to improve mental health and reduce male suicide through outdoor activities, open conversation and cold water therapy.
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The success of Never Throw in the Towel Project’s monthly events has led to Anthony being invited to large companies like Amazon and even prisons to speak about his experiences and how others can find strength and support in times of challenge.
Speaking about his role in making the film, Anthony said: “Although I loved my Big Brother experience and have a lot to thank the show for, looking back on the tougher times that followed were difficult.
“It was eye-opening to find that my highs and lows on the reality TV roller coaster mirrored those of other BB winners, but also heart-warming that we got through the low points and got to share our stories in the film.”
Surviving Reality: Beyond the TV Dream will premiere at the Tees Valley International Film Festival at ARC Stockton on November 7.