Some people only know Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace in the context of Big Brother (2000) and her achievements since then. However, her real-life story surpasses any reality-show plot line.
Aisleyne was born into a crazy North London punk household, where Boy George was a regular visitor. Hospitalized after a serious assault in her early teens, she was forced from home at 16. Alone in London, she lived in a hostel with frightened women and the predatory men of the city's gang culture. After losing close friends and loved ones to drugs, knives and gun crime, Aisleyne vowed to pick herself up and get out of there. She studied fashion design and textiles at college, supporting herself by working as a promotions girl and achieving growing success through hard work and the infectious personality that has become her trademark.
Aisleyne's big break came in 2006, when she became a housemate in "Big Brother 7" (2006). Going through an emotional journey, Aisleyne finished top female to widespread public acclaim.
Since then she has proved it's possible to escape the streets and make good. She's appeared in a wide variety of drama, light entertainment and news/factual television programs with all the main UK and Irish broadcasters. She played Maria in the urban comedy feature film Anuvahood (2011). In its review of the Celebrity Salon (2010) TV series, The Irish Sunday Independent hailed Aisleyne as "the Standout Star of the show".
Aisleyne has her own glamorous ladies clothing label, "Unique by Aisleyne" and she's been the subject of fashion features in all the leading women's weekly magazines. She has had her own advice column in a weekly women's magazine and was another magazine's Big Brother columnist for three years.
Aisleyne is an active supporter of several UK charities. She's proud to be a patron of Brain Tumour UK, was the face of the annual national "No Smoking Day" campaign for several years and has helped raise funds for educational projects in West Africa.
Aisleyne's gripping journey is detailed in her autobiography "Surviving Guns, Gangs and Glamour", published by Random House.
