Rylan Clark-Neal

Rylan Clark-Neal

Clark-Neal at a New Look launch party in November 2014
Born Ross Richard Clark
(1988-10-25) 25 October 1988
Stepney, East London, England
Occupation Television Presenter, Television Personality, Singer, Model
Years active 2011–present
Employer ITV, Channel 5
Known for Signed by Katie Price
The X Factor
Celebrity Big Brother
This Morning
Big Brother's Bit on the Side
Celebrity Masterchef
Up Late With Rylan
Spouse(s) Dan Neal (m. 2015)

Ross Richard "Rylan" Clark-Neal (né Clark; born 25 October 1988), known professionally as Rylan, is an English presenter, television personality, singer and model, best known for finishing in fifth place on the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012, and for winning Celebrity Big Brother 11 in January 2013.

Early and personal life

Clark-Neal was born Ross Richard Clark[1] on 25 October 1988 in Stepney, East London, and grew up in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex,[2] to mother Linda Clark.[3] His early career was working for Optical Express in Lakeside Shopping Centre.He is openly gay.[4] He is also a voice for animals and, in June 2013, posed naked for an anti-fur PETA campaign to speak against the fur industry. He explained, "I just don’t agree with animals getting killed just to be worn."[5]

In 2007, he applied for Big Brother 8, but, "the day I was going in, it got taken away from me because it got leaked to the press. It was devastating.[6]

Clark-Neal has been a part-time model since he was 16.[7] It was during his early modelling career that he adopted the stage name "Rylan" as it was more unusual.[1] He was in several Take That and Westlife tribute bands in Ibiza,[2] and was also part of a Spanish boy band called 4bidden until January 2010.[7][8]

In 2013 Clark-Neal began dating media personality and ex-police officer Dan Neal. On 18 September 2014 the couple announced their engagement and were married on 7 November 2015 in Essex.[9]

Career

2011: Signed by Katie Price

In 2011, Clark-Neal was a finalist on the Sky Living modelling competition Signed by Katie Price.[10] He finished as runner-up behind Amy Willerton.[11]

2012: The X Factor

In May 2012, Clark-Neal auditioned for the ninth series of The X Factor at The O2 Arena in London, in front of Louis Walsh, Gary Barlow, Tulisa and guest judge Rita Ora. He amused the judges and the studio audience with his friendly banter and bubbly personality, before singing a dance version of Des'ree's "Kissing You". Barlow said afterwards: "Rylan, love your personality, hate your voice, really strange song choice as well" Walsh also admitted that he was "a bit worried". Barlow gave Clark-Neal a "no", but Ora, Contostavlos and Walsh all decided to say "yes" and put him through to bootcamp.

At bootcamp, Clark-Neal sang The Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" (again with a dance twist), with former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger now a judge. After his performance, Barlow admitted: "[I] Think he's going to haunt me throughout this competition." Barlow was reluctant to send Clark-Neal through to judges' houses, but the other three judges were in favour of him advancing. Clark-Neal was eventually put through into the boys category with Scherzinger as his mentor. At judges' houses in Dubai, Clark-Neal performed a stripped-back rendition of Rihanna's "We Found Love" in front of Scherzinger and Ne-Yo. Scherzinger later put Clark-Neal through to live shows as one of her final three, along with James Arthur and Jahméne Douglas. She told him: "Rylan, it's such a big risk... but I have to take it, and you are in my final three.", and then Clark-Neal appeared to have an immense breakdown on the spot.[12]

Clark-Neal sang "Gold" by Spandau Ballet in the first week of the live shows, and was in the bottom two with Carolynne Poole the following night. Scherzinger backed Clark-Neal as he was her own act, while Barlow and Contostavlos opted to save Poole, based on the final showdown performance. This left Walsh with the deciding vote, but he appeared unable to make up his mind. After hesitating for some time, he eventually said "I'm going to with Carolynne, I want to keep Carolynne.", although he had to say who wanted to send home, not who he wanted to save. Eventually, after being pressured for an answer by presenter Dermot O'Leary, Walsh exclaimed "I want to take it to deadlock". O'Leary then revealed that Clark-Neal had received more public votes and Poole was sent home, much to the disgust of her mentor, Barlow, who stormed off stage and later called Clark-Neal a "joke act" and "talentless".[13]

In week 2, Clark-Neal persisted to wind Barlow up by first performing part of Barlow's "Back for Good", and then claiming afterwards that he had booked him a cab in advance in case he stormed off stage again-to which Barlow responded "That's funny 'cause I've had yours on hold for two weeks."[14] That week Clark-Neal was put through to week three on the public vote.[15] In week five, he was in the bottom two again with Kye Sones, but was saved by the public vote after the judges' votes were deadlocked.[16] In week 7, Clark revealed on The Xtra Factor that his psychic had told him he would make it to week 7 of the competition before leaving,[17] but the following night he was put through to by the public vote,[18] before being eliminated by the judges in week 8, with only his mentor Scherzinger voting to save him over Union J.[19]

2013–present: Celebrity Big Brother and television career

After leaving The X Factor, Clark-Neal joined Daybreak as a guest entertainment editor in December 2012 and returned throughout April 2013.[20]

Clark-Neal became a housemate in the eleventh series of Celebrity Big Brother in January 2013.[21] He was the second celebrity to enter the Big Brother House.[21] On launch night, he and Italian jockey Frankie Dettori selected which celebrities would join them in the House and who would be banished to the Basement.[21] It was revealed mid-way through the series that, contrary to the show's rules of staying in the Big Brother House throughout the series, Clark-Neal had been leaving the house each Sunday to rehearse for The X Factor Live Tour, which began a day after the live final on 25 January.[22] He made it to the final five, alongside Neil "Razor" Ruddock, Claire Richards, Ryan Moloney, and Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (Heidi & Spencer being counted as a single housemate). Clark-Neal was announced as the winner during the live final,[23] after which he broke down into tears like he did during the X Factor judges' houses.[24]

On 14 May 2013, as part of a revamp by Channel 5, Clark-Neal alongside AJ Odudu were announced as the new co-hosts of Big Brother's Bit on the Side, replacing Jamie East and Alice Levine; Willis herself replaced Brian Dowling as the host of Big Brother. [25]

Since the tenth series of The X Factor, Clark-Neal has provided all the gossip from the show on This Morning. He also acted as a Hub presenter until its removal from the show in 2014. Since May 2015, Clark-Neal has served as the show's showbiz presenter on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In February 2014, Clark-Neal made a guest appearance in the Sky 1 comedy series Stella.[26] In March, he was a member of the "Bangtastic Four" (alongside Abz Love, Joey Essex and Antony Costa) during the eleventh series of Celebrity Juice.[27]

In 2015, Clark-Neal reached the final of BBC One's Celebrity MasterChef competition.[28]

In October 2015, Clark-Neal co-presented Most Haunted Live with Jamie East on Really. It became the highest rated show the channel had ever seen, out performing Channel 4 and 5 in its time slot.

On 4 December 2015, Clark-Neal co-presented This Morning for the first time alongside Ruth Langsford. He returned in 2016 to co-present the show during the public holidays while Eamonn Holmes was off recovering from a hip operation.[29]

On 21 January 2016, Clark-Neal announced on his Twitter account that he would release an autobiography titled "The Life of Rylan" on 30 June 2016.

In May 2016, Clark-Neal will present his own prime time chat show for Channel 5.[30]

In July 2016, Clark-Neal will make a cameo appearance as Ryan, an air steward in Ab Fab: The Movie, starring alongside Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders.

Awards

In 2015, Clark-Neal won The Telegraph's LGBT Celebrity of the Year award.

In January 2016, he was nominated for a National Television Award in the Best Presenter category, but lost out to Ant & Dec.

Filmography

Television
Year Title Channel Role Notes
2011 Signed by Katie Price Sky Living Contestant Runner-up
2012 The X Factor ITV Contestant 5th place
2013 Celebrity Big Brother Channel 5 Housemate Winner
2012–2013 Daybreak ITV Guest Entertainment Presenter
2013— This Morning Entertainment Presenter Weekdays
2013–2014 This Morning's Hub Presenter
2013— Big Brother's Bit on the Side Channel 5 Presenter
Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side Presenter
2015 Celebrity MasterChef BBC One Contestant Final 3
Most Haunted Live! Really (TV channel) Presenter Halloween special
2015— This Morning ITV Stand-in presenter
2016— Up Late With Rylan Channel 5 Presenter upcoming series
Guest appearances
Acting
Year Title Role Note(s)
2014 Stella Himself Guest Appearance
2016 Ab Fab: The Movie Ryan Cameo appearance Air Steward
Stage
Year Title Role Note(s)
2016-2017 The Worlds Biggest Panto (Snow white) Evil Huntsman

References

  1. 1 2 "X Factor 2012: Shocker as Rylan Clark reveals his REAL name". OK!. Northern & Shell. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  2. 1 2 Jack Seale and Tom Cole (2 October 2012). "The X Factor 2012: Rylan Clark". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Episode 23". Celebrity Big Brother. Series 11. Episode 23. 25 January 2013. Channel 5.
  4. ↑ Manning, Jenny (13 November 2012). "Rylan Clark: I was fat, ginger and gay ... but look at me now!". The Sun (News UK). Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  5. ↑ Manning, Jenny (13 June 2013). "It's fur the animals! Rylan Clark peels off for PETA". The Sun. News UK. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  6. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/celebrity-big-brother/news/a454067/rylan-clark-ill-sue-heidi-and-spencer-over-bullying-claims/ Rylan Clark: 'I'll sue Heidi and Spencer over bullying claims'
  7. 1 2 "ModelMayhem.com - Rylan Clark". ModelMayhem.com. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Live show 6". The Xtra Factor. Series 9. Episode 22. 10 November 2012. ITV2.
  9. ↑ Natalie Corner (9 November 2015). "Rylan and Dan Neal send special heartfelt wedding message via This Morning". mirror.
  10. ↑ Aitkenhead, Decca (16 December 2012). "Rylan Clark on The X Factor, death threats and being seen as a fame-hungry diva". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Owens, Nick (3 March 2012). "Katie Price's bust-up with teen model who won her reality TV show". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "X Factor: Final Contestant Rylan Clark Overwhelmed By Getting Through, But Suffering Death Threats Behind The Scenes". The Huffington Post (AOL). 1 October 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  13. ↑ Eames, Tom (7 October 2012). "Carolynne Poole first to leave 'The X Factor'". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  14. ↑ Vallahis, Maria (14 October 2012). "Put your money where your mouth is...will Rylan Clark prove Gary Barlow wrong?". Heat. Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  15. ↑ "X Factor results show two drama as Rylan Clark breaks down in tears". stv.tv. STV. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  16. ↑ Samander, Lema (5 November 2012). "Kye Sones loses out to Rylan Clark after X Factor deadlock vote". The Independent (Independent Print Limited). Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  17. ↑ "X Factor: Rylan packs bags following elimination 'tip'". stv.tv. STV. 17 November 2012.
  18. ↑ "X Factor's Rylan Clark breaks down over his 'guilt' at Ella Henderson's shock exit". OK!. Northern & Shell. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  19. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Sarah (25 November 2012). "'It's been an absolute pleasure': Rylan Clark is booted off the X Factor after giving his best vocal performance of the show in the sing off". Daily Mail (DMG Media). Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "Rylan Clark makes his debut presenting on Daybreak as entertainment editor". Daily Mail. DMG Media. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  21. 1 2 3 Wheeler, Rachael (3 January 2013). "Frankie Dettori and Rylan Clark send half the housemates to the freezing basement in dramatic CBB twist!". Daily Mirror (Trinity Mirror). Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  22. ↑ Sperling, Daniel (21 January 2013). "Celebrity Big Brother: Rylan secretly exiting house for 'X Factor'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  23. ↑ Sheridan, Emily (25 January 2013). "Celebrity Big Brother 2013 final: Rylan Clark wins". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  24. ↑ Graham, Daniella (25 January 2013). "Rylan Clark has X Factor-style meltdown after being named Celebrity Big Brother winner". Metro (Associated Newspapers). Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  25. ↑ Clark, Rylan (14 May 2013). "Twitter / RylanClark: Ok guys it's OFFICIAL. I'm the new presenter of Big Brothers Bit On The Side! So excited to join the BB Team x @bbbots #RylansBIGnews xxx". Twitter. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  26. ↑ Clark, Rylan (18 July 2013). "Best time filming 'Stella' x". Facebook. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  27. ↑ McGarry, Lisa (15 April 2014). "Celebrity Juice: Rylan Clark, Abz, Joey Essex & Antony Costa ARE The Bangtastic 4! VIDEO". Unreality TV. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  28. ↑ Mayer Nissim. "Rylan Clark, Sarah Harding and Chesney Hawkes join Celebrity MasterChef". Digital Spy.
  29. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/this-morning/news/a788524/rylan-clark-neal-replaces-eamonn-holmes-this-morning-as-he-recovers-from-hip-surgery/
  30. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/news/a787523/rylan-clark-neal-nabs-his-own-evening-talk-show-as-channel-5-announces-new-schedule/

External links

Preceded by
Julian Clary		 Celebrity Big Brother UK winner
Series 11 (2013) 		Succeeded by
Charlotte Crosby
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