James Weir: Next step for SAS Australia’s self-described ‘fame wh*re’ Locky Gilbert

He’s offended Aussies with a sledge about their daily lives. Now TV’s newest villain needs to keep his dream afloat. James Weir recaps.

Becoming a professional reality TV star is similar to rising through the ranks as a CEO.

There’s not one single way to get there. No blueprints. One must gain success by starting from the bottom and forging their own path with nothing but nous, dedication and an ability to throw everyone else under the bus regardless of what people think of you.

It’s ruthless. Not everyone can handle it. There isn’t much room at the top.

Occasionally, we see our full-time reality stars straddle both roles as screen queens and moguls.

Just look at Kim Kardashian – the world’s biggest reality star who has parlayed her fame into a billion dollar business empire.

But it’s a tricky tightrope to walk because there’s one key difference between professional reality stars and business execs: the desire to actually work.

Kimberly angered people this week with her musings on work ethic.

“I have the best advice for women in business: Get your f**king a** up and work,” the 41-year-old told Variety while being interviewed about her family’s new Hulu reality show.

“It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”

The response from the public? Basically that those were rich words coming from a woman who shot to fame with a sex tape which then cleared the way for her wealthy family to make millions from a reality show where they spent their days sitting around a mansion while eating really big salads.

We expect nothing less. Reality stars have a complicated relationship with work. And even more complicated is the way in which they discuss their different pursuits.

Our very own Locky Gilbert – a professional reality star who has appeared on two iterations of Survivor and starred as The Bachelor – is currently appearing on Channel 7’s extreme reality show SAS Australia and angered viewers with his own views about work.

“In the last 10 years, I really haven’t worked,” he proudly declared. “It blows my mind, people get up and go to work. Every single day. Living a mundane, boring life. I’ve just done whatever I’ve wanted to do and it’s got me this far.”

Now seems like an appropriate time to note that, while appearing on SAS Australia, Locky has been pepper sprayed and set on fire. It blows my mind that someone thinks that’s a desirable alternative to getting a real job.

Locky Gilbert would rather get set on fire than get a job.

“I am an egotistical arsehole,” he told us in another clip from the show. “Everyone I meet and everyone I work with knows I have a massive ego.”

He offers lots of these bold statements.

“I’m an egotistical fame wh*re. I’ve done three TV shows – this is my fourth TV show. Fame and notoriety is what some people live for. I don’t hide it.”

So, right now we’re watching Locky pursue his dreams of living life as a full-time reality TV star. This is his fourth series and he no doubt has plans to continue the ascent. But it seems to be taking a turn that not even he predicted.

On previous shows, he has been presented as the down-to-earth bloke who simply loves life. This time around, his brash and cocky portrayal on SAS Australia has trashed his reputation and painted him as a clueless jerk.

When you’re a professional reality star, getting blindsided with the villain edit is the equivalent of getting white-anted in the corporate or political world.

It might not be what Locky was expecting, but it will no doubt lead to more reality shows if he’s willing to lean into the villain portrayal.

He need only look to fellow professional reality star Jessika Power, who leveraged her controversial appearance as a cheating bride on Married At First Sight and joined adult content platform OnlyFans where she made over $280,000 in just four months.

This then led to Big Brother VIP before she decided to expand globally by moving to the UK where she was swiftly cast on Celebs Go Dating.

Jessika Power continues to go from strength to strength.

It’s a good tactic Locky could adopt – destroy your reputation here, then go global.

So where to next in the meantime?

“I’d love to do The Block with (girlfriend) Irena,” he told Woman’s Day.

Great! Last year’s cheating scandal with that purple-haired chick was excellent TV. You can be the new villain of The Block and get roused on by Scotty Cam.

“That would be quite funny and is a dream we both have,” he added about the reno show aspirations.

Kim’s right. Nobody wants to work these days.

Twitter, Facebook: @hellojamesweir