Most people often have negative perceptions of reality TV shows and stars. It doesn’t help that most reality TV shows have been considered lowbrow entertainment by the masses, and rightfully so. Such programs often featured socially and culturally frowned upon content for the longest time. However, reality TV shows, like all other entertainment forms, have changed in the past two decades, especially as society has become stricter about what’s socially and culturally acceptable.
People generally assume that reality TV attracts a specific kind of talent. For instance, most people in the United Kingdom believe that reality TV stars stopped attending school after flunking or barely passing their GCSEs. They were selected to appear on television screens nationwide solely due to their looks. While most reality TV stars might meet this criterion, Roxanne Hamedi is not cut from the same cloth.
Born and raised by Iranian parents in Aberdeen, Scotland, Roxanne is a 29-year-old pharmacist from a Persian-Scottish background. Unlike most of her reality TV peers, she excelled in academics. She’s also bilingual and speaks English and Persian. As a child, she always wanted to pursue a medical or medical-adjacent career, resulting in her embarking on a journey to become a pharmacist. The road wasn’t easy. It took time, requiring five years at university, before pursuing a master’s degree to top it off and become a licensed pharmacist. However, her passion shined brightly, and she excelled.
Many might be surprised that she eventually wandered into the reality TV sphere. But Roxanne has an exciting story for it. She moved to London after graduating to live with her now ex-boyfriend. She was still working as a pharmacist at the time. Eventually, the couple split up. Instead of moving back to Aberdeen, this talented and ambitious girl stayed in London to progress professionally. She was scouted on Instagram by casting agents during this period, asking her if she was single and liked to party. Naturally, like most young people, she told them she did.
Before she knew it, she was having Zoom calls with TV producers and casting agents who wanted to see if she was fit for TV. After all, she didn’t have any prior on-screen experience. Eventually, she was invited to MTV’s studio in London to meet with executives who informed her she was being considered for the 22nd season of Geordie Shore. She was elated.
A few weeks later, Roxanne found herself in a taxi, traveling from London to Newcastle. She had packed her bags for a summer of shooting. She was required to quarantine for two weeks before filming for four weeks. While Geordie Shore has a typical format, this season would be different because it would feature an original cast and singles. The singles category would include normal people with minimal reality TV experience. The catch was that they could only stay on the show by coupling with one of the original cast members.
Roxanne Hamedi was a natural on-screen for someone who had never been on camera before. She quickly became entangled with James Tindale, an original cast member. You could even argue she won the show since she was the only single to spend the entire four weeks in the Geordie Shore house. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out with Tindale because it turned out he had a girlfriend on the outside while filming the show. It led to them consciously uncoupling.
Nevertheless, every story has an ebb and flow. The pharmacist turned reality TV artist’s appearance on Geordie Shore’s 22nd season endeared her to the general public because she redefined the idea of a reality TV star. She was viewed as a breath of fresh air. It also prompted TV executives to ask her to return for the reunion show during Geordie Shore’s 23rd season in 2022. But what are her plans for the future? Roxanne Hamedi has returned to being a full-time pharmacist and helping others. She also has her own makeup line, and she’s not done with the reality TV world yet.