Imogen Thomas
Encyclopedia
Imogen Mary Thomas is a Welsh glamour model, beauty queen and television personality. She rose to fame in 2003, after winning Miss Wales
, and achieved further note in 2006, when she lasted three months on the seventh series of reality TV series Big Brother
.
, near Swansea
, South Wales. Her parents separated when she was two years old, and, after her mother remarried when she was six, she was brought up by her mother and step-father in Llanelli
, South Wales. Thomas has a sister, Alana. Thomas developed alopecia
when she was six, losing chunks of her hair.
Thomas started working as a model at age 13, and at the age of 17 moved to London to become a professional model. Working in bars to pay for her living costs, she was rejected by many modelling agencies due to her height.
She reluctantly returned to her studies, and gained a degree in Health studies and Psychology at the University of Worcester
. During this period she entered beauty contests, and was crowned Miss Wales in 2003, beating future Big Brother 9
winner Rachel Rice
, who came third. She went on to represent Wales at Miss World in China
. This prompted her to return to London to try glamour modelling, and also working as a bar hostess at London's Sanderson Hotel
.
TV series, Big Brother
, up to week 5, Thomas was not allowed to participate in nominations. In week 1 she was in the Big Brotherhood, and there were no nominations. In weeks 2 and 3, she was banned from nominating for discussing nominations. In week 4, only Susie was permitted to nominate, and in week 5, as punishment for yet again discussing nominations she was forced (along with 4 other rule breakers) to nominate one fellow rule breaker in front of the group. On Day 84, Imogen moved with fellow nominee Richard into the House Next Door, where she remained until she was evicted on Day 86 with 62% of the public vote.
magazines, while she had long running contracts with the Daily Star newspaper. Thomas was in the running for FHM
Sexiest Woman in the World, coming in 58th. In 2008, she was included in the list of Playboy Bunnies on Playboy
's website. In 2010 she shot her first calendar.
In November 2006, Thomas was voted the Sexiest Woman in Wales, ahead of both Catherine Zeta Jones and Charlotte Church
. Thomas has also been voted the sexiest Big Brother
housemate.
.
She has also made numerous personal appearances in various programmes, including: E4's horror Dead Set
, written by Charlie Brooker
; the BBC Three
programme Wags, Kids and World Cup Dreams, and Celebrity Coach Trip
partnered with friend Bianca Gascoigne
.
A fluent Welsh language
speaker, she has appeared on various S4C
programmes, including Uned 5
, Wedi 3
, Wedi 7
, Jonathan Show and Bwrw Bar. She had her own show along with Glyn from Big Brother called Glyn and Imogen: A Year On. She also had a cameo role in the famous Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm
. An S4C
documentary series called Salon Imogen followed her setting up a nail bar in Cardiff
. She closed the shop months later after wanting to pursue her career as a model.
In July 2011 she had got a job as a presenter during a spot on This Morning
.
, whom she first met at the Sanderson Hotel. Since her appearance on Big Brother she has dated Russell Brand
, polo
player Jamie Morrisson, and footballers Matthew Collins
of Swansea City, and Tottenham Hotspur's Jermain Defoe
.
In July 2009, it was reported that Thomas was diagnosed with swine flu
following a holiday in Marbella
. On return to the UK, she was quarantined in her flat.
Thomas actively supports the children's hospice
, and will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
in June 2011 for them.
In April 2011, Thomas was reported in The Sun to have had a six month relationship with an unnamed and married Premier League footballer. A gagging order
, known as CTB v News Group Newspapers
, was granted in the High Court of England and Wales
by Mr Justice Eady
, preventing the footballer from being named in the media; it was reported in non-UK media sources that the footballer in question was Ryan Giggs
. Thomas subsequently took advice from publicist Max Clifford
, who commented: “Imogen never had any desire nor intention to sell her story, however if she had and was able to name the footballer she could easily command £250,000".
On 22 May 2011, the Sunday Herald
, a Scottish newspaper, published a thinly disguised photograph of Ryan Giggs
on its front page, effectively ending the anonymous court order CTB v News Group Newspapers involving Imogen Thomas. The paper added in its editorial column, "Today we identify the footballer whose name has been linked to a court superinjunction by thousands of postings on Twitter
. Why? Because we believe it is unsustainable that the law can be used to prevent newspapers from publishing information that readers can access on the internet at the click of a mouse." On 23 May 2011, Giggs was identified in the House of Commons as the footballer concerned.
Miss Wales
Miss Wales is an annual beauty pageant held in Wales, United Kingdom to select a representative to go through to the Miss World contest. It is currently run by Paula Abbandonato and Clare Birt of Vibe Models, Cardiff.-Rules:...
, and achieved further note in 2006, when she lasted three months on the seventh series of reality TV series Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
.
Early life
Imogen was born to Charles Thomas, an education welfare officer, and his wife Janette in GorseinonGorseinon
Gorseinon is a town in southwest Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is situated in the north west of Swansea, around north west of the city centre...
, near Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, South Wales. Her parents separated when she was two years old, and, after her mother remarried when she was six, she was brought up by her mother and step-father in Llanelli
Llanelli
Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
, South Wales. Thomas has a sister, Alana. Thomas developed alopecia
Alopecia
Alopecia means loss of hair from the head or body. Alopecia can mean baldness, a term generally reserved for pattern alopecia or androgenic alopecia. Compulsive pulling of hair can also produce hair loss. Hairstyling routines such as tight ponytails or braids may induce Traction alopecia. Both...
when she was six, losing chunks of her hair.
Thomas started working as a model at age 13, and at the age of 17 moved to London to become a professional model. Working in bars to pay for her living costs, she was rejected by many modelling agencies due to her height.
She reluctantly returned to her studies, and gained a degree in Health studies and Psychology at the University of Worcester
University of Worcester
The University of Worcester is a British university, based in Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It was granted university status in September 2005.-History:...
. During this period she entered beauty contests, and was crowned Miss Wales in 2003, beating future Big Brother 9
Big Brother 2008 (UK)
Big Brother 2008 was the ninth series of the British reality television series Big Brother, that aired on Channel 4 and E4. The series was launched on 5 June 2008, and ran for 13 weeks until 5 September 2008. The winner of Big Brother 2008 was Rachel Rice who beat bookies' favourite Michael Hughes...
winner Rachel Rice
Rachel Rice
Rachel Rice is a Welsh actress and model. She is most well known for competing in and later winning the television series Big Brother 9 in the United Kingdom. She has a degree in English and Drama, and is now a fully qualified teacher....
, who came third. She went on to represent Wales at Miss World in China
Miss World 2010
Miss World 2010, the 60th Miss World pageant was held on October 30, 2010, in Sanya, People's Republic of China; after Vietnam backed out of the hosting contract. Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar crowned her successor Alexandria Mills of the United States as Miss World 2010.-Vietnam backed out:On June...
. This prompted her to return to London to try glamour modelling, and also working as a bar hostess at London's Sanderson Hotel
Sanderson Hotel
The Sanderson Hotel was constructed on Berners Street, London during 1958 as the new headquarters and showroom for Arthur Sanderson and Sons, manufacturers of wallpaper, fabrics and paint for the occasion of its centennial birthday. It was designed by architect Jeff Holroyd, of the architectural...
.
Big Brother
Selected as a housemate in the seventh series of the Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
TV series, Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
, up to week 5, Thomas was not allowed to participate in nominations. In week 1 she was in the Big Brotherhood, and there were no nominations. In weeks 2 and 3, she was banned from nominating for discussing nominations. In week 4, only Susie was permitted to nominate, and in week 5, as punishment for yet again discussing nominations she was forced (along with 4 other rule breakers) to nominate one fellow rule breaker in front of the group. On Day 84, Imogen moved with fellow nominee Richard into the House Next Door, where she remained until she was evicted on Day 86 with 62% of the public vote.
Modelling
Since her time on the Big Brother series ended, Thomas has become a glamour model. She has had covergirl shoots with Zoo and MaximMaxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
magazines, while she had long running contracts with the Daily Star newspaper. Thomas was in the running for FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
Sexiest Woman in the World, coming in 58th. In 2008, she was included in the list of Playboy Bunnies on Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
's website. In 2010 she shot her first calendar.
In November 2006, Thomas was voted the Sexiest Woman in Wales, ahead of both Catherine Zeta Jones and Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Charlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
. Thomas has also been voted the sexiest Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
housemate.
Television work
Like other contestants, Thomas has taken part in many Big Brother spin-off programmes, including BBLB and Big Brother's Big Mouth. She also co-presented with other housemates for T4T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
.
She has also made numerous personal appearances in various programmes, including: E4's horror Dead Set
Dead Set (TV series)
Dead Set is a critically acclaimed BAFTA-nominated horror drama created by English writer Charlie Brooker.The series takes place primarily on the set of a fictional season of the real television show Big Brother...
, written by Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
; the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
programme Wags, Kids and World Cup Dreams, and Celebrity Coach Trip
Celebrity Coach Trip (series 1)
Celebrity Coach Trip 1 was the first series of Celebrity Coach Trip which was filmed from 6 to 17 September 2010 as is made clear from the reference from the Channel 4 website and began showing on 8 November 2010...
partnered with friend Bianca Gascoigne
Bianca Gascoigne
Bianca Gascoigne is a British glamour model and television personality. She is the daughter of Sheryl Gascoigne, and stepdaughter of Paul Gascoigne, a former footballer...
.
A fluent Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaker, she has appeared on various S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
programmes, including Uned 5
Uned 5
Uned 5 was a BAFTA award-winning teenage magazine show, broadcast live every week on Welsh channel S4C. The programme was the channel's flagship youth magazine for over sixteen years....
, Wedi 3
Wedi 3
Wedi 3 is S4C's daily magazine programme featuring specialties from around Wales. It's produced by Tinopolis and as the show's title suggests it's broadcast at three o'clock. It has a sister show called Wedi 7....
, Wedi 7
Wedi 7
Wedi 7 is S4C's nightly magazine programme. Produced by Tinopolis, it is the half-hour sister programme to a full-hour Wedi 3 .-Show contents:...
, Jonathan Show and Bwrw Bar. She had her own show along with Glyn from Big Brother called Glyn and Imogen: A Year On. She also had a cameo role in the famous Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm
Pobol y Cwm
Pobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
. An S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
documentary series called Salon Imogen followed her setting up a nail bar in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. She closed the shop months later after wanting to pursue her career as a model.
In July 2011 she had got a job as a presenter during a spot on This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
.
Personal life
Thomas had a relationship with American model Tyson BeckfordTyson Beckford
Tyson Craig Beckford is an American male model and actor, best known as a Ralph Lauren model. He was also the host of both seasons of the Bravo program Make Me a Supermodel.-Biography:...
, whom she first met at the Sanderson Hotel. Since her appearance on Big Brother she has dated Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
, polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
player Jamie Morrisson, and footballers Matthew Collins
Matthew Collins
Matthew Jeffrey "Matty" Collins is a Welsh footballer who plays for Welsh Premier League side Neath. He has represented Wales at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, and plays as a central midfielder and also as a right back.-Career:...
of Swansea City, and Tottenham Hotspur's Jermain Defoe
Jermain Defoe
Jermain Colin Defoe is an English footballer who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, and the England national football team....
.
In July 2009, it was reported that Thomas was diagnosed with swine flu
Swine flu
Swine influenza, also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus or S-OIV is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs...
following a holiday in Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
. On return to the UK, she was quarantined in her flat.
Thomas actively supports the children's hospice
Children's hospice
A children's hospice is a hospice specifically designed to help children and young people who are not expected to reach adulthood with the emotional and physical challenges they face, and also to provide respite care for their families.-Services:...
, and will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
in June 2011 for them.
In April 2011, Thomas was reported in The Sun to have had a six month relationship with an unnamed and married Premier League footballer. A gagging order
2011 British super-injunction controversy
The British privacy injunctions controversy began in early 2011, when London-based tabloid newspapers published stories about anonymous celebrities that were intended to flout what are commonly known in English law as super-injunctions, where the claimant could not be named, and carefully omitting...
, known as CTB v News Group Newspapers
CTB v News Group Newspapers
CTB v News Group Newspapers is an English legal case between Manchester United player Ryan Giggs, given the pseudonym CTB, and defendants News Group Newspapers Limited and model Imogen Thomas....
, was granted in the High Court of England and Wales
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
by Mr Justice Eady
David Eady
Sir David Eady , styled The Hon. Mr Justice Eady, in legal writing Eady J, is a High Court judge in England and Wales. As a judge he is known for having presided over many high-profile libel and privacy cases....
, preventing the footballer from being named in the media; it was reported in non-UK media sources that the footballer in question was Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
. Thomas subsequently took advice from publicist Max Clifford
Max Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
, who commented: “Imogen never had any desire nor intention to sell her story, however if she had and was able to name the footballer she could easily command £250,000".
On 22 May 2011, the Sunday Herald
Sunday Herald
The Sunday Herald is a Scottish Sunday newspaper launched on 7 February 1999. The ABC audited circulation in April 2011 showed sales of 31,123.From the start it has combined a centre-left stance with support for Scottish devolution...
, a Scottish newspaper, published a thinly disguised photograph of Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE is a Welsh professional footballer who plays for Manchester United. Giggs made his first appearance for the club during the 1990–91 season and has been a regular player since the 1991–92 season...
on its front page, effectively ending the anonymous court order CTB v News Group Newspapers involving Imogen Thomas. The paper added in its editorial column, "Today we identify the footballer whose name has been linked to a court superinjunction by thousands of postings on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. Why? Because we believe it is unsustainable that the law can be used to prevent newspapers from publishing information that readers can access on the internet at the click of a mouse." On 23 May 2011, Giggs was identified in the House of Commons as the footballer concerned.