THE BRITISH reality series Airline captivated audiences for eight years when it aired by giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at life in the aviation industry.
One of the standout stars from the reality show was Jane Boulton, an operations manager for easyJet.
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Jane appeared on the series regularly and could often be seen having furious rows with passengers attempting to bypass check in rules.
Despite playing a big role on Airline, she recently revealed a surprising truth: she didn’t make any money from the show.
When asked on a podcast how much she made from starring in the series, she shared: “Not a penny.”
The situation was no different for her co-stars.
Jane added: “Before the series happened, we all signed disclaimers.
“We laugh now. Very bitter—if it happened now, we’d all be bloody millionaires.”
The reality TV landscape was different when Airline debuted in 1998.
It was one of the early forays into documentary-style shows that followed real people on the job, long before social media and streaming services transformed reality stars into celebrities who could monetise their fame in various ways.
At the time, few would have predicted the phenomenon Airline would become.
The programme documented the experiences of passengers, ground workers, and the on-board flight crew of budget airline easyJet.
It was filmed at various easyJet bases, such as Luton Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and had its fair share of celebrity guests – including the late Queen Elizabeth II.
For Jane and her colleagues though, the show was just an extension of their everyday jobs.
Signing up for it was likely seen as an opportunity to showcase the high-stress environment they worked in, rather than as a potential source of wealth.
In retrospect, Jane can’t help but see how different things might have been if Airline had aired today, in an era where television fame often translates into lucrative campaign deals.