Celebrity Super Spa: Behind the scenes at the Helen Flanagan reality show

Celebrity Super Spa: Behind the scenes at the Helen Flanagan reality show

Helen Flanagan’s face is inches from my own. Staring at me intensely, make-up brush in hand, she massages foundation on to my cheeks.

The ex-Corrie star, who had a nose job earlier this year, compliments me on my own hooter. “It’s a lush shape,” she coos.

“Er, thanks,” I reply.

This is not some bizarre dream. No, I am one of the first customers at Celebrity Super Spa â€" which is just as dazzling and camp as it sounds. I could get used to this, though.

Six celebs, accustomed to being pampered and preened, have taken over a Liverpool salon for a month to learn about and, more worryingly, carry out treatments on members of the public.

It has all been captured on camera for a Channel 5 reality TV series.

Pneumatic blonde Helen is the most glam of the unlikely line-up, which consists of The Only Way Is Essex’s James “Arg” Argent, Most Haunted host Yvette Fielding, Shameless actor Jody Latham and TV chefs John Burton Race and Rustie Lee.

Judging their handiwork â€" think bikini waxes and vampire facials â€" is salon supremo Herbert Howe.

Helen Flanagan at the spa

 

Arriving in my role as salon guinea pig, I half-expect to be confronted by TV cameras and mayhem but the salon is a spotless oasis of calm.

The staff in neat uniforms turn out to be the celebs themselves.

My first “appointment” is with Helen, who is going to do my make-up.

From the off we’re like old pals, with the friendly glamour-puss calling me “babe” as she chats away.

Leaning in, she admits: “I’m really sorry, I’m still so hung over. I’ve had a party and haven’t recovered.”

I’m well aware of Helen’s 23rd birthday bash two days previously.

The star, whose celebrated cleavage is now shrouded in pink overalls, was strutting around her native Manchester in a revealing black dress.

“I’ve been fragile today,” she continues, her huge blue eyes watery. “I was crying earlier.

"But then I went outside for a cigarette and calmed down. I only smoke about 10 a day but I need to cut down.”

I’m not surprised by Helen’s self-confessed neuroses.

The nation witnessed them in her stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity... last year.

In person she’s much warmer but still seems to wear her heart on her sleeve.

Celebrity Super Spa has clearly been a break-up cure for Helen, who split from footballer boyfriend Scott Sinclair, 24, weeks before filming started in July.

Yvette Fielding also took part

 

“When I started I was going through a difficult time,” she says.

“But coming here each day picked me up. I’ve been so much happier. It has brought me back to life.”

Things didn’t start well for her, however. She admits throwing a tantrum on her first day.

Apparently, she turned up three hours late and kept everyone waiting as she had her own make-up done.

“I don’t think people will see good parts of me,” Helen confesses. “I was a bit stressed.

"I don’t think they were my finest moments at the beginning. I do swear quite a lot and have quite a few paddies. I was rather rude to some people.”

Luckily she has learned to control her temper when dealing with real customers.

“The first time I did a lady’s nails she kept giving me bitchy comments and I really had to compose myself because I was getting so annoyed with her,” she says.

Helen, who is constantly tweeting selfies to her 380,000-plus Twi tter followers from her mobile, also struggled with having the phone confiscated during the day.

She says: “It was a nightmare. I can’t be without my Twitter or Instagram.”

Helen Flanagan and ex Scott

 

But it hasn’t been all work.

After a long shift the contestants were given an evening meal, with booze, in front of cameras â€" and inevitably things often got out of hand.

“We had quite a lot of alcohol and it’s quite embarrassing as I’ve never been drunk on TV before,” she says.

“We’d go out drinking after work and have parties, then we’d be woken up at 7am to be back in the salon. It was exhausting.”

I feel like saying, “Welcome to the real world”, but bite my tongue.

As Helen dabs eye shadow on me, a rustling crisp packet and munching sounds break her concentration.

Cuddly Arg has arrived. He teases her, throwing a loofah in her direction and pulling at her uniform.

They’re like a couple of kids and I’m not surprised their blossoming friendship has caused rumours to circulate that romance could be on the cards.

As soon as he’s out of earshot Helen gushes: “Arg and I have become insepar able.

"Everyone else calls us the terrible twins and we take the p*** out of everything constantly. We

"’re such children. It’s an unlikely friendship but we get on so well. I’m his favourite person.”

Then, finishing my new look with some expertly applied false eyelashes, Helen spins my chair around to face the mirror.

 

Creamy foundation, peach blusher and baby-pink lip gloss. It’s not my usual look. I look like... well, Helen Flanagan.

Hugging me farewell, she says: “I’d like to invest in my own salon one day.”

No doubt it would attract a stream of teenage girls wanting to look just like Helen.

Next is a pedicure with Arg. Coming as he does from Essex, where spray tans and hair extensions are second nature, I expect this reality star to be at home with beauty treatments. But Arg, 25, confesses: “All I could do before coming on this show was gel my hair.”

Sensing how uncomfortable I am with my bar e, sweaty feet in his hands, he laughs: “I don’t really like anyone’s feet â€" they’re a bit gross.”

Brandishing a file, he lets my trembling toes soak in a bubbling foot spa as he fills me in with behind-the-scenes goss.

“I came away from Essex and Towie to leave all the drama behind,” he confides. “But it’s more explosive here. There have been tears, rows and laughter.”

He sloppily paints pink varnish on my toenails and says: “I was so lucky as I got to do treatments on glamour models with huge boobs and amazing figures. I was worried at getting too excited downstairs. I blushed and got the giggles a lot.”

Helen and Arg got to know each other on the show

 

It’s clear Helen has also got him in a lather. “Of course, I fancy her â€" most men think she’s fit,” he says. His work on my feet is mediocre at best and I decide Arg should stick to his day job â€" boozing and bust-ups on Towie.

Last is a manicure with Yvette, 44. She files my fingernails neatly and asks me to pick a colour. I opt for red.

“I was offered reality shows in the past,” she says. “But what made this special was learning to cut hair. I always had a yearning to do it.”

Yvette has since cut husband Karl’s hair and her dog’s fur too â€" and has her eye on fellow ex-Blue Peter host John Leslie’s barnet.

“He’s receding so I could make it look better,” she says.

She is not as much at home with more intimate treatments, however. Yvette admits: “I’d rather spend a night in a haunted house than endure that again.”

I’VE just got time to catch up with flamboyant supervisor Herbert, 69.

Desp ite his diamond rings, neon tailored suit and floral Dr Martens he says: “Spa work isn’t glamorous, it’s hard.”

He really had his hands full with his star students and reveals: “I’ve been irate with them a few times.

"At one point I thought of walking out but they persevered and in the end I was proud of them all.”

Before I head home, I peel off my false eyelashes and rub away my pink lip gloss.

After all, there’s only one Helen Flanagan.

Celebrity Super Spa starts on Friday 13 September at 10pm on Channel 5.