What It Feels Like To Become Famous | David Birtwhistle | Modern Wisdom Podcast 207
Chris Williamson (host), David Birtwhistle (guest), Narrator
In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Chris Williamson and David Birtwhistle, What It Feels Like To Become Famous | David Birtwhistle | Modern Wisdom Podcast 207 explores reality TV Fame, Follower Counts, And The Search For Meaning Chris Williamson and David Birtwhistle unpack what it’s like to become suddenly recognizable worldwide after Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle and Love Island. They challenge the assumption that large social media followings equal success, money, or happiness, and explain that fame without substance is hollow. Both argue that true fulfillment comes from doing something meaningful, building real human connections, and using any platform responsibly to add value. They also critique how reality TV distorts young people’s views on dating, beauty, and self-worth.
Reality TV Fame, Follower Counts, And The Search For Meaning
Chris Williamson and David Birtwhistle unpack what it’s like to become suddenly recognizable worldwide after Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle and Love Island. They challenge the assumption that large social media followings equal success, money, or happiness, and explain that fame without substance is hollow. Both argue that true fulfillment comes from doing something meaningful, building real human connections, and using any platform responsibly to add value. They also critique how reality TV distorts young people’s views on dating, beauty, and self-worth.
Key Takeaways
Follower counts don’t guarantee money or real-world success.
David stresses that a big audience is just marketing reach; without a real business, skills, or a valuable offer, you can still be broke, lost, and directionless despite large numbers online.
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Fame feels hollow if it isn’t tied to something you’ve actually done.
Both guests argue that when notoriety comes just from existing on TV rather than from hard-earned talent or contribution, it feels replaceable and unsatisfying because it could have happened to almost anyone in your place.
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Human interaction and impact matter far more than digital metrics.
David describes watching his follower count explode during lockdown while feeling nothing; what moved him instead were in-person moments where people said his content genuinely helped them.
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If you gain a platform, you have a responsibility to your audience.
Chris insists that the larger your reach, the more seriously you should treat the quality and integrity of your message, rather than wasting it on empty self-promotion or shallow ads.
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Reality TV encourages shallow values around looks and dating.
David notes that shows select for good-looking, often one-dimensional characters, leading young viewers—especially girls—to overvalue appearance and underdevelop their intelligence, humor, and depth.
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Your intention for wanting fame determines whether it helps or harms.
They distinguish between craving fame for narcissistic validation vs. ...
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Curate your social media diet based on how it makes you feel.
David advises unfollowing any account—his included—that makes you feel worse, jealous, or inadequate, and instead choosing creators who educate, entertain, or uplift you.
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Notable Quotes
“Just because you have the following doesn’t mean that you’re gonna be successful.”
— David Birtwhistle
“I was sat at home refreshing my Instagram, watching my following count go up and not feeling a fucking thing.”
— David Birtwhistle
“Do you know what it is? That’s someone that could have done something but instead wanted to be someone.”
— Chris Williamson
“Fame should be because you have done something valuable and virtuous and worthwhile that adds value and makes people feel better and leaves the world a better place than when you arrived.”
— Chris Williamson
“If all you are is pretty, that is all that people will ever see you for.”
— David Birtwhistle
Questions Answered in This Episode
How would your life goals change if follower counts and social media metrics disappeared tomorrow?
Chris Williamson and David Birtwhistle unpack what it’s like to become suddenly recognizable worldwide after Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle and Love Island. ...
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In what concrete ways could you ‘do something’ meaningful before ever worrying about being ‘someone’?
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Which accounts on your feed consistently make you feel worse about yourself, and why haven’t you unfollowed them yet?
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How has reality TV—directly or indirectly—shaped your expectations about relationships, attractiveness, and what makes a ‘desirable’ partner?
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If you suddenly had a million followers, what message or cause would you feel morally obligated to use that platform for?
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Transcript Preview
(wind blowing) Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back. I'm joined by David Birtwhistle. David, welcome to the show.
Hey, how's it going, mate?
Very good. Blue tick wanker club in the building.
Yeah. (laughs)
What the fuck's happening?
(laughs)
Reality TV wanker club, here we are.
(laughs) Hey, we've joined, joined an elusive club of people that are known for probably the wrong reasons. (laughs)
Known for, known for all of the wrong reasons, I think. Yeah, you are very correct. Um, so today one of the things I wanted to speak about, a lot of people will know you from a recent Netflix series which was called ...
Too Hot to Handle.
Too Hot to Handle. Talk me through that then. Talk me through the experience of being on that, 'cause yours, unlike Love Island, which was my experience on reality TV, yours was a pre-record, right? You were on that a while ago, and now it's just come out.
Yeah, we recorded it in 2019, in, um, April. So, it was a long time ago, and then it came out like a year later. So, um, yeah, the experience of actually filming it was awesome. Like, the show itself, the produc- the production team were great and the cast were great, and I actually had a really good time. So like coming out of it, I already thought to myself like, "If this doesn't do very well in the ratings or anything, like I've already gained personal experience from this that's gonna like help shape my life a little bit." So, that was really cool. And then yeah, like a year later the show launches worldwide on Netflix and it explodes and like, yeah, it just, it was like number one in 10 top countries for like a week.
Jesus Christ. (laughs)
Crazy. Yeah, like America, the UK, South Africa, Australia, uh, Japan, Italy, like loads of places, Brazil. Uh, it, it just exploded. It was absolutely mental.
It's funny that it's distributed geographically, 'cause usually like Love Island or Big Brother or whatever is broadcast on a network within a country, and that means that the people that know about the cast members and the storylines, uh, geographically quite confined. Whereas this situation is so dispersed. You're talking about people in fucking Italy, (laughs) like America, like everyone, everyone knows a little bit, but do you know what I mean?
Mate, it's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. There's like ... Yeah, it, it, it really is a worldwide audience, you know? Like people that comment on my posts and that engage with me on social media are from everywhere, like Taiwan, uh, Korea, Russia, you know, New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, literally like all over the world. And it is mental to think that that many people of different origins have seen my face.
Fuck.
It's crazy.
Power of Netflix, man. Power of Netflix, obviously.
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