- At a nightclub, Lola is accidentally "papped" with former Busted star Matt Willis. Later, she is approached by an unscrupulous journalist and soon falls prey to the seductive allure of celebrity. As her life spins increasingly out of control Lola cuts classes, trashes her friends and eventually leaves the school to chase her dream. However, all too soon she crashes and burns and learns the hard way the true cost of fame!—Mark Smith <msmith@osi.co.uk>
- Full Synopsis (*CONTAINs SPOILERS!*)
The students are in class learning a dance routine. Lola (Rana Roy) is struggling. Stefan (Adam Garcia), the dance mentor tells her she needs to work harder to nail the routine.
The scene then cuts to Lola and the rest of her friends Jez (Matthew James Thomas), Lauren (Georgina Hagen), Claudine (Sapphire Elia), BB (Marquelle Ward) and Danny (Mitch Hewer) in a night club dancing. Lola is very giddy and giggly. As she is leaving she trips and falls into the arms of ex Busted star Matt Willis (playing himself). He helps her up and gives her back her purse and shoe. She is so star struck she doesn't know what to say. They are walking out as lots of the paparazzi take pictures. In a spur of the moment, Lola kisses Matt on the cheek and she is photographed doing so.
The next thing we see is a front page story of Lola kissing Matt and rumours of Matt's secret lover. Lola is excited that she got into the papers. She listens to Ronnie (Sophie Powles), the dinner lady as she talks about how excited she is for Lola being in the paper and waffles on in general even though Lola isn't really listening. Lauren tells Lola that the paparazzi are waiting for her outside the doors of Britannia High. She and the gang run downstairs to see them. She steps outside and poses for the cameras. She heads back in again all excited and tells Claudine to try. Claudine goes out but nothing happens so Lola goes back out and the cameras start flashing madly again. Claudine looks on with jealously as Lola takes in all the attention.
Lola is in class doodling absentmindedly as Mr Nugent hands out essays and is teaching. He notices Lola doodling and tries to get her attention. He asks her if she had heard anything he had said and when she admits she hadn't Mr Nugent tells her she must do a 20 minute presentation for the whole class. After acting class the students are all in dancing class trying to nail a routine. Stefan is shouting at them all to do better and firing out harsh critisism at them as they dance. Lola isn't concentrating and is pulled up for it by Stefan who sentences then to dance through their break.
Lola is lying on a bench in the chaning room fanning herself with a paper that had the story of her and Matt on the front and complaining about Stefan to the girls who are all exhausted and moaning along with her.
The next time we see Lola she is sitting on a bench writing. A blonde woman approaches her and introduces herself as a reporter called Lizzy Porter (Gemma Bissix). She asks Lola to give her side of the Matt Willis story in exchange for meeting a famous choreographer and dancing in a Boyzone video. She's unsure but takes Lizzy's card.
Lola is by her locker looking at Lizzy's card when Stefan turns up and speaks to her about her dancing, telling her she's good but not good enough. Feeling disappointed she meets up with Lizzy Porter in a bar. She nearly turns back but then Lizzy notices her and calls her over. They talk business and Lizzy asks her if she wants to be famous or not. Lola thinks for a minute and we are taken into her mind as she imagines being famous ('Overnight Sensation'). After imagining what fame will be like, Lola excitedly signs the contract and begins to talk.
Lauren and Claudine are at home reading the newspaper article on Lola and her story about Matt Wilis. Danny and Lola com down the stairs as Lauren reads the article. The girls talk about it as Danny reads the paper. Claudine is jealous about the coverage Lola has got and Lauren is concerned that Lola's story to the press will hurt her eventually, especially seeing as Matt has a wife and the things she said were all lies. Lola dismisses their claims and tells them she's going shopping instead of going to class but she'll come in later. She wonders off to get ready to go out. Lauren worries and voices her thoughts but Claudine doesn't care. She turns to Danny who hasn't been listening and asks if anyone can iron his shirt for him.
The gang are in the student bar talking when Lola walks in wearing sunglasses with a new hairdo and new clothes looking pleased with herself. Everyone looks up in shock. BB is talking to her when her phone rings, it's Lizzy calling to invite her to a celeb party at The Lotus Lounge where she's going to meet a famous chorographer and lots of celebrities. She tells the gang she won't be going to classes that afternoon because she needs to get ready, much to Claudine's anger, and walks off but due to wearing sunglasses she walks into a wall. She laughs it off and saunters off.
Later she walks in wearing a short sparkly dress and begins doing her makeup. Lauren takes the mickey out of her by doing impressions of her but tells her she looks great. Claudine makes a snide comment to Lola as she comes in. She tries to wangle an invite with Lola but she believes she's above the girls and says no. She walks into the club and after ticking herself off the guest list she begins to mingle. She picks up a card from somebody then spots the famous choreographer Anton Davids (Richard Blackwood) and begins to talk to him about auditions. He is disatracted as Keith Duffy and Stephen Gately from Boyzone (playing themselves). They are introduced to Lola who tells them she wants to dance in their video. After realising she has no agent they don't want to give her the time of day. Luckily a song Lola likes comes on so she shows them she can dance there and then. Slightly impressed Anton invites her to come and audition.
Back at home Claudine is trying to reach Lola but getting nowhere and is disgusted by Danny and Lauren cuddling up together and tells them that PDA (public displays of affection) is gross and heads to bed leaving the couple to it.
The next morning the gang are getting ready for school when Lola comes down the stairs in her dressing gown. Claudine is very jealous and annoyed that Lola is not dressed for the day's dress rehershal. Lola tells everyone how the evening went including a modelling agencies interest and her audition for Boyzone. She interrupts Claudine's rant by answering her phone. The gang leave and Lola accepts an offer of a casting.
Due to Lola's absence the students are forced to have to change the choreography leaving the class no choice but to work all day and into the evening. Everyone is far from happy. They confront Lola when she arrives home and have a go at her for the choreography being changed. Lola is too caught up in her own world and doesn't care. She asks for support and is surprised when she doesn't get any back.
The girls are in the changing room and Lola is disappointed that she didn't get the part at the casting. Lauren is annoyed that she wasted their time. The gang are then in the music studio working at a sound desk to mix up sounds! Anna is pleased with Danny and asks Lola to try it. Lola thinks that the work is beneath her and after an argument with Anna (that the gang listen in on) she heads out to find Mr Nugent and ask for the day off to go to castings, assuming his answer will be yes. Mr Nugent offers her a sweet and gives her a talk using pic and mix as an analogy. He tells her that she cannot take part in professional engagements whilst a student at Britannia High and gives her an ultimatum. That she either leaves and does the audition or stays and leaves the fame behind. She decides to leave thinking the audition is her shot. (A fantasy scene then plays out of Lola leaving as everyone tells her that she needs to get her head out of the clouds, come back down to earth and realise she's not as famous as she thinks she is and that she's going to get hurt if she carries on. ('Get Over Youself')
Lola arrives at the audition and asks why she isn't being allowed in seeing as she was invited by Anton himself. The woman heading up the auditions looks down her nose at Lola and tells her she's gotta queue up. She waits around for a while but gets nowhere after the auditions are finished before she is seen! Disappointed she heads back.
The students are at dance class and are being pushed again by Stefan. Claudine scowls at what Lola has done.
We see her unhappily pursuing modelling jobs which are far from glamourous and she gives up and quits after a spot cream ad which is the final straw for her. The gang find her at home looking for dance auditions in the paper. She lies to her friends about her career then calls Lizzy Porter who doesn't remember her but asks her for more gossip. Lola has none so Lizzy tells her to go out to clubs and try and get some attention from a celeb to use for a new kiss and tell story. She bumps into actor Ryan Thomas from Corination. She tries to flirt with him and she takes it a step too far so he leaves quickly in search of his girlfriend. Upset, she walks out but bumps into Matt Willis who turns on her angry about her lies. Lola is terrified and upset as Matt shouts at her and he storms away and she runs through the press crying.
The next day she tells Mr Nugent she made a mistake and wants to come back. He tells her that her place was taken and she must audition the following morning in front of him, Anna and Stefan with the choreography she was doing before she quit the show. She is teased by students about the article in the paper of her crying in front of the paparazzi the previous night. She goes to see Claudine and Lauren who are in the changing room. Claudine is giving her makeup advice and a makeover. They are not happy to see Lola and refuses to help her for her audition as they are too angry with her for treating them like dirt.
Lola tries her best to practise for the audition in a dance studio but doesn't know it well enough and keeps going wrong. She is so frustrated and collapses in frustration on the floor. Ronnie sees her through the window and persuades Claudine and Lauren to help her. They teach her the routine and help her with her audition.
Lola performs for Anna, Stefan and Mr Nugent and after some wise words, they let her back in. The rest of the gang come in and they dance and sing in celebration ('Picking up the pieces') to end.
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