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The Why Factor: Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?

Why do some people crave the limelight?

24/07/2017 GMT

Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Why Do Some People Crave the Limelight?

Why do some people crave the limelight and what does it do to our bodies?

We sweat; we feel sick and even shake when faced with being in the spotlight. So why do some people crave it so badly?

We sweat; we feel sick and even shake when we’re faced with the limelight. Our bodies release stress hormones and begin fight or flight response. So why then do some people crave the limelight so badly?

Presenter Jordan Dunbar undergoes an experiment to find out what the limelight does to our bodies, to get a chemical answer. 

We speak with an historian of Fame, Leo Braudy, to hear how Alexander The Great started it all and how he used the Ancient Greek version of twitter to let everyone know how ‘great’ he was.

We meet a Celebrity Psychologist, Dr Arthur Cassidy who reveals that attention is hardwired into our brains and how social media get us hooked as well as telling us why we want attention so badly. 

Star of 52 reality television shows Lisa Appleton knows a thing or two about the limelight, she talks about the main reason behind her search for fame.

Rainbow Riots is a group of performers who highlight the injustices happening to the LGBT community around the world. They have come together from some of the most dangerous countries in the world to be gay. Kowa is a performer from Kampala who tells us why she’s willing to risk her life to bring attention to her struggle.


George Bamby is an infamous paparazzo, a celebrity photographer who controls the limelight and he tell us what the world behind the camera is like. You’ll never look at the celebrity magazines in the same way again.

We’ll find out the reasons behind the obsession with fame and the limelight around the world.
 
Music by Petter Wallenberg and Rainbow Riots

(Photo: Presenter Jordan Dunbar performing   /   Photo credit: Prague Fringe Festival   )

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