RHIAN SUGDEN: 40, UNFILTERED AND BRINGING AI INTO THE BEDROOM
Two decades after becoming one of Britain’s most recognizable glamour models, Rhian Sugden is entering her 40s with more confidence, more ambition and a digital alter ego who never needs to sleep. The former Page 3 star, TV personality, entrepreneur and podcast host opens-up about sex, fame, relationships, body confidence and the wild evolution of her career, while introducing Rita, her AI-powered alter ego who can flirt, tease and talk to fans 24/7. Rhian may have spent years turning heads in front of the camera, but as she tells FHM, she’s only just getting started.
by Chrissy Johnston
You recently turned 40. How do you feel about this next chapter of your life? I’m really excited about it. I thought I’d have some sort of crisis approaching 40, but I feel better about myself now than I ever have. I care so much less about what people think, which is very freeing. I feel like I’ve finally stopped chasing this idea of perfection and I’m just enjoying my life. I’ve got my little boy, my businesses, the podcast, loads of ideas constantly flying around my head. I genuinely feel like I’m just getting started.
From Page 3 to TV and now AI, did you ever imagine your career would take this many twists? Absolutely not. For FHM’s US readers, Page 3 in the UK’s red-top tabloid newspapers featured models posing topless in a very natural, girl-next-door way. I appeared on Page 3 many times, and I don’t think anyone gets their boobs out at 19 and thinks, “One day I’ll own doggy daycares, have a podcast and create an AI version of myself.” My career has been completely bizarre, but I love that. I’ve never really had a plan. I just seem to say yes to things I find interesting and somehow, I’ve made a career out of it.
What’s life like for Rhian these days when the cameras aren’t rolling? Very unglamorous! I’m a mum to a two-year-old, I’m constantly answering emails and WhatsApp’s, and there’s usually a dog involved somewhere. Then I’m creating content, working on the podcast and coming up with my next ridiculous business idea. It’s organized chaos. I wouldn’t have it any other way though.
Looking back, what would you say have been the biggest highlights of your career so far? Page 3 will always be a huge one because it gave me the career I’ve had. I have got to travel, work with some incredible people and have experiences I never would have had otherwise. Celebrity Big Brother was completely surreal. I’ve been in films, done TV, traveled all over the world with modeling.
What’s the Option One Podcast about, and what can people expect from it? It’s basically conversations you’re probably not supposed to have in polite company. Sex, relationships, dating, confessions, things people secretly think but don’t necessarily say out loud. But I also want to properly get to know our guests rather than just ask them the same questions they’ve answered a hundred times. I want it to feel like you’re listening to a really good conversation rather than an interview.
Who would be your dream guest to have on the podcast? I’d love someone completely unfiltered who has lived a life and isn’t frightened of answering things. British TV star Olivia Attwood would be incredible. I’d have about three days’ worth of questions for her. I find her hilarious.
What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever been asked to do in your career? I’ve been modeling for over 20 years, so the list is quite extensive. I’ve done shoots in ridiculous locations, wore things that barely qualify as clothing and been asked questions in interviews that would probably get someone fired now. I think I’ve become almost impossible to shock.
Forget the career stuff, what would you say is your greatest personal achievement? My son George. Without question. Becoming his mum completely changed my perspective on everything. I’ve achieved some great things professionally, but nothing comes remotely close to him.
What do you like to do for fun? Eat, drink wine, go away with my friends, nice pubs, nice food, scary films, anything involving dogs. I’m easily pleased. Give me good food, good company and somewhere cozy and I’m happy.
What makes you happy? My little boy being happy. Dogs. My friends and family. Good food. Wine. Seeing something I’ve worked hard on succeed. And cancelling plans when I didn’t want to go to in the first place, lol.
What makes you angry? People being cruel to animals. That changes my mood instantly. Bad manners, entitlement and people treating other people badly. And incompetence. I have very little patience for someone creating a problem that absolutely did not need to be a problem.
What’s something about you that people often get wrong or misunderstand? I think because of Page 3 and the way I’ve made my living, people assume I’m ridiculously confident all the time. I’m not. Taking your clothes off doesn’t automatically give you confidence. I have had insecurities just like everyone else. If anything, being judged on how you look for most of your adult life can make you incredibly critical of yourself. I’m much more confident now, but that’s come with age rather than modeling.
What’s the best and worst thing about fame and being in the public eye? The best thing is the opportunities it’s given me. I’ve had a life I probably wouldn’t have had otherwise and I’m incredibly grateful for that. The worst is people thinking that because they’ve seen you in a magazine or on Instagram, they’re entitled to know everything about you or have an opinion on everything you do. You develop quite thick skin eventually. Or perhaps you just stop caring. I’m definitely much better at the latter now.
You’ve created a digital character called Rita who is your alter ego. What made you want to bring her to life? I’ve always been fascinated by AI and where it’s all going, and I liked the idea of creating someone rather than just creating a digital copy of myself. I’ve spent more than 20 years being Rhian Sugden publicly. I created Rita with AI platform OhChat.com, and it gave me the opportunity to build a completely new personality and have a bit of fun with it.
Why did you choose to create Rita as a character in her own right, rather than simply make a digital clone of yourself like other celebrities? Because what’s the point? There’s already one of me, and I already do quite well. I didn’t want Rita to just be Rhian 2.0. If you’re going to use AI creatively, I think it’s much more interesting to create something new. She can have her own personality, her own look and her own little world, while obviously still having bits of me in there.
How would you describe the biggest difference between Rhian and Rita? Rita’s probably more mysterious. I’m terrible at being mysterious. I overshare, I talk too much and you generally know exactly what I’m thinking. Rita can play the game a little better – and get away with more.
Rita is a writer who can “tease you with words alone”. How dangerous is that pen? What does your husband think about your digital alter ego? Very dangerous apparently, lol! That’s part of what makes her fun though. She doesn’t need to rely purely on an image. She’s designed to have personality and hold a conversation. My husband knows what I do for a living and has been around for long enough that very little surprises him anymore. An AI alter ego is probably low down the list of strange things I’ve brought home from work.
Rita is available 24/7 and in multiple languages. What else can fans get from her? How much of your own personality have you secretly sneaked into Rita? There’s definitely some of me in there. The humor, the cheekiness and the ability to tease someone without taking it all too seriously. But the interesting thing is that she’s available when I’m not. She can chat, flirt, remember conversations and interact with people all over the world in different languages. I can’t compete with that. I need sleep.
After years in the entertainment industry, do you think AI will change the face of glamour, modeling and content creation? Absolutely. I don’t think it’s going away, whether people like it or not. I’ve worked in modeling for more than 20 years and I’ve watched the industry completely change already, from magazines and traditional photoshoots to social media and creators producing everything themselves. AI is another massive shift. I don’t think it has to replace real models or real content, though. I still create my own content. For me it’s another tool and another creative avenue. The interesting part will be seeing where the line ends up being drawn between real and digital.
What does “ethical AI” mean to you? Consent matters, particularly when you’re using someone’s likeness. Besides owning my AI likeness and having control of everything my digital twin does, transparency is probably the biggest thing for me. People should know when something is AI. I don’t think we should be creating fake people or content and deliberately trying to convince people they’re real. AI is moving ridiculously quickly, so I think the rules and conversations around it need to move quickly as well.
If Rhian and Rita went head-to-head, who would win? Me, obviously. She might be younger, available 24 hours a day and speak multiple languages, but I’m the one who can switch her off, ha-ha.
What’s next for you? God knows, and that’s probably the most accurate answer. I turned 40 last month, I’ve got the podcast, The Bark Yard is growing, I’m still creating my own content, and I’m really interested in where AI takes us. I’ve spent years thinking I should probably slow down, but apparently, I’m incapable of it. So, chapter 40 might be my busiest one yet.
- Meet Rhian Sugden’s sexy AI alter ego, Rita, now on OhChat.com