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Dr Leah Totton
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Dr Leah Totton with Lord Alan Sugar
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Leah with Celtic goalie Fraser Forster
She is the Derry girl whose success in winning the UK version of the The Apprentice shot her to instant stardom last year – yet the hard work is only just beginning for Dr Leah Totton.
As the charming Leah welcomed us into her sparkling new cosmetic surgery clinic in the heart of London, she admitted her rise from a working doctor to the celebrity world as she became Lord Alan Sugar’s new business partner last July has been tough to deal with – yet she feels so lucky to be presented with the opportunity of a lifetime.
Bookings, she reveals, are already flowing in for cosmetic procedures, ranging from facials to lip enhancements and Botox treatments.
Cynics within the cosmetic industry have been quick to cast doubts over the credibility of the stunning 26-year-old newcomer into their lair, and she admits her newly-acquired status as a role model for young businesswomen is heightening the demands for her new clinic to succeed.
“I guess there is pressure on me to make it work now, and I am aware that some people do look up to people they have seen on TV,” says Leah.
“You need to set an example, both professionally and personally. I have a great following on social networks like Twitter and I am very grateful for all the support I have received from everyone all over Ireland. So I need to make this clinic successful now.
“The Apprentice has given me a huge leg-up to turn this clinic into a reality, and having someone like Lord Sugar behind you is a huge help to any new business, but it has still been extremely difficult to get the project this far.
She adds: “There is no doubt that this is a lucrative market, and those involved in the industry were never likely to be delighted by the arrival of a new, high-profile clinic offering these treatments. It wouldn’t make any business sense for them to give us their backing and we have faced some opposition, which was expected.”
Being propelled into a celebrity culture was the inevitable outcome as Dr Leah exploded onto our TV screens, yet it was a whirlwind she took no pleasure in – and now she’s just glad to be getting down to work as her business dreams have finally materialised.
While she has tasted a celebrity lifestyle in her relationship with Celtic and England goalkeeper Fraser Forster, the attention that came Leah’s way last summer was challenging to deal with.
“I think the publicity side of it was bigger than any of us had bargained for,” she confesses. “I had seen it a little bit when I was leaving a game with Fraser, but it’s really different when it is you.
“People start to discuss your hair, your lips, your legs...it’s a strange experience.”
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Dr Leah Totton
Leah’s proud mum and dad were in attendance for the official opening of their daughter’s clinic last month, while her sister, Jodie, has joined the team as patient co-ordinator.
Explaining how the concept for her clinic came about, Leah explains: “It stems from an incident a friend of my mother experienced after a dermal-filler she received from a practitioner who was not trained properly went wrong.
“These procedures are becoming more popular, there is no doubt the demand for them is there, but people need to go to a qualified professional to have them done and not take a chance on letting, say, their hairdressers do it for them.
“Lord Sugar and I want Dr Leah Clinic to provide the gold standard for non-surgical cosmetic treatments, and we are campaigning for stricter regulations in the sector.
“I’m very excited about the future for this clinic, and hopefully more that follow. It would be great to open up in Ireland one day, but let’s see how this London one does first.”
Dr Leah’s clinic is now open in London. For more information visit www.drleah.co.uk.