The Trials and Tribulations of Samantha Fox, the Pinup Girl

What started out as a risky photo spread in a magazine in the United Kingdom turned out to be something that launched a woman’s professional life. Samantha Fox was just another girl before becoming a “page 3 girl.” This was a title given to women who posed for the most popular tabloid paper in the U.K. — wearing minimal clothing.

She was launched into modeling stardom as she became one of the most photographed women in her country in the 1980s. Outside of her home country, she was known for her lust-filled musical performances, which graced MTV – if you can call it “gracing” the screen. Samantha Fox was multi-talented and definitely known for showing off what she’s got!

Titles of Lust

What titles would you expect when you’re looking at a rising pop star of the 1980s? Probably something along the lines of “it must have been love, but it’s over now!” or maybe something about wanting to break free from societal norms. Well, Samantha Fox took it upon herself to share what she really wanted to sing about.

Are these titles suggestive? We’ll let you decide. Some of her enthusiastic and spirited pop hits include “Touch Me (I Want Your Body),” “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too),” and “I Wanna Have Some Fun.” Each of these songs made it to the top of the charts. All three made the top 10, while the albums just reached the Billboard 200.

Working for Her Namesake

It feels like she kind of disappeared from the spotlight after she covered a very well-known song, a cover she performed in 1989. She performed Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Wanna Be With You.” It seemed that after this performance, she went quiet stateside. What became of this rising star – and how did she fall from grace?

Her self-proclaimed “Angel Attitude” has helped her keep a flowing career in her native country of England. She has not done a ton in the United States since the 1980s. Let’s dive into the ups and downs of this former musician and pinup girl; let’s see what she’s made of herself!

She Released Many Albums

Sure, she hasn’t been at the top of the charts in quite some time, but that doesn’t mean she’s stopped producing. She’s just stepped out of the limelight on our side of the Atlantic. She actually did way more than just her first three albums. She continued to make love tracks for years.

In 1991, she made yet another studio album with parentheses in the name. One of the strangest titles we’ve ever heard for a “love ballad” is her title “(Hurt Me! Hurt Me!) but the Pants Stay On.” Seriously, what kind of name is that? Definitely the cringiest title we’ve ever seen… but maybe some people are into that.

Rejoining the Spotlight

In 1997, the star reemerged, but this time with 21st Century Fox. She started releasing European club style music. She released a Eurodance-heavy track featuring covers of “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.” She embraced her other funky and edgy sides with the rest of the albums that she released. This girl has range!

She continued with remix albums, featuring covers of other well-known titles. This included Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” and Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita,” to name a few. She even collaborated with Sabrina, another model-singer from Europe who struck it big in the ‘80s. She had as many sharing rights as Fox had!

She Struggled, Too

This girl had her share of struggles, just like anyone else hoping to make it in the entertainment business. She did get her start in modeling, but who knows – maybe her dream was to always get into the world of music. She struggled to transition.

She told The Guardian in 2017 that many people did not believe it was her on the record. She also knew the sound she liked and was happy to continue in that style. She continued to tour worldwide in the 2010s. She noted that lots of young people were embracing the musical stylings of the 1980s, even if they weren’t alive yet.

She Tried to Enter Eurovision

The United Kingdom loves a victory and will chase it down any chance they have. They sent Samantha and another artist with the last name Fox to the annual Eurovision Song Contest, or at least they tried to. The people of Britain spoke and ended up deciding to send someone else after she entered the BBC’s selection days in the 1990s.

She was one of a few well-known British artists competing for the spot of frontwoman of the pop-rock band Sox. Another group that competed in the Song for Europe competition in 1995 was Londonbeat, a group that had achieved a U.S. number one hit, “I’ve Been Thinking About You.”

Fierce Competition

Another well-known group to compete at the time is Deuce, a very poppy girl and boy band. They had only recently hit the top 20 in the U.K. for their song “Call It Love,” which they performed in the competition. Naturally, some other group of unknown people ended up victorious.

Love City Groove received more than double the number of votes that Samantha Fox’s group got. Good for them – it must have been a really great song! Sorry Samantha, this just wasn’t your opportunity. Love City Groove ended up losing in the competition for the U.K., coming in 10th place, far behind the winner, Norway.

She Tried to Act Here and There

When Samantha Fox was young, she attended a school for dramatic arts. She proved her talent as an actress and singer when she landed the role of Charleen in the 1987 action film, Three Kinds of Heat. It was an action-comedy and really helped her get started in the world of acting.

She clearly did not stop there. Three years after Three Kinds of Heat, she guest-starred in the last season of Scott Baio’s sitcom, Charles in Charge. Her acting career did not seem to take off since then, so maybe she’s chosen to stay in her lane and focus on what she has to offer.

Pushing Her Acting Career Through

She didn’t give up after Charles in Charge. She took another role in 1999, playing Patsy in the Match, a low-budget British film. This was an on-screen speaking role, which definitely helped her further her exposure. The film starred Richard E. Grant, Ian Holm, and Max Beesley – before his Glitter days.

She started out in comedy films and was excited to see what would happen with a lengthy career in other genres. She performed as Karen in the movie 7 Cases, which didn’t come out until 2015. Her role in this horror film seemed to remind her of her passion for acting, and she got started once more in new roles.

Starring in Cheesy Films

Not all of her work was serious in the end, or in the beginning, for that matter. She played Ms. Moore in the ridiculous and silly film franchise, Sharknado. Any movie other than the Harry Potter series that has a fifth, sixth, seventh… you can probably guess is going to be cheesy and not the best quality.

She is also set to appear in A Night in Red: Trilogy. This is a miniseries based on the Jack the Ripper murders. She crossed cultural borders across the other films that she has appeared in, also making history in some cases. Can you think of the project that I’m thinking of? I bet you can’t…

White Woman in Bollywood

Samantha Fox made history in her own way. Her most notable acting credit is in the 1995 Hindi movie, entitled Rock Dancer. She actually was flown into India from London specifically to film a single scene. In this scene, she doesn’t do anything too special, she just sang and danced to a song called “Traffic Jam.”

Samantha Fox made history in her role. She became the first-ever Western woman to appear in a Bollywood film! Though the part was brief, she was beyond excited to share the experience that she had. “I’m very proud of this,” the artist wrote on Facebook. “It was such an amazing experience.”

Interesting Dating History

Everyone has a type, don’t they? It seems that Samantha Fox did not quite have a type on her path to finding true love and fulfillment. On her road to true love, she had some interesting relationships. One of note was KISS guitarist Paul Stanley. Could you imagine Samantha painting her face like KISS does?

Another relationship of hers was with Peter Foster, an Australian career criminal. He reportedly dated Samantha Fox on her rise to fame. By 1999, rumors were stirring, alluding to who Samantha might really love – love is a journey, so hopefully, these rumors didn’t rush it!

She Came Out

In 1999, rumors began about Fox being in a relationship with Cris Bonacci. Bonacci was the former Girlschool musician who worked with Fox on her first 21st Century Fox album. She was quiet about these rumors and didn’t make a comment for years on end.

A few years after, Fox admitted to being in a relationship with another woman. Myra Stratton was her manager, and the two fell for each other hard. For years, she felt the need to hide who she really was, but the time had come, and she could not pretend to be someone else any longer. Good for you, Samantha!

Describing Coming Out

The experience of coming out as gay is different for everyone. It’s a huge step for anyone to take to live their most authentic and happy, healthy life. In 2017, she opened up to The Guardian and explained why she felt the need to hide who she was for so long.

In her interview with The Guardian, she got candid about what she was dealing with. “I was scared to come out. But then I thought: ‘I’m not a pinup anymore… I can’t live a lie.'” She had briefly discussed her experiences coming out on the British daytime television chat show Loose Women back in 2016.

Necessary Concerns

Her concerns were not unlike many others who came out at the time. Samantha Fox was worried that she would end up losing her fanbase by living her life as a gay woman. She was truly concerned that she would lose everything when the truth came out.

Fortunately, she had a positive experience. It was more positive than she anticipated, which is always a fun surprise. She told The Guardian that, in the end, it just was not a big deal. She has since then teamed up with Sir Ian McKellen, working as part of an initiative to help those in the LGBTQ+ community who have lost their family when coming out.

I Once Was Lost…

A few years after announcing her relationship with Myra Stratton, Fox revealed to OK! magazine that the two planned to get married in a civil partnership. They planned to be wed in Hawaii. It was even rumored that Motorhead’s Lemmy might be walking her down the aisle!

Unfortunately, their ceremony didn’t go as planned. In 2013, Myra Stratton was diagnosed with cancer. This led to her unfortunate and untimely death just two years later, when she was only 60 years old. Fox paid tribute on Instagram in a post captioned, “Bye my baby, no more suffering, I will always love you and (you will) be forever in my heart your Sammy xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Forever.”

…But Now I Am Found

When she appeared on Big Brother back in 2016, Fox revealed that she had managed to move on and find love again. She told her fellow housemate, Marnie Simpson, that, “I met somebody a couple of months ago and I’m very happy. As you get, older life goes so quick.” Ain’t that the truth, Samantha!

Not long after this was revealed, she confirmed that Linda Olsen was the woman who had stolen her heart. Olsen is a mother of two children from Norway. Reports emerged stating that the two became engaged and were planning to have a big summer wedding. The coronavirus outbreak definitely got in the way of those big plans!

Reality Star Forever

Samantha Fox has had a number of reality TV show appearances in her days after acting. With the number of reality TV appearances she’s made, the Kardashians are basically put to shame! In 2003, she threw herself into reality television with an appearance on ITV’s The Club.

While appearing on The Club, three celebrities tried to manage their own bar in the city of London. That is way harder than it looks! She ended up losing out to a soap opera actor, Dean Gaffney. The series ran for six weeks, and even though she didn’t win, she got into a drunken argument that put her in the headlines.

Getting Volatile

This was not the first time that she stirred things up and got a bit explosive. In 2008, she briefly appeared on Celebrity Wife Swap, switching partners with stand-up comedian Freddie Starr. Things got rough and a bit explosive, but she seemed to pull through for the better, it seemed.

She managed to have a part in the U.K.’s popular series, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here, and that seemed relatively drama-free. Or rather, it was as drama-free as things can be when you’re stuck in the middle of the Australian outback. She lives for the reality TV screen.

No Two Shows Are the Same

Samantha Fox’s reality TV appearances seemed to go strong for quite a while. In 2010, she joined former America’s Next Top Model judge, Janice Dickinson, along with tabloid Calum Best on a reality culinary contest. The contest was called Come Dine With Me. I hope she got to eat something great!

In 2016, she joined the ranks of other stars in the 16th season of Celebrity Big Brother. She joined Ariana Grande’s brother, Frankie, along with Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day. They were also joined by a star from Mob Wives, Renee Graziano. Hopefully, she didn’t get on Graziano’s last nerve – that might have had some consequences!

Trouble With Mental Health

Samantha Fox pushed through as much as she possibly could in her time on Celebrity Big Brother. Unfortunately, she suffered from a panic attack while spending time in the famous house, leading her to receive major medical attention. She managed to push through for almost another month before being evicted.

She was not the first celebrity to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, and she won’t be the last. Luckily for her, she had access to resources to help her overcome the anxiety and other issues she was feeling at the time. Imagine suffering from that without being a celebrity and having access to the best of the best?

Playboy Poised

While her days as a “glamour girl” might seem like they’re behind her, it doesn’t seem to be the case. Even though her days posing for the camera may have been left back in the 1980s, she definitely did not stop then and there. It seems she likes baring everything for the world to see.

Nine years after she first posed topless, she reappeared in The Sun’s famous feature at the time celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Page 3.” This wasn’t the end of it for her, though; just a year later, Fox appeared in the world-famous men’s magazine, Playboy!

The Star of the Centerfold

Samantha Fox furthered her mark on the world of nude modeling when she appeared on the cover of the October 1996 issue of Playboy magazine. Not only did she sport the famous Playboy pink bunny outfit, but she also received a colorful feature in the magazine’s content!

Her cover included a famous outfit and a colorful guitar. She had a whopping eight-page spread, which featured not only photos but a complete interview that gave readers a look into her life behind the scenes. That was not the end of her time with Playboy… or at least, it wasn’t the end of her ambition for it!

Age Is Just a Number

Even though she was not as young and hot as she used to be, that certainly did not deter her from aiming to pose nude for the magazine again. Who said that getting older means you aren’t as sexy as you once were? She certainly did not think aging should get in the way of her Playboy ambitions!

While appearing on the U.K.’s daytime chat show Loose Women, she opened up about her lack of plans to strip for Page 3. She had moved on from that part of her life and was onto bigger, better things. She did, however, express that she would love to go back to Playboy; “Joan Collins, Farrah Fawcett did it at 50, a lot of people did it at 50, so I would be up for that but in a very classy way. I’d have no problems with that.”

She Became Quite Spiritual

As we’ve said time and time again, life and love are both a journey. Some people find their religious beliefs later in life, people like Samantha Fox. In 1994, it came out that she was taking a new, very strict religious path. She became a born-again Christian and threw herself into that world.

That year, she appeared in a faith-based festival called Greenbelt. This was meant to act as evidence that she became far more religious, though in 2007, she argued that she was always a religious person. “God gave me my body. I know it has made many people happy. There is no conflict there. I don’t and have never promoted pornography. I am doing what God wants me to do.”

Religious Exploration

Samantha Fox openly explored her faith in the public eye for years. In 2003, she spoke with The Guardian and confirmed that she participated in an evangelical course. The course was called ALPHA, which taught her that there are other ways for her to explore her faith. She was ready to move on.

She told The Guardian, “what I learned was I’ve got my own faith … I felt I didn’t need to be there.” One question that crossed my mind was how she would be welcomed into that community as gay, let alone a gay woman. That might have been a part of why she realized it was ultimately not for her!

The Bible Was Written a Long Time Ago

Taking the ALPHA course did not seem to be the worst thing in the world to her. She was asked at the time whether she felt conflicted and if she felt she had a choice to be both a religious Christian and openly identifying as gay. Her insight proved that she has grown as a person, and her response was just the best thing ever.

In the course, she stated, “I think we’ve come a long way since the Bible was written. No, Alpha never made me feel bad about my sexuality because I believe in love: At the end of the day, I think all God wants for us is to be happy and love each other. But Alpha was good because it helped me find myself a bit. It has taken me a while.”

Father Issues

Many people have suffered at the hands of their parents. The phrase “daddy issues” often comes to mind for many. It seems this phrase definitely holds true for Samantha Fox, who took her father to court and filed a lawsuit against him at one point in time.

Before her memoir, Forever, was released in 2017, Fox informed The Mirror that she had suffered abuse at the hands of her own father. She was left with a black eye, and fractured ribs after her father physically attacked her in 1991. She was a strong woman who refused to allow this to happen again.

Taking Dad to Court

No one should fall victim to abuse, though that’s often not the reality of the situation. After being beaten by him, she decided to serve her father with a lawsuit that he could not get out of. By this point in time, she realized that her father had actually embezzled a ton of her fortune already!

Not only did he steal money from his successful daughter, but he also did not pay her taxes for at least three years. Fortunately, her lawsuit has been deemed a success. Her father officially had to pay her a sum of £363,000, though Fox admitted later that this money went directly to settling her newfound tax debts.

Losing Touch

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that if you serve your parent with a lawsuit, you might not end up having the best relationship with them later. This is exactly what happened with Samantha Fox and her father, and his actions only further proved that they were not the best father-daughter pair.

Her father did reach out to her a few years later, though it wasn’t for anything wholesome as you might have hoped. He was just like any other leech, and he just wanted to fabricate a reunion so he could get some book deal out of it. Sorry Samantha, you truly deserved better than him!

Until the End

Unfortunately, it appeared that this father and daughter did not get to bury the hatchet before he passed away in 2000. Her father remained estranged until his dying days, and she does not regret denying being involved in his scheme for a book deal. It would not have helped their relationship.

In an interview with Express, 17 years after his passing, Samantha Fox shared some heartbreaking truths. “It was very difficult. You can’t say you regret having your father as your manager because he is your father. But there’s that saying: You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.”

She’s Loaded

While she may not be as famous as your other favorite celebrities, she has certainly managed to do well for herself in the financial realm. She doesn’t just depend on her royalties from the 1980s; she has managed to keep up her positive work ethic and has managed to do well for herself.

True to form, in 2018, she released a new hit single in the pop genre, called “Hot Boy.” Just a couple of years later, she reflected on this comeback and told the world about the successes that came to her as a result of being featured on Page 3. She shared the experiences in a British TV documentary.

Overcoming the Embezzler

This woman has seemed to overcome so much in her time in the spotlight and has managed to put away a pretty penny as a result. She’s been relatively quiet about the wealth she has accumulated, and I was honestly not expecting to see the figures she was working with.

She overcame the years of her father embezzling millions on millions of dollars from her personal earnings through her career. Even after losing that money to him, she still has a hefty eight-figures to her name. She is a multi-millionaire, and she has no plans of changing that anytime soon!

Girl Has Some Awesome Net Worth

Seriously, what doesn’t this girl have… other than a flourishing career in the United States? According to Celebrity Net Worth, she has a fortune of roughly $20 million to her name. That is a lot of cheddar, and it seems that she rarely used it to splurge on herself.

One of her few big splurges was an Essex mansion that she shared with her late lover, Myra Stratton. Their home in Essex was reportedly worth around $1.5 million dollars and they did not really seem to use their money on much else. They didn’t need it to be happy.

Can’t Buy Happiness

Samantha Fox is rare, especially when it comes to dealing with her wealth in the spotlight. She does not seem to care much for the flashiness that can come with being wealthy, as she does not feel that spending all her money will bring her true happiness. That’s some enlightened thinking, for sure!

She has said many times in interviews that, “the simple things in life make [her] happy,” which isn’t what many others in the world of entertainment can say. She knows where her priorities lie, and she doesn’t buy herself things that she doesn’t need just because she can! That wouldn’t be her.

Growing Her Pockets

In a 2017 interview with Express, Samantha Fox reflected on her wealth and earnings over the years. Many people in the entertainment world do not have the same outlook as she does, but she knows that true happiness does not come with a price tag, and that everything is temporary – especially when it comes to material items.

She told Express, “I’m very much in a good place.” She also stated, “I love having a family and I’m one of those people who if I’ve had a bad experience, I look at the positive side. I want to always keep that chirpy, bubbly girl that made me famous right at the beginning.” At least she has her priorities in line!

She’s Outspoken

In an interview with The Guardian, she expressed her disappointment in those who are not supportive of other women. She stated that she believed, “it was probably the feminists who least appreciated what I was doing.” She didn’t understand how any woman could pass judgement on those owning their own bodies.

She also spoke out when a female politician in her area blamed Page 3 and its content for a rise in rape cases in the area. Samantha Fox described this as absolutely “insane.” She also brought up the double standard; yes, this was a risqué publication, but how was it different than a model posing topless for a painting? It didn’t make sense to her.

Dealing With Stalkers

Being one of the most photographed women in the United Kingdom at the time definitely came with a price. This decade of fame did not allow her the privacy that other Brits (or people in general) should have, which is just super unfair. She dealt with some breaches of privacy that no one should have to deal with, whether you are famous or not.

When Fox was just 18 years old, she had to hire bodyguards for protection. She was riddled with stalkers, and she was pursued at every turn. This made life incredibly difficult and got in the way of her everyday tasks. She could not quite escape that nightmare, though that wasn’t all…

Her Stalkers Were Extreme

Samantha Fox had stalkers and, yes, that is meant to be plural. She has had stalkers since she was a teenager and had a full team of security to help her. They made her life a living hell and definitely gave her some interesting stories to tell. She had superfans, but she also had… suicidal fans!

One of her stalkers went so far as trying to kill himself outside of her apartment. This man was from France and sent her letters, claiming that she was his wife and that he would kill himself if she did not come out and speak with him. Another fan from the States went so far as changing his name to Sam Fox, selling his belongings, and moving to the U.K. just to be closer to her!