Simon Cowell tops Richest Reality TV Stars list with fortune of £225million... and he signed up six of the others

They were famous simply for being ‘on the telly’ but that hasn’t stopped some reality TV stars from going on to bank millions.

A rich list published yesterday reveals just how many have milked a fortune from celebrity that seemed to last barely minutes.
While the league is topped by well-known names such as Simon Cowell, there are others in the top 50 who will be a mystery to all but the most devoted TV addicts.
The X Factor boss, with an estimated fortune of £225million, has beaten Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle, who is worth £22million, and his proteges One Direction, who are worth £20million each, to top Now magazine's list.
But while Simon came first in the list, six of the names featured in the article are in fact ones signed up by Cowell - who wouldn't have made it in the industry without his help.
As well as Susan and One Direction, Will Young (£13.5million) Leona Lewis (£12million), Alexandra Burke (£12million), Gareth Gates (£6.5million), Paul Potts (£6million) and JLS (£6million) all feature on the list.
Girls Aloud, who first found fame on Popstars: The Rivals, also featured prominently on the list.
Cheryl Cole came in fifth place with a fortune of £15million, while bandmate Kimberley Walsh placed in number 11 with £6.8million.
Nicola Roberts, who also has her own cosmetics line Dainty Doll, featured in 13th place with £6.5million.

In Chelsea and Big Brother, many of them aren't what you would call household names.