Made in Chelsea’s Toff opens up about her anxieties, politics and the press

Most people know Georgia Toffolo, or Toff, as that girl from Made In Chelsea, and when she came to the Union, she spoke about how she would rather be on reality TV, than not be. The debate was alongside Gabby and Marcel of Love Island, and her co-star, Sam Thompson, who detailed how "going on Made In Chelsea is one of the best things [he] could have done".

When Toff stood up, to talk about her job, and the positives of it, we learnt that she is only 22, and about how, when she was eighteen, after receiving an offer from Bristol to do law, she told her mum that she wanted to have "as much fun with as much money but with the least input". Despite her mum insisting that wasn't how life worked, she felt she "kind of made it work", having lived in "L.A, Spain, France" on the back of her job, which she says shouldn't even be called work. She insisted her work can't even be defined as work and that the ideas put forward by the opposition, such as editors making individuals appear as caricatures, is simply not true – that the editing can't change a personality. She spoke about her love of the press, "it does wonders for me". She felt that reality television had allowed her to expand her horizons, and that she's been allowed to meet a greater mix of people.

Despite the confidence and positivity she had radiated throughout the debate, afterwards, there was a sense that her confidence had been cracked throughout it. She had been asked what she would have to fall back on once her looks deteriorated, and if she felt she was a negative role model for young people. She insisted her following was not due to her looks, and that she felt she was honest in her appearance, refusing to over-edit and present a false presence.

I asked Toff, after the debate, if she felt as though her life as a reality TV star had truly benefited her in regards to herself, and her personal life. She said she was nervous as she stood at the debate, yet I had felt she had an air of confidence and eloquence about her; perhaps it was due to the natural spontaneity ingrained in the nature of her job. She spoke about her anxieties regarding people thinking she was overly confident, and that, ultimately, the show is just her and her friends, having conversation as they often do. She says it doesn't give her confidence to do public speaking, and that she gets "really bad anxiety sometimes – if you're doing an appearance or something, sometimes the whole club is looking at you and it's human to feel anxious". She still insisted upon it being the perfect job.

Toff with co-star, Sam Thompson. Credit: Chris Williamson/Getty Images

Perhaps this is partially due to the fact she has been allowed to reap positive benefits from her job. She is engaged in politics and believes it to be massively important, especially for young people. She is Events Manager for Parliament Street, a think tank based around encouraging young people to engage in politics. "I think it's so important – that's why I use my platform for it. We're so lucky to have a democratic vote. People are passionate about certain things but say they don't vote… how come? You have no say if you don't vote, you have to exercise the right to do it."

When talking about her Instagram following, Toff said "I won't want to be doing this forever, believe me. It's great whilst you're young but […] I'd like to settle down".

It would appear that reality television is perhaps not so perfect, after all, for both its consumers and those involved in it more closely.

Featured image credit: Chris Williamson/Getty Images.