BNOC of the Year 2013 – Group 1 live at 5pm today – only on the Tab.

How did winning BNOC of the Year change your life?

Kayne Sheppard (KS): “Some would belittle it and label it a shameless charade of self-indulgence and an unjust celebration of vices rather than virtues.

“Such pigeon allegations may hold a grain of truth, but, love it or hate it, the BNOC crown matters.

“Winning such a vitriolic and gruelling campaign changed my life beyond recognition.

“Strangers held doors for me; friends slammed them in my face.

“For every warm smile and congratulatory note, there was a scornful glance and a ‘go fuck yourself.’

“For every drink bought for me, there was one thrown on me. But what meaningful victory was ever attained without sacrifice?”

Big name: Kayne with lesser mortal Pritchard from Dirty Sanchez

Did it make you more or less employable?

KS: “Since leaving Devon’s sunny climes, I have returned to the South East and taken my place on a prestigious grad scheme.

“Has my success of yesteryear been explicitly referred to? No.

“But we all know the ‘character research’ that goes into today’s hiring process, and the question I have to ask is, would it have hurt my application for my hirers to learn how media-friendly, affirming and accessible I was?

“The BNOC crown is a surefire way to prove to any future boss that you are most certainly NOT a pigeon.”

Glory: Kayne looking a touch worse for wear after failing to share his celebratory bottle of ‘champagne’

What advice would you give to this year’s winner?

KS: “Enjoy the fruits of success. The double vodka here, the uploaded appreciation bolt there.

“I was even reprieved of a 20p shortfall in the Pennsylvania Co-Op one day on the basis that the cashier was an avid Tab reader and was only too aware of who I was.

“But remember, it’s what you do to take the crown that matters, not the wearing of it.

“Excellence is not a title, but a habit, practiced day-in, day-out (I haven’t missed an EG since 2006).

“Don’t lose sight of what it was that got you this far, and better still, strive to prove your supporters right, even after victory.

“Don’t get carried in on a sea of green only to go to bed with purple.

“The road to the top is an arduous climb; the fall from the summit can be brutally quick.