The Real Hustle was part of a wave of magic and trickster shows that aired in the mid-2000s, but its fans will tell you that it was a show like no other.
Airing from 2006-2012 on BBC Three, its daring tricks on unsuspecting members of the public earned it a reputation as one of the most exciting shows on television.
The show focused around helping viewers avoid being scammed by showing them the most common hustles used by criminals, so viewers could also pick up a few handy pub tricks too.
However, the show’s real draw was its charming original trio. The cast featured Alexis Conran, Paul Wilson and Jessica-Jane Stafford.
My London has put together a guide on what The Real Hustle’s original line-up got up to after the show came to an end.
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Alexis Conran
Alexis Conran was perhaps more heavily invested in the world of magic tricks and slight of hand than his co-presenters. Conran is a member of The Magic Circle and Equity and is also a collector of playing cards.
He has stated in the past that he owns over 5060 decks and spends an hour each day practising card tricks.
Before starring on The Real Hustle, he was hired as an expert to advise writers and actors on the hit BBC series Hustle. The popularity of this series then lead to the creation of the hit show The Real Hustle. As well as starring alongside Paul Wilson and Jessica-Jane Stafford, Alexis also co-wrote the series (with Paul).
Since the show ended, Alexis has also been part of other popular shows based on magic, these include: the 2015 show Man v Expert on the Discovery Channel and Hustling America for Channel 5 and National Geographic, which he also wrote and presented.
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However, Alexis has also proven that he is able to make magic in the kitchen too. In 2016, he won Celebrity Masterchef 2016, beating journalist Louise Minchin and singer Jimmy Osmond in the final.
He has also used his gifts to help the Office of Fair Trading educate shoppers on how to avoid becoming the victim of a fraud.
Since July 2020, he has presented a show on Times Radio between 1-4pm on Saturday and Sunday
Paul Wilson
Paul was born in Cyprus, but raised in Singapore and Scotland. Paul was a favourite amongst fans for his cool and calculated approach to hustling. Like Alexis, Paul was also responsible for writing the show and carried out his writing duties alongside presenting.
He appeared on the show for its entire 11 season run and most viewers will remember him for his role on the show.
Interestingly, Paul has spent more time behind the camera than in front of it since the show came to an end in 2012, and most of his projects focus on magic.
These include the likes of the award-winning short film 'The Magic Box' and the short feature 'Con Men'. His first feature film was a partly-crowdfunded documentary called 'Our Magic'. Its story focused on 'revealing the secret world of magic & magicians, but telling it through the eyes of experts in the field.
In 2017, a feature film that he both wrote and produced called 'Isolani', premiered at the Raindance Festival in London. Its success also saw it feature in the Sydney Independent Film Festival among others.
It received nominations as best UK Feature, best leading actress, best cinematography, best director, along with the renowned BIFA Discovery Award at the British Independent Film Festival.
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Jessica-Jane Stafford
Jessica Jane-Stafford was born to Jane and Richard Clement in Sheffield. Jessica holds the honour of appearing in every single episode of The Real Hustle and even starred in all of the one-off specials: Winter Special, Worlds' Greatest Bar Bets, Best Ever Cons, Don't Miss A Trick, The Real Hustle Around the World and The 12 Scams Of Christmas.
Jessica had a string of notable performers in other shows whilst she was still on The Real Hustle. This included: the 2008 BBC Three show Celebrity Scissorhands to support Children in Need, the 2009 British zombie comedy Doghouse, and a role as a paramedic on the long-running hospital drama Casualty.
Jessica also took part in the eleventh series of ITV's reality television show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2011 and completed fifteen of the nineteen days in the jungle before being voted out.
Her career continued to flourish after the show concluded in 2012; appearing in the short film Two Persons Max (2013) and winning the award for Best Supporting Actress at the Los Angeles Movie Awards. She also appeared in the third episode of the Sky1 series The Smoke , playing Tanya, a mixed martial arts ring girl.
In 2015, she appeared in the Channel 4 documentary show, The Auction House, with her husband, Lee Stafford.
Although Jessica is still very much in the public eye, she has become known for her life as a mother away from the screen. She has four children with her husband Lee Stafford, since the pair got married in 2013.
Jessica gave birth to their first child a son named Angel in June 2014. She gave birth to their second child a daughter named Elvis Annie-Jane in January 2016. In April 2017 she gave birth to their third child, a girl named Sugar Mae, and a fourth, a boy named Valentine Love, followed in February 2020.
Clement is also an avid campaigner for animal rights. She has worked with PETA and has written and campaigned against testing cosmetics on animals.
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