Airline Star Jane Boulton Reveals Dark Side of ITV Fame from easyJet Show
Jane Boulton, the breakout star of ITV's fly-on-the-wall docu-soap Airline in the late 1990s, shot to fame almost overnight thanks to her ready wit and pithy comments. However, the former easyJet operations manager has now disclosed that her sudden celebrity came with a significant downside, turning her private life into what she describes as a nightmare.
Unexpected Fame and Intrusive Encounters
Speaking to hosts Jen and Cillian on the Beyond the Barclay podcast, Boulton revealed that the production team initially told her and colleagues they would only be filmed for a few days. This unexpectedly stretched into several years, with the show attracting up to 10 million viewers weekly. "We had no idea it would be as popular as it was," she admitted, highlighting the lack of preparation for the intense public scrutiny that followed.
This newfound fame led to hair-raising moments in her everyday life. Boulton recalled that even mundane activities like her weekly shop at Asda in Luton became fraught with intrusion. "People going through your trolley... I had one lady who stuck a five-year-old under the toilet stall door when I'd gone for a quick pee to ask if it was me. I think that was really weird!" she recounted, emphasising the bizarre nature of these encounters.
Throughout her run on the show, which lasted from 1999 until she left easyJet in 2006 to work for Aer Lingus at Heathrow Airport, Boulton faced constant public attention. Strangers would stare and wave whenever she was out in public, making normalcy a challenge.
Financial Reality and Industry Changes
Despite achieving national fame, Boulton's income did not see a major boost. "I didn't become a millionaire or anything like that out of it," she stated, noting that little changed apart from becoming a well-known face, particularly around Luton. She ultimately quit the airline industry altogether in 2014, citing a belief that there is now far less work available in the sector.
Boulton explained that the way people check in and navigate airports has transformed significantly. "I don't think there is as much help at an airport as there used to be. There used to be information desks everywhere, didn't they?" she reflected. With budget airlines, passengers are now largely required to handle tasks themselves, leading to a decline in personal interaction. "It's pretty much self-service unless you're travelling with a proper ticket and all the rest of it with a bigger airline. I think people are pretty much self-sufficient now, which for someone like me who enjoys working with people is quite sad," she added, suggesting that if Airline aired today, it would lack the same level of engagement.
Resurgence in Popularity and National Tour
In recent years, Boulton's signature brand of sarcastic humour has experienced a revival, with a younger generation discovering clips of Airline on TikTok. Her memorable catchphrases, such as "It's easier if you get here on time," "It's a plane, not a bus," and the acid-dripping put-down "A coffee shop is not departures," have gone viral, attracting a whole new fanbase.
Buoyed by this renewed popularity, Boulton embarked on a national tour in 2025, offering audiences from Southampton to Glasgow behind-the-scenes insights into the filming of the show. This tour capitalised on her resurgence, allowing her to reconnect with fans and share her unique experiences from the height of her television fame.
