- .C4 show last January prompted horror and 900 'poverty porn' complaints
- .'White' Dee Kelly now charges £1,500 an hour for nightclub appearances
- .But others have been less fortunate after public's attention dwindled
- .'Smoggy' lost out on chance to open 50p store backed by millionaire
- .'Fungi' moved to Cardiff, cut down on drink but was dropped by agent
- .Mark Thomas, however, is said to be in work and no longer on benefits
It's a year since Benefits Street horrified viewers on both sides of the political divide - and with another series in the pipeline, the legacy for its 'stars' remains a mixed one.
Deirdre 'White Dee' Kelly was the Channel 4 show's big winner, halting welfare claims after she began charging £1,500 an hour for nightclub gigs and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.
But others fared less well after attention dwindled - including one man who was dropped by his agent and another whose deal with a millionaire entrepreneur fell through.
She's walked a long street: Deirdre 'White Dee' Kelly (left in her home in Birmingham's James Turner Street) has made thousands and spoken at the Tory party conference (right) - but others were less fortunate
Throne: White Dee on Celebrity Big Brother. Reflecting on a bizarre year, her agent said: 'We approached her early on and said "you will definitely be exploited, you already have been exploited, so here's your chance"
Their mixed experiences fuel the debate over whether the show's jobless participants - whose years on benefits prompted anger, but who critics said had been exploited - ended up better or worse off than they were before.
White Dee, the most controversial resident of Birmingham's James Turner Street, capitalised heavily on her fame - and now charges £1,500 for just one hour partying with students in nightclubs.
The 43-year-old prompted a furore early on when she was pictured partying in Magaluf after claiming sickness benefit for depression.
But due to her earnings she no longer claims benefits, and has debated her past with everyone from Katie Hopkins to policy experts at the Conservative party conference.
She was offered a reported £100,000 to appear on Celebrity Big Brother - an appearance she later took up - and has become a vocal supporter of those still on the dole.
'I have experienced some not very nice job centres,' she told the Tory conference in September. 'You do just go in, you sit down, you are looked down upon.
Rainbow: James Turner Street, pictured, was the unlikely star of a show dubbed 'poverty porn' by critics
The street's residents divided viewers, with some shocked at what seemed to be a defeatist attitude to work
'They just need to understand that, just because you are on benefits does not mean that you are not a real person.
'Just because you are on benefits doesn't mean that you are not physically looking for a job.'
Many of those who appeared with her on the show, however, are still looking for work despite their brief flash of fame.
Stephen 'Smoggy' Smith contacted the entrepreneurs of Dragon's Den after he earned affectionate laughs for selling items for 50p door to door.
Millionaire Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins stepped in to help him raise the cash for a Birmingham discount shop which would have undercut Poundland and the 99p Store.
But the pair had a high-profile falling out last May in which Mr Mullins accused Smoggy of being 'prepared to take my help and money, but never keeps his part of the bargain'.
It is believed Mr Mullins' dispute was with an agent representing Smoggy, with whom he no longer works.
Mr Mullins told MailOnline: 'Smoggy was waiting to get a job as a carer to try and save some money up to start his own business. As far as I know he's out of work.
Cameo: Stephen 'Smoggy' Smith featured in the show when he went door to door selling items for 50p
In business: Smoggy with millionaire Charlie Mullins - but the pair later had a high-profile falling out
'I think he's broken away now from the people who were giving him bad advice and maybe he's realised what went wrong.
'He was a great guy and he certainly had some good ideas so potentially he had a lot going for him. He could've ended up a millionaire.'
Mr Mullins denied the show exploited its jobless stars or left them worse off.
'I don't believe it's the show's fault', he said. 'They weren't doing anything before so if they aren't doing anything now, nothing's changed'.
Another 'star' who lost out was alcoholic James 'Fungi' Clarke, who neighbours claimed was 'bribed' with beer to appear on the show - claims Channel 4 strenuously denied.
He's broken away now from the people who were giving him bad advice. He was a great guy. He could've ended up a millionaire
Millionaire Charlie Mullins on 'Smoggy', aka Stephen Smith
He moved to Cardiff to escape the attention but was tracked down by agent Barry Tomes, who also represents White Dee, and agreed to sign a publicity deal.
Mr Tomes said: 'He was desperate for money, but he still looked really well. We met in a pub and he had just one drink and then a glass of water'.
But the pair parted ways after he sent Fungi £70 to apply for a passport so he could fly to Magaluf.
The agent claimed weeks went by and still there was no passport, leading him to cancel three of Fungi's planned appearances at the holiday resort.
The final straw, he claimed, came when Fungi took part in a magazine interview claiming he had a girlfriend, but the woman involved later claimed she was nothing of the sort.
Others remain in limbo including Samora Roberts, who the street's residents dubbed Black Dee.
She is facing trial in May after she denied charges of plotting to supply crack cocaine, diamorphine and cannabis.
But some, including couple Mark Thomas and Becky Howe who had never held down full-time jobs and were briefly arrested after their TV appearance, appear to be turning their life around.
The pair refused to take part in further publicity following the show have both moved away from James Turner Street.
Off the radar: James 'Fungi' Clarke was tracked to Cardiff by White Dee's agent Barry Tomes, who said he looked well and signed a publicity deal with him. But their professional relationship quickly went downhill
On the up: According to today's report in The Sun, Mark Thomas and Becky Howe are off benefits (right). Samora Roberts (left), who the street's residents dubbed Black Dee, is facing trial over drugs claims in May
According to The Sun, Mark has since found a job as a labourer and the couple are no longer claiming benefits.
'They seemed to enjoy the attention at first but I think it got too much for them,' neighbour Anna Korzen, 28, told the newspaper.
'They left six months ago but didn't say where to'.
Another success story is White Dee's daughter Caitlin Kelly - who is now 17 and wants a career in the police, The Sun reported.
She told the newspaper: 'I want to make sure I work for a living and not depend on others, because one day they might not be there for me.'
Benefits Street proved one of the most controversial TV shows of 2014, and prompted public protests when a second series began filming in Stockton-on-Tees over the summer.
I guess Dee was fortunate. We approached her early on and said "you will definitely be exploited, you already have been exploited, so here's your chance"
White Dee's agent Barry Tomes
The first series was cleared of breaching broadcasting rules by the regulator Ofcom in June despite sparking more than 900 complaints.
The show - Channel 4's most-watched in more than a year - was slammed for 'demonising' and 'misrepresenting' those on the breadline, prompting Parliamentary debates and local meetings.
The vast majority of complaints - 887 - were about the way those on benefits were portrayed and fears it was being used as 'poverty porn'.
Some 23 viewers also raised fears about children and young people featured in the show, and the care which was given by programme makers for their welfare and dignity.
But Ofcom ruled the show was clearly a portrayal of one street and not wider society.
Reflecting on his clients' unusual year, Mr Tomes told MailOnline: 'In everybody's defence in the street, they never applied to go on this. It wasn't Big Brother or a talent show or Come Dine With Me.
'None of them had any of these aspirations whatsoever but these opportunities came down the street once it became famous. I think even Dee is still bemused.
'I guess Dee was fortunate. We approached her early on and said "you will definitely be exploited, you already have been exploited, so here's your chance".
'She could have let it disappear, and many on the street have done that. I offered Mark Thomas work in the beginning in Magaluf and he wasn't interested in doing anything.
'When people ask if it's ethically messed up, I think society is messed up. In the digital age the sort of thing that used to just be gossip down the pub is now a national talking point. All I can do as a businessman is say "there is a value here".'
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