Over the last few series of The Only Way Is Essex, things have changed. Why? Simple:Lucy Mecklenburgh has gone from a bit-part role to a main part.

And before you say, "Isn't she just another botoxed, fake-tanned fame-obsessed airhead?" stop, take a look at the pictures in the new issue (out Thursday) and ingest the following:
  • This 22-year-old has set her sights on Hollywood rather than Brentwood.
  • She intends to get to the top via hard work and sacrifice rather than hair dye and St Tropez
  • She owns two businesses - fashion store Lucy's Boutique and health and fitness website Results with Lucy - and a house.
  • She beat the likes of Jessica Alba and Rihanna to the title of Best Bikini Body 2013due to eating well and hitting the gym, rather than flashing the cash and going under the knife.
Lucy Mecklenburgh in FHM October 2013
This makes Lucy Mecklenburgh different to her co-stars. Lucy matters. It's for this reason she's gained more than 1.1 million Twitter followers. It's for this reason that barely a day goes by without her face being splashed across tabloid newspapers, celebrity and gossip magazines and the Daily Mail website.

And it's for this reason that she her made her FHM cover debut.

Get yours from Thursday September 5 in store, on your iPad or straight to your Android device.
Lucy Mecklenburgh on the cover of FHM October 2013