Setting up her tent in a campsite in Windsor, not far from the royal castle, Louise Glover rolled out her sleeping bag for the night. But this wasn’t a weekend glamping break – the tent was now what she called home.
The former Playboy Model of the Year, whose career saw her partying with Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Snoop Dogg and Paris Hilton, was forced to declare herself homeless in the summer of 2024 after her landlord hiked her rent at a time when she was already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
Louise, who also starred in the Scouting For Girls music video She’s So Lovely, had no choice but to start living in a tent, and when winter hit, she found herself sofa-surfing.
Louise says, ‘Circumstances can change overnight and homelessness looks different for everyone. From people couch surfing and living in tents or hostels, to those who are living on the streets. It’s important to know how easily people can end up like this.’
From a young age, Louise was keen to become a model. She says, ‘I was nine years old when a photographer approached me and my mum in the shopping centre where we lived in St Helens. They said I looked photogenic and I was thrilled.
‘He took my photos but as we couldn’t afford to purchase them, he gave us a small print to take home. It wasn’t until I was 14 that I started sending my photos to agencies. We didn’t have much money, so I’d borrow off my nan so I could buy train tickets and participate in beauty pageants.’
Aged 19, Louise made the top three of Miss Great Britain, and then participated in Miss Earth in the Philippines. On her return she was signed by multiple modelling agencies.
Louise, now 41, recalls, ‘When I was 20 I moved to London and started doing glamour modelling, including Page 3 work. I was very determined and dreamt of modelling for Playboy, so I made it happen.
‘I approached them with my portfolio and did a test shoot. I was told I should consider getting a boob job, so I did. Then I started modelling for them.’
In 2006, Louise won Playboy Model of the Year, and flew to the States every few months for photo shoots. She says, ‘I’ve appeared in over 56 Playboy magazines and starred on six of their covers’.
And it wasn’t long before Louise was able to meet Playboy boss Hugh Hefner himself. She says, ‘I was at a glamour convention when I was so excited to be introduced to Hugh. He looked at me and said, “You’re the UK’s answer to Carmen Electra!” I was thrilled! I attended parties at the mansion and bumped into hundreds of famous faces.’
Louise eventually moved to America and landed a role in the successful series, Entourage.
But it was a health scare that sent Louise down a different career path. She says, ‘In 2012, I had my breast implants removed as I preferred the more natural look, but I suffered a nasty infection after the surgery and developed septicaemia – I almost died and was in hospital for four weeks.
‘It made me re-think my career – there were downsides to fame, and I was never one for the lavish lifestyle. I was a homely girl who just wanted a nice, wholesome life.’
Louise began a career in fitness and became a personal trainer, and started competing in fitness contests. But a family tragedy and the pandemic changed the course of Louise’s life once again.
She says, ‘In 2015 my dad passed away from COPD lung disease and, five months later, I lost my mum to a heart attack. I was heartbroken. I focused my grief on something positive and decided to climb Mount Everest Base Camp in their honour and to raise money for the British Heart foundation and British Lung Foundation. And while there, I scattered my beloved mum’s ashes.’
After the pandemic, work was up and down for Louise, who then set up a pet-sitting and dog-walking business, and she moved to Windsor, where she rented rooms.
Then, in October 2023, Louise sold her car and bought a one-way ticket to Dubai. She says, ‘I planned to do personal training out there, but was shocked to find that there weren’t enough positions going. The rent had increased since I’d done my research, so I had no choice but to return to the UK after six months.
‘Back in the UK, I found a room to rent. However, in July last year my landlord raised my rent, and I couldn’t afford to live there any more – I had to declare myself homeless.
‘I’ve always been a hard worker, so continued with the dog-walking and pet-sitting and did promotional work at festivals and events all over England.’
That’s when Louise bought a tent and downloaded an app where she’d choose her location, and added in how many days she wanted to stay there. She bought a stove to cook her meals and used the toilets and showers available on the campsite, paying between £17 and £25 a night.
However, when winter arrived, the campsites closed. Louise, not wanting to rely on friends, has started staying in cheap rooms on Airbnb, using the money she gets from pet-sitting.
Not having a secure place to live is becoming more challenging than ever for Louise. She says, ‘There’s been times where I’ve been sat in my freezing car for hours, just planning my next move. I’m terrified I’ll have to end up sleeping in it as a last resort.
‘I’m working as hard as I can with my dog-walking and pet-sitting business and I’m trying to get my personal-training business back off the ground.
‘My dream job would be to do more TV presenting, as I’ve done this in the past and I really enjoyed it. My life has been an adventure of incredible highs and the deepest of lows and, although I worry about my future, I’m resilient and I always bounce back 10 times stronger.’
Check out Louise’s websites, walkieswithlouise.com and bodybylouise.com.