Former ‘Gogglebox’ star Sandra Martin has told of how she’s been left with no money or home after spending all the money she earned from the show.
Sandra, who appeared on the Channel 4 series alongside best pal Sandi Bogle, revealed she has been forced out of her Brixton home and is living out of a suitcase in a budget hotel after not being able to keep up with the bills.
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Speaking to the Daily Star, she said: “I have no money coming in. It’s scary.”
Explaining her situation, Sandra said: “I’d never had any money. I was a full-time grandmother looking after my grand-daughter, so when I suddenly found myself coming off benefits and earning all this money it freaked me out.
“You’ve got to understand I’ve got four kids, and for the first time I was able to treat them.”
Revealing she has packed up her home and moved into a cheap hotel, she continued: “It meant I didn’t have to worry about paying all the bills. I thought it was the best thing to do to survive, living out of my suitcase. I’ve really been trying my best.”
Channel 4
Sandra revealed she’d quit ‘Gogglebox’ live on ‘This Morning’ in July, following the departure of Sandi in 2016.
She was due to star in pantomime in Maidenhead over the Christmas period, but had to pull out due to health reasons.
However, she is rumoured to be one of the stars heading into the ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house when the new series kicks off in January, after Sandi became a housemate last summer.
Earlier this year, Sandra revealed she earned £100,000 a year during her time on ‘Gogglebox’.
Speaking to the Daily Mail’s This Is Money, she said: “It was the best wage I ever earned in my life and I got asked to do loads of celebrity appearances at events which Channel 4 would also pay me for. I still had time to sell stuff at car boot sales because I only had to do ‘Gogglebox’ two days a week for six months of the year.
“But I did not want to sit on that sofa for the rest of my life. I wanted to spread my wings.”