Enders Joe: Why I was all Swashed up

Bankrupt star bounces back

TV star Joe Swash has broken his silence about twice being made bankrupt, admitting: “I was young, silly and irresponsible.”

The former EastEnders star and I’m A Celebrity winner, 35, went bust in 2009 and 2013 but has now bounced back and says he wants to warn others about overspending.

Joe, who played Mickey Miller from 2003-2008, said: “I got into EastEnders and was irresponsible with money.

“I was chucking it away on stuff I didn’t need. I went out every night and had a house with a mortgage.

“When you are young you just don’t think it is ever going to end. I thought I was going to be on EastEnders for years and years.”

But Joe got viral meningitis which kept him off work for a year. Being self-employed, he had no back up.

He added: “I fell behind on tax and bills and buried my head in the sand which was the worst thing to do. I should have faced up to it.”

Asked how low he got, Joe added that it was the “hardest thing to deal with” and he “wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy”. He admitted: “The second time it happened I was on TV and I felt embarrassed and wondered how I managed to get myself into the situation. But it can happen to anybody.” Joe is now starring in an ad for credit card firm Aqua, offering people a Bounce Back Bootcamp – tips on how to improve credit ratings and manage money. Joe added: “I have been through this situation of having to repair my credit history and bounce back. If there’s a chance to get a message out, I want to be involved.”