Corrie star Jennie to put Fiz in the celebrity jungle
CORRIE will be missing Fiz as bubbly Jennie McAlpine heads into the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
And Jennie, 33, might find the sixfigure fee handy to pay off debts from her Manchester tea shop, Annie’s.
The latest accounts for the star’s company, Fifth Floor, show it was £197,551 in the red in July 2016.
A TV source said: “As a big soap star, Jennie has managed to negotiate a big fee to go into camp.
“She has always been determined to make Annie’s a success so it would be no surprise to see her put some more money into the business.
“It has been a tough year and even Jamie Oliver is having to close restaurants.” Jennie was given permis- sion to go on I’m A Celebrity by Corrie boss Kate Oates.
Our source said: “Jennie has a quiet period on the soap now. The idea is for her to come back with a big storyline in 2018.”
The actress has played Fiz Brown since 2001. Away from the soap, her attempts to make Annie’s a success are not going to plan financially.
Jennie co-owns the firm with her husband Chris Farr, who is a chef.
Back in 2015 it was reported that Jennie loved “meeting the customers” but plans to expand the business to multiple restaurants did not happen. An online spin-off folded in November 2015 with a deficit of £27,152.
Another I’m A Celebrity contestant, YouTube vlogger, Jack Maynard, 22, arrived in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday, ahead of the I’m A Celebrity launch on November 19.