I failed Enders audition for making my lines up . . .

L STILL OPTIMISTIC DESPITE A TOUGH 12 MONTHS

ng these video messages and they’ve n very good, even though they’re ap.

They’re only £30, and out of that I get .50, but they do build up, and also h the old Bucks Fizz discography d royalty payments – I’ve recently d two payments come in, so it’s the e things that help me along.” Cheryl, who lives in a sixdroom country manor in nt worth more than £1miln, admits she’s never been ver.

At one point she ran so short of ney that she had to work as an ce administrator, answering ones and cold-calling tomers.

Then Dancing On Ice me along in 2018 d revived her unes. ut now that means she doesn’t alify for the Government’s Selfployment Income Support Scheme t considers tax returns from previous years. Cheryl says: “Unfortunately for me I fell through the cracks of the whole self-employed payment scheme because I had a good year three years ago.” The star, who grew up in Bethnal Green, east London, has no regrets about not saving for a rainy day because she’d much rather enjoy her money.

She says: “I come from a family that – to put it bluntly – didn’t have a pot to p*ss in, and even though I have had money in my career, I’ve bought things and I’ve had nice holidays, and I don’t regret a day of it.

“I love my house and my mortgage is always paid. My bills are always paid and I’m never in debt.

“I don’t worry about money, and that’s probably why I’m not rich. “When I go to my grave I might not have all that money in the bank, but at least I can say I’ve had a great life.” Cheryl also confesses to making some bad investments over the years including in property on the holiday island of Cape Verde.

She explains: “I invested £300,000. I sold my parents’ house which I bought for them, and invested all of that money in Cape Verde in two properties.

‘In 2008/2009, the bottom fell out of the market, so I lost.

Skirt

“I also invested £200,000 in a film a friend of mine made and it flopped. I made £300 back.

“So I’ve made some silly investments, but I don’t regret it.”

While Bucks Fizz is no more, three of the original four members – Cheryl, Jay Aston and Mike Nolan – perform as The Fizz.

And while celebrations for the Eurovision anniversary are on hold thanks to the pandemic, the band are making plans for their next album.

“I never expected I’d still be working with Mike and Jay,” says Cheryl. “I didn’t dream I’d still be working and ripping my

skirt off. I can’t wait to get back on stage and we’re going back into the studio to record our fourth album with Mike Stock.

“When we release the new album that’s when we’ll have the 40th celebration, which of course we can’t do at the moment.”

She is also now presenting on Great British Radio, a new station which launched in March. “Our radio station is a breath of fresh air because it gives you so much more,” she says.

“It has some short sharp burst of stories that only last for a few minutes in between songs, so you don’t get bored.”

But don’t expect to see Cheryl on skates again any time soon – she admits she was “terrified” doing Dancing On Ice and was left with a permanent injury in her shoulder.

She says: “I absolutely adored Dancing on Ice and everybody and everything about it – except the skating.”

●Cheryl has joined Great Radio as a presenter. See for more info.

British greatbritishradio.org