confessed she was left “penniless” after the pandemic left her struggling to pay her bills. The Bucks Fizz singer, 71, owed a large amount in tax but didn’t have the cash to pay it back – meaning she had to appeal to the tax office to postpone her repayments. The star admitted in 2021 she was left “broke” after gigs dried up during various lockdowns.
Speaking to OK! Magazine in 2021, she admitted: “We had one virtual gig and that was our only income. It’s been ridiculously hard. I owe lots of tax… I physically haven’t got the money to pay anybody because I’m broke. It’s been bittersweet for me. It means that I haven’t worked for a year.”
Cheryl went on to say: “I owe lots of tax and VAT because I had a great year [in 2018]. But because I had that great year, I now can’t claim anything from the government. So, I’ve had to ring the VAT and tax people and say, ‘You’re going to have to put it on hold.’ That’s the only thing I can do right now… But, I am well and that is far more important.”
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Cheryl Baker was left ‘penniless’ after the pandemic (Image: Getty)
Cheryl’s big year came when she competed in competition , and continued to perform live with her band. Bucks Fizz shot to fame when they won the in 1981 – allowing Cheryl to scoop up a £1.4million cottage in Kent.
However, in 2023 she decided to sell up. As well as flogging clothes and her car – and growing her own vegetables to save on grocery bills – the house went on the market, though Cheryl said it was not prompted by an urgent need for cash.
Her gorgeous Kent home – which was originally purchased for £750,000 in 2011 – went on the market for £1.4million in 2023. The detached home is situated near Tonbridge, the same village that features in ITV show The Larkins.
It boasts four downstairs bedrooms and two upstairs bedrooms, as well as three bathrooms, a huge kitchen and a grand entrance hall. Hamptons said of the property in its brochure: “It is set in an idyllic semi-rural location while being in easy reach of the main towns.
The members of Bucks Fizz got less than a penny per record sold (Image: Getty)
“The original 1930s home has been subject to a number of improvements in recent years including a new kitchen, toilet and bathrooms. The accommodation is well presented and decorated in a modern style while retaining some original features such as wooden beams and floors.”
Cheryl grew up one of five children living in a council flat in Bethnal Green, and said everything she had as a child was secondhand – leading her to be teased at school for being “the poor kid”.
She admitted she got “less than a penny” for every record Bucks Fizz sold, confessing to The Sun: “We were given 5% of a 90% of the sales, because they took off 10% for breakages and giveaways to radio stations and record firms. That 5% was split four ways, so we got less than a penny for every record we sold.
“I had enough to buy a semi-detached in Eltham, South East London, but I didn’t care. I’m not into material things. Money gets me by, money pays for things, but that’s all.”