Former Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker has revealed how she was up for a part in EastEnders – but failed to get it because she forgot her lines.
The singer accepts she didn’t deserve to land the role because she fluffed the audition.
Cheryl, 67, says: “I auditioned for EastEnders recently but I didn’t get the part. I was a bit rubbish really.
“I was a bit nervous and didn’t learn my lines properly.
“I don’t watch any soaps – I’m not a big TV watcher at all. I think it was the part of the woman who runs the theatre school, which is something that I’ve done in the past.
“It was in the midst of lockdown, my daughter was reading the other part and to be perfectly honest I didn’t learn my lines properly. I didn’t deserve the part. However, I’d like them to give me a second chance.
“I’m a very optimistic person, and if something doesn’t happen I believe something better is around the corner.”
Cheryl’s optimism has stood her in good stead as she admits she’s struggled financially during the pandemic.
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The singer – 40 years on from Bucks Fizz winning Eurovision with Making Your Mind Up – has been relying on £30-a-pop video messages to boost her bank balance.
Last week we revealed Cheryl was selling furniture, clothes and paintings and was giving away a bed with a “slightly stained mattress”.
And while the star makes it clear the bed was just to make room at home, her earning power has taken a hit.
She says: “Work-wise it has been absolutely terrible. There hasn’t been any chance of earning.
“It is silly really, but I’ve never been very good with money, and I do still have quite a big mortgage. I’ve been doing these video messages and they’ve been very good, even though they’re cheap.
“They’re only £30, and out of that I get £22.50, but they do build up, and also with the old Bucks Fizz discography and royalty payments – I’ve recently had two payments come in, so it’s the little things that help me along.”
Cheryl, who lives in a six-bedroom country manor in Kent worth more than £1million, admits she’s never been a saver.
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At one point she ran so short of money that she had to work as an office administrator, answering phones and cold-calling customers.
Then Dancing On Ice came along in 2018 and revived her fortunes.
But now that means she doesn’t qualify for the Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme as it 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*** 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.
“I also invested £20,000 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.”
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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 British Radio as a presenter. See greatbritishradio.org for more info.