HEARTBREAKING CHOICE: Single Mum Surviving on £98 a Week Forced Into Devastating Decision
A single mum-of-two appears on Channel Five’s Rich House, Poor House and faces a difficult dilemma
Rich House, Poor House mum was forced to make a heartbreaking decision (Image: Channel 5)
A struggling single mum of two is forced to make a heartbreaking decision.
During Sunday’s (April 26) episode of Channel Five’s Rich House, Poor House, wealthy Mr Whippy owner Joe Sealey swaps his life of luxury with Steph, her mum Gail and her two daughters, Amelia, 12 and seven-year-old Darcey.
In the show, two families from different ends of the financial spectrum exchange homes, budgets and lifestyles for a week and immerse themselves in each other’s lives. But not long into the latest show, Gail has to abandon the swap after becoming sick.
In Widnes Liverpool, Steph lives in a 3 bedroom house that has seen better days as the downstairs floor is coming apart and Amelia’s bedroom has mould.
Steph works six days a week from home doing phone sales, selling holidays she can only dream of. Despite grafting hard and being great at her job, she still struggles to make ends meet. After basic household bills they have just £98 a week to spend on everything else.
Steph’s mum was forced to leave the swap (Image: Channel 5)
Experiencing how the wealthiest 1% live, they exchange homes with millionaire businessman Joe, who lives in a luxurious £3.5m house in Wilmslow, near Manchester, with his wife Nicole and their two children.
His family is unable to join him on the swap so he’s accompanied by family friend Tracey. The entrepreneur exchanges his property – featuring six bedrooms, a cinema room, gym and even an indoor swimming pool – for a week in Steph’s council house 30 miles away.
While Joe and Tracey are forced to manage on a weekly budget of £98, Steph, her children and mum Gail get a taste of luxury living with £2,000 to spend.
However, not long into the swap, Steph is forced to send her mum back home after being too sick to continue on with the show.
Gail, who lives up the road from her daughter, has been battling ill health and she is a constant worry for Steph. It’s another challenge for the family who have seen tough times after cancer took both Steph’s granddad and her sister.
Businessman Joe Sealey went above and beyond to help the single mum (Image: Channel 5)
It’s clear Gail’s disappointed to be leaving as she feels as though she’s “letting her family down” Speaking to the camera, Steph is visibly moved as she says: “I will quote my daughter ‘you (Gail) will be letting us down nanny, if you stay not if you go.”
The next day, Steph is relieved after receiving the good news that her mum is feeling a lot better.
“She’s got a support network so it takes the pressure off me because I know she’s got all that at home,” Steph explains. “Now I think it’s going to help me relax and enjoy it more as an experience because I’ve not got that massive worry going on.”
Steph manages to enjoy the rest of her time and at the end of the swap, when she’s finally reunited Joe and Tracey, she’s left in tears after a life-changing surprise.
Joe goes above and beyond to help the single mum as he decorates her home, surprises them with a family holiday and promises to give her £20k of the first sales made after a successful business meeting.
Not only that but he even offers her the chance to work with his sales team with a starting salary of £60k a year.