WHILE it may seem like a lucrative job to star on the sets of EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, some actors still come upon hard times.
Here’s the lowdown on the soap stars who went bankrupt after rising to fame…
Eva Pope
Actress Eva Pope, who rose to fame in Coronation Street, was declared bankrupt in September 2007 after a £65,000 tax bill and £25,000 credit card debts despite acting roles.
The actress later bagged a role in Waterloo Road the same year.
Eva took on the role of barmaid Tanya Pooley in Coronation Street between 1993 and 1994.
- Visit our Coronation Street page for the latest gossip
- Find all Coronation Street spoilers here
Ryan Thomas
Ryan Thomas, best known for his role as builder Jason Grimshaw on Corrie, filed for bankruptcy in 2013 while still starring on the cobbles.
The actor reportedly went bankrupt after an unpaid tax bill.
Ryan didn’t let his financial woes stop him and later appeared in Neighbours and Celebrity Big Brother.
However, in March 2021, it was revealed that the former Corrie star had turned delivery driver – and was handing out takeaways from his Rolls Royce.
- Visit our Emmerdale page for the latest gossip
- Find all Emmerdale spoilers here
Martine McCutcheon
Actress Martine McCutcheon is yet another former soap star that has been hit financially in the past.
In 2013, despite an apparently successful career, Martine was declared bankrupt after filing for insolvency at a London court.
Martine found fame in EastEnders back in 1994 for her role as Tiffany Raymond, who married Ross Kemp’s Grant in the soap.
She went on to have success as a singer and actress on stage and screen
She topped the music charts in 1999 with her single ‘Perfect Moment’ and won a Laurence Olivier Award in 2002 for her stage portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
Joe Swash
Joe Swash hit the headlines in 2009 when he was was declared bankrupt by London’s High Court after failing to pay a £20,000 tax bill.
The actor played the loveable rogue Mickey Miller in EastEnders from 2003, but was axed by BBC bosses in 2008.
Things went downhill for Joe in 2005 when he was diagnosed with meningitis and encephalitis – swelling of the brain – after becoming seriously ill.
“My illness had a massive impact on the job. When I came back I couldn’t find my feet,” he told HOAR last year.
“New producers came in and brought in new actors and I got lost down the pecking order.”
The following year, months after his I’m A Celeb victory, Joe was forced to declare himself bankrupt.
Michael Le Vell
Corrie legend Michael Le Vell was declared bankrupt back in March 2018.
The actor, who plays Kevin Webster in the ITV soap, reportedly failed to keep on top of his tax affairs after his split from Janette Beverley in 2011.
The 56-year-old reportedly owed HRMC a six-figure sum and was declared bust by the High Court, according to The Mirror.
A source told the publication: “He sees this as another life lesson – he is not wallowing in self-pity. Things are on the up, he is loving work and he is not going to let this define him.
“It’s a bit of a mystery to his friends how he has found himself in such a pickle, especially as he was suspended on full pay during the trial.”
HOAR previously reported that the dad-of-two had gone bust after paying out £200,000 in fees in a trial over child abuse claims in 2013, in which he was found not guilty.
He was reportedly offered a £250,000-a-year contract back in 2017 to continue playing Kevin the mechanic in Corrie, which he has held since 1983.
Kevin sold his £750,000 home in Cheshire after his marriage to actress Janette collapsed following his trial over child sex allegations.
