A struggling Nottingham mum-of-two who had a debt of £16,000 has spoken out after swapping lives with a millionaire. Billie Thompson lives in a three-bed council house with her children, Blaine, 12, and five-year-old daughter Maxie-Jay.
As part of the Channel 5 programme Rich House, Poor House, Billie swapped lives with millionaire business Mark Harvey and his family. Living in a sprawling eight-bedroom Derbyshire estate with fiancée Nicky, Mark's life is world's away from Billie's.
Billie works part-time as a carer and also receives some benefits but is left with £52 in disposable income per week. Her mum Deb, who has a job as a cleaner, tries to help out her daughter as much as she can and often gives her money from her savings.
Deb explained: "With her keep relying on me it sometimes makes me a bit nasty because I have to say to her 'Billie, I can't keep doing this! You've got to start standing on your own two feet. Stop living like a millionaire when you're not!'"
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However, DerbyshireLive reports. Billie is hopeful that she can turn her debts around through carpentry and attended a joinery course at college last year in a bid to "be something". While she began renovating her home using her skills, her work ground to a halt after her grandfather became terminally ill and she helped care for him full-time.
As part of the television who, she went to stay at the property which sits on 1,500 acres of land and has six lakes, a tennis court and a swimming pool. Mark is dad to three daughters from a previous relationship - 12 year old Courtney, Sienna-Rose, six, and Freya, four and is also dad to one year old Theo with Nicky.
He was not born with wealth and initially worked with his dad as a builder, but turned to sales two years later - which was where his career skyrocketed. Mark was then able to build a multi-million pound property portfolio.
But the millionaire doesn't attribute his success to simply his can-do attitude - he has a daily routine to keep a healthy mind. From waking up at 4am to meditate, stretch and do yoga to jumping in an ice bath and consulting with shamans.
"I believe that if you're born into a poor background it's not your fault but if you stay there, it is your fault," he said firmly. But when the two families switched lives, David was forced to live in Billie's shoes as a single mum with just £52.31 for the week.
While Billie lived a life of luxury on Mark's weekly budget of £1,750. "It was very overwhelming," Billie admitted.
"It's something that I'd love to give my kids and I don't think I'd ever be able to and it upset me." Billie began her week with a training regime with a personal trainer livestreaming from Austria - which included her bouncing up and down on a trampoline reading inspirational phrases, then having a dip in an ice cold pool.
While Mark found it tough juggling all of Billie's duties as a single mum, from getting the kids to school to delivering shopping to her grandmother and cleaning the house. He then came across bailiff letters in kitchen.
"We've got to get on top of the situation and think up a plan," he vowed. Over the course of the week, Billie's mum saw a change in her daughter.
As Billie and Mark finally came face to face after the life swap, she was asked what she truly wanted in life. "I just want to be comfortable and have a better life and know that I can do what I want to do," she said, before explaining her dream to have a van with her friend and work as carpenters.
"If you really want to transform your life, I'd be willing to work with you, work beside you, whatever it is you need," Mark told her. "Point you in the right direction, give you training, programmes so that you can find out what it really is you want to do so you don't have to rely on your mum or anyone else and you can stand on your own two feet."
Breaking down in tears, Billie told him: "That would be lovely." Mark replied: "Ok, let's put this into action, come up with a strategy of how to start, what direction to go in." Still emotional, Billie asked: "Can I give you a cuddle?"
"After speaking with Billie, I can tell she does want change and that's super important," Mark said later. Billie also added afterwards: "The fact that he's told me he's going to help me... it's all positive things."
Rich House, Poor House airs at 9pm on Sundays on Channel 5.
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