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Penniless Channel 4 star left living in 'rat-infested council house' after losing mansion
Reach Daily Express | May 7, 2026 7:39 AM CST

She was best known for her time on Big Brother back in 2007, but Lisa Appleton's life has been struck by tragedy over the past two decades, leaving her living in a "rat-infested council house". The Channel 4 star was thrown into the limelight in the mid-noughties when she became an overnight sensation on the long-running reality show. She secured £25,000 magazine deals, yacht holidays in Sardinia and owned an expansive mansion.

The TV star was a shadow of her former self as she adjusted to life in a council home. But she's not alone. Former Coronation Street star Bruce Jones used to earn over £100,000 a year playing Les Battersby on the iconic Manchester cobbles.

He had countless celebrity friends, enjoyed expensive holidays and VIP champagne treatment everywhere he went. Now, he has lost his houses, his cars, his holidays and his friends.

Last year, the pair were part of the Channel 5 programme called Celebs on Benefits, which explored how their lives went from rags to riches and back again. Lisa explained how her life spiralled out of control at the height of her fame.

She told the channel: "I live in the past all the time, saying, 'I wish I'd done this, I wish I'd done that', but it's not helping me move forward. I think I put my trust in the wrong people... and I was conned and scammed and was left all of a sudden overnight penniless and homeless."

Since then, the TV star has announced that she is engaged to a fan after just months of dating, showing off the sparkling rock on her finger after he popped the question. The 57-year-old Big Brother star was snapped last November flaunting the sparkling ring, sending the rumour mill alight.

An insider told The Sun: "Lisa was in an on-and-off relationship for a number of years but had been single for a while. Over the last few months, she has been with a new man.

"She actually met him some time ago - he is a huge fan of hers - but it only recently turned romantic. They get on really well. It's lovely. Lisa is nearly 60, so she doesn't want to waste any time, and when he popped the question, she decided to just go for it."

Lisa was previously married to Mario Marconi, with whom she starred alongside on the ninth series of Big Brother in 2010. But after eight years together, he and Lisa went their separate ways.

It comes after she shed an impressive 1.5 stone, stripping down to a bikini to showcase her trim new figure. She told fans, "Thank you for your lovely comments & interest in how I lost weight & fitness regime. Brief summary, lost a stone & a half in six weeks. Wanted to shape up for summer, plus be fitter, healthier and cut out sugars and processed foods."


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