Frankie Bridge has candidly admitted to squandering her entire fortune from her pop star years, confessing: “I don’t have anything to show for it anymore, I think that’s one of my biggest regrets.” The singer-turned-Loose Women panellist, who shot to fame with S Club Juniors at the age of 12 before enjoying chart success with The Saturdays, has spoken openly about her financial past.
She first appeared on BBC‘s S Club Search which documented how the band full of youngsters was formed. The original concept was that the children would perform at Wembley as a support act to S Club 7 on their S Club 7 Carnival 2002 tour, but their appearance at Wembley was considered such a success that the kids went on to support at all tour dates and also formed S Club Junior once it ended. Frankie told the Big Fish podcast with Spencer Matthews that despite working from such a young age, she failed to save and now has nothing left from her pop star earnings. Frankie explained how her parents’ laid-back approach to spending, given her hard work, meant there was little monitoring of her finances.
“I think my parents always felt that they allowed me to work from such a young age that they were unable to tell me what to use my money for and what to spend it on. We didn’t have loads and loads,” reports the Mirror. Reflecting on her previous control over her finances, the presenter revealed: “Yeah of course, I was in control of it to a certain extent. I remember I had my own bank card. I think I only just closed it down like last week.”
Despite common assumptions about young celebrities not having control over their earnings, Frankie confirmed that she did indeed have access to her own income, complete with personal banking privileges.
Speaking candidly about her financial naivety after her time with S Club Juniors, she confessed: “They helped me to invest little bits. But at the time I had no mortgage, no bills, no nothing, I wasn’t really thinking about it. But when I look back it wasn’t as much money as I thought it was. It would have been nice to has some of it left.”
After S Club Juniors, Frankie was groomed for a solo career, with music mogul Simon Fuller envisioning her as the next Rachel Stevens.
She reflected on that period: “I had an opportunity afterwards. I was signed on my own for about a year as a solo artist and he wanted me to be the new Rachel Stevens, because she was the thing at the time.”
However, Frankie felt lost in the solo spotlight: “I felt so lost, I didn’t know what clothes I was into, what music. I was more an Avril Lavigne, a bit more emo. And that was not the style he was going for.”
Frankie has since revealed her struggles with depression and anxiety. Everything fell into place when Frankie received the call to join The Saturdays, despite her initial reluctance to be part of “another girl band.”
After careful consideration, she grabbed the chance and has since relished a string of hits with the band, which includes Rochelle Humes, Una Healy, Mollie King, and Vanessa White.
Now, Frankie is a devoted mum to her son Parker, whom she shares with football star Wayne Bridge, and a stepmum to his son Jaydon.