Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker has denied putting her Kent home on the market because of financial issues, but admits she barely made a penny during her time with the band.
Along with Bobby G, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, the singer, 69, became a household name after the four-piece won the Eurovision Song Contest with hit track Making Your Mind Up in 1981.
But she struggled to make ends meet after the global pandemic and its subsequent series of national lockdowns prevented her from touring with the group after they reformed as The Fizz.
Baker since put the £1.4million Kent mansion she shares with husband Steve Stroud and their 29-year-old twin daughters Kyla and Natalie up for sale, but denies recent claims that the decision was prompted by an urgent need to raise money.
She told The Sun: ‘I’m not “poor Cheryl”, I’m just ordinary. I’m the same as everybody. I have bills to pay and I need to earn a living to pay the bills. Fortunately, I love my work so I want to keep working.’
Not true: Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker has denied putting her Kent home on the market because of financial issues, but admits she barely made a penny during her time with the band
All yours: Baker has put the £1.4million Kent mansion she shares with husband Steve Stroud and their 29-year-old twin daughters Kyla and Natalie up for sale
The singer also revealed her earnings were limited during the height of her fame with Buck Fizz, who scored three number one singles and toured extensively following their emergence in the early ’80s.
She recalled: ‘We were given five per cent of a 90 per cent of the sales, because they took off ten per cent for breakages and giveaways to radio stations and record firms. That five per cent was split four ways, so we got less than a penny for every record we sold.
‘I had enough to buy a semi- detached in Eltham, South East London, but I didn’t care. I’m not into material things. Money gets me by, money pays for things, but that’s all.’
The singer’s earnings also paid for her parents’ home in Essex, as well as a £15,000, 32ft Fairline Phantom boat, moored in Brighton Harbour.
But while her pop career has been curtailed, Baker admits her lifelong commitment to hard graft means she isn’t afraid to roll up her shirtsleeves and apply herself to menial work if it means bringing in a wage.
The singer – who worked as a secretary for five years before finding fame – has earned cash by working as a £10 an hour assistant with her neighbour’s gardening company, a job she admits she loved.
Baker has even forayed into the convoluted world of YouTubing by posting her own cooking videos, while extra cash has been earned by recording personal messages for fans.
With the family home up for sale, Baker has also sold a variety of home accessories though online auction site eBay and car boot sales.
Success: Along with Bobby G, Mike Nolan and Jay Aston, the singer became a household name after the four-piece won the Eurovision Song Contest with Making Your Mind Up in 1981
In August Baker told how she sold clothes, including her glamorous outfits, her car and started growing vegetables from a plot at the bottom of her garden to save on grocery bills.
Now she’s hoping to get back on track by selling the home she originally bought for £750,000 in November 2011 with bass player husband Steve, who has played in Sir Cliff Richard’s band.
The detached family house near Tonbridge sits on the edge of a ‘sought-after picturesque village’ which features in ITV’s The Larkins, an adaptation of The Darling Buds of May.
The ‘charming’ 2,800 square foot property comes with a detached barn which has been fully renovated to create two holiday lets – and helped bring in some extra cash for the couple.
The main house’s ‘quirky’ living arrangements, described by estate agents Hamptons as ‘a flexible layout’, means that as well as a grand entrance hall, large modern kitchen, sitting room and dining room on the ground floor there are also four downstairs bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The other half: Baker shares her Kent home with musician husband Steven Stroud (pictured) and their twin daughters
Old times: Bucks Fizz went on to sell more than 50 million records worldwide with a string of top 10 hits – including three UK number one singles
The house has two further bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor.
The layout came in handy during lockdown when the couple’s twin daughters moved back home during the pandemic.
In its brochure Hamptons says of the property: ‘It is set in an idyllic semi-rural location while being in easy reach of the main towns.
‘The original 1930s home has been subject to a number of improvements in recent years including a new kitchen, toilet and bathrooms.
‘The accommodation is well presented and decorated in a modern style while retaining some original features such as wooden beams and floors.’
Baker hit the big time along with her bandmates when Bucks Fizz won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest before topping the charts with Making Your Mind Up.
The group went on to sell more than 50 million records worldwide with a string of top 10 hits including two further number ones – The Land of Make Believe and My Camera Never Lies.
