She was the star who found fame aged 11, spent her teenage years performing in prestigious concert halls – and amassed a fortune of £25million in the process.
But now singer Charlotte Church is at risk of ‘going bankrupt’ after her dream of turning a £1.5million 16th century mansion into a hippie welfare retreat hit a major snag.
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The 36-year-old has invested “almost” all of her savings in the eco-friendly Rhydoldog House project in Powys, mid Wales – the 47-acre former home of Laura Ashley – which she hoped to open in June.
But Charlotte is said to have faced backlash from Welsh environmental bigwigs over her waste disposal plans for her log cabins in the woods and withdrew her planning application, the Daily Mail reports. .
Charlotte had previously said that failing to complete the project by summer would leave her “broken”, the Times reported – and she filmed a documentary series on The Wall called Dream Build to help fund it.
So where did his multi-million pound fortune go?
Convertible and jewel encrusted bra
Singing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit, Pie Jesu on This Morning, at the age of 11, Charlotte sold more than 10 million records.
Charlotte was able to access her millions at the age of 18 – having accumulated a fortune during her six years of performing around the world and before President Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II, the late Queen and King Charles.
In a BBC interview in 2004, when Charlotte was 18, she vowed not to get carried away with her huge fortune – which her mother said was around £7million.
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But the singer also claimed he was considering lavish purchases, including a Mini Cooper convertible.
Charlotte also told reporters she fancies buying a £1million ruby-encrusted bra to mark her 18th birthday.
While it’s unclear if she purchased the jeweled item, her parents kept her grounded with modest birthday gifts, including a CD player, clothes and jewelry.
£10,000 Girls Holiday
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That same year, the singer enjoyed romantic trips to Dubai and the Maldives with her boyfriend Kyle Johnson.
She also took a group of girlfriends for a week’s vacation in Ibiza.
Good morning! The magazine reported that she spent more than £10,000 on the trip to Spain’s party capital where she and her friends enjoyed the nightlife until the early hours.
During the trip, Charlotte didn’t hold back – paying for a private villa for all and a full-time personal driver to take them.
She said at the time: “I’m just here for a girls vacation, having a great time.”
A source told The Sun that Charlotte was ‘very generous’ during the holidays and ‘bought all the drinks’ whenever friends went out.
In the years that followed, she was photographed sipping champagne and on several occasions appeared to fall asleep in bars.
Mansions and a yacht
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A year later in 2005, while dating former Welsh rugby star Gavin Henson, Charlotte bought a house in Cardiff for around £500,000 which she later sold for £900,000.
The couple then bought a lavish mansion set in 20 acres of land in the Vale of Glamorgan – which is now said to be worth £2.5million.
Charlotte and Gavin, who separated in 2010, had a bar at the bottom of their garden where they indulged in binge drinking, according to the Daily Mail.
They were nicknamed the ‘Posh and Becks’ of rugby and at one time owned an £800,000 yacht, moored at Swansea Marina.
In 2013, Charlotte bought her ex a five-bedroom property so he could live closer to their children Ruby and Dexter, Wales Online reported.
finance the lifestyle
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After playing for presidents and royalty, it appears Charlotte suffered a mid-career slump in 2014.
The Sunday Times Rich List reported that his wealth fell to £11million that year.
In the documentary Charlotte Church: In Her Own Voice, she explained her concerns about money.
She said: “I will have to work for the rest of my life, not because I want to but because I have to.
“The taxman looks at my accounts wondering where I hide all my money.”
However, during an interview with Stylist, Charlotte claimed it was her expenses that meant she constantly needed to transplant.
She said, “I don’t have a lot of money. I have enough to be comfortable if I was reasonable for the rest of my life.
“But I’m not reasonable, so I’m going to have to find a way to maintain my lifestyle.”
Television works, commercials and books
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Charlotte’s last album, Back To Scratch, was released in 2010. Since then, she has diversified her sources of income with television appearances.
She starred on The Charlotte Church Show, which aired on Channel 4 from 2006 for two years, and guest-starred on TV shows such as Hospital 24/7 and Under Milk Wood.
The singer has also turned to commercials, notably for Walkers crisps and Virgin Holidays.
Charlotte has also written two autobiographies, her last Keep Smiling came out in 2007 and a number of opinion pieces for The Guardian.
Charlotte married musician Johnny Powell in 2017 and had a daughter, Frida, on August 15, 2020.
Earlier this year, Charlotte returned to the spotlight on The Masked Singer as the Mushroom and came in second.
hippie commune
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Charlotte bought the large Rhydoldog house for £1.5million last year and invested the money to turn the house into a nature-based health and wellness retreat.
The seven-bedroom, three-story mansion has a helicopter landing pad and a 200-year-old barn set on its 47 acres.
Charlotte planned to offer cycling, archery, foraging, hiking and strength and conditioning classes on the estate, according to Wales Online.
The mum-of-three also wants to introduce a hot tub, plunge pool and outdoor cinema to the luxurious Welsh wilderness estate.
She described the “inspiring wellness project” as “one of the biggest, riskiest and potentially most rewarding challenges” she has ever faced.
With this latest reported setback, this could be his costliest.
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