The 'mumager' and stepfather who made Charlotte Church a millionaire: Child prodigy was ²ÁÃ͡ʤ¬¤¢¤ë¡Ë ¡ò25 million by 11 and says her mother's partner ²¡¤·¿Ê¤á¤ëd her to stay in the limelight - but '°µÎÏ cooker' of fame almost Çѵõd their ´Ø·¸
- À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë ȯ¼Í to fame at 11, with stepfather James and mum Maria in ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶â of her Áá´ü¤Ë career, which saw her sing for Ë¡°Æ Clinton, the late Queen and the ¥í¡¼¥ÞË¡²¦
- Read more: One-time child singing prodigy Charlotte Church, who was ²ÁÃ͡ʤ¬¤¢¤ë¡Ë ¡ò25million Ϸǯ¤Î just 11, ¼ýÍƤ¹¤ë¡¿Ç§¤á¤ës she's 'no longer a millionaire' after downsizing her Welsh mansion for a new Ⱦʬ-detached home
Charlotte Church?ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d this week that the ÊúÍʤ¹¤ë personal fortune of ¡ò25 million she amassed as a child soprano has all but disappeared, with the now 38-year-old À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë ¡Ê¿ÍÌ¿¤Ê¤É¤ò¡ËÃ¥¤¦¡¤¼çÄ¥¤¹¤ëing she's 'no longer a millionaire'.
The singer, who?first ȯ¼Í to fame at the age of just 11, after singing Andrew Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu on ITV's This Morning, ¿¤Ó¡Ê¤ë¡Ëd »ÙÇۡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÅýÀ©¤¹¤ë of her own ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s at the age of 16, after sensationally ²ò¸Û¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëing her mother, Maria, and her step-father James, who'd helped her earn her teenage millions.?
In a new interview this w eek, the singer once dubbed the 'ȯ¸À¤¹¤ë¡¿É½ÌÀ¤¹¤ë of an Angel' ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d that her six-bedroom ¡ò1.5million mansion has been Ëǰסʤ¹¤ë¡Ëd in for a more humble Ⱦʬ-detached ½êÍʪ¡¿»ñ»º¡¿ºâ»º in her native ¤à¤Á¤ÎÀ×s in a ´ë¤Æ¡¤ÅØÎÏ¡¤Äó°Æ to keep her ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s stable.?
From that first TV ¶ÈÀÓ¡¿À®²Ì until a ¤ß¤´¤¿¤¨¤Î¤¢¤ë teenage È¿Íð five years later that would break the family apart, 'mumager' Maria and stepfather James Church, who ·ëº§¤¹¤ë Maria when the singer was just three and ²Ä·è¤¹¤ë¡¦ºÎÂò¤¹¤ëd her in 1999, were ·ø¸Ç¤Ë in the ±¿Æ°ing seat of the child prodigy's career.?
ŬÀڤʻþ´üs: After ÁÀ·â to fame at just 11, Charlotte Church would amass a ¡ò25million personal fortune during her teenage years, with her mumager Maria, and stepfather James, guiding the young soprano's career - but this week, the À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë ¼¨º¶¤¹¤ëd she felt °µÎÏd during her teenage years to keep making money
This week, the À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë, who ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d most of her millions have now gone, said her step-father James ¼êÇÛÃæ¤Î¡¤¤ª¿Ò¤Í¼Ô to keep her in the ¥¹¥Ý¥Ã¥È¥é¥¤¥È ¤Ë¤â¤«¤«¤ï¤é¤º her ´ê˾¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë to live more like a normal teen
The singer, who's now married t o musician Jonathan Powell, has long referred to James as 'dad' after her À¸Êª³Ø¤Î father, Stephen Reed, who died from Covid in 2021, walked out on the family when she was just a toddler.
However, this week she È¿±Ç¤¹¤ëd on her stepfather's ambition, ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹ing his ´ê˾¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë to keep Àâ yes to lucrative ŬÀڤʻþ´üs that ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à the ½½Âå¤Î¾¯Ç¯¾¯½÷'s way Ͷȯ¤¹¤ëd the ÉÔÏ that would ·ë¶É end their working ´Ø·¸.?
The mother-of-three said: 'When I made money, I did say to my dad when I was 14, "I'm not sure about this showbiz stuff. I'm not really having a good time," and he was like, "Just stick at it as we don't get these ŬÀڤʻþ´üs."
While the three are now ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë once more - ÆÃ¤Ë since James' diagnosis with rare ½ªÅÀ illness AL amyloidosis in 2019, her stratospheric success and the °µÎÏs of fame for a time Ê´¡¹¤Ë¤¹¤ëd their ´Ø·¸ - with Charlotte estranged from her mum and stepfather for two years when she was just 16. a>?
In 2022, the singer ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d how, ¼ºË¾¤µ¤»¤ëd by a gruelling showbiz schedule and having ľÌ̤¹¤ëd terrifying Ͷ²ý¤¹¤ë ¶¼¤·s, she rebelled against her mum and stepfather, running away from the family home at 16.?
As a child prodigy who sang in Á°Àþ of the ¥í¡¼¥ÞË¡²¦, Charlotte Church amassed a fortune of ¡ò25 million by the time she was 11, but says her ÊúÍʤ¹¤ë wealth has been lost in the £±£°Ç¯´Ös since (pictured in 1999)
She told?Kate Garraway's Life Stories that she 'needed to be ²òÊü¤¹¤ë¡¿¼«Í³¤Ê' and bolted from her mum and James' care ¤Ë°ú¤Â³¤¤¤Æ an argument with Maria, who had caught her smoking.
The Íî¤Á¤ë-out was so ¸·¤·¤¤, it resulted in Maria ¶ì¤·¤àing a nervous ·èÎö¡¿¸Î¾ã after the former child À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë ¼Âह¤ëd to speak to her and stepdad James for nearly two years.
Speaking about that time, Charlotte said she was just ²¡¤·¿Ê¤á¤ëing »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë on her À©¸Â¤¹¤ëd life: 'As far as I am ´Ø¿´d, I needed to be ²òÊü¤¹¤ë¡¿¼«Í³¤Ê. I felt I had to be this other eternally young, innocent little girl. I just had to ºï¸º¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë the ´Ø·¸.'
Charlotte 38, recently ¡Ê¿ÍÌ¿¤Ê¤É¤ò¡ËÃ¥¤¦¡¤¼çÄ¥¤¹¤ëd she is 'not a millionaire' anymore and is ¸ºß ·³Ââd to downsize her home. Pictured: In May 2023
Charlotte Church sitting outside Rydoldog House, which she has turned into a wellness ÂàµÑ¡¿ÊÝÍÜÃÏ after buying it for ¡ò1.5million; she sold the ½êÍʪ¡¿»ñ»º¡¿ºâ»º in March this year
The singer's Áá´ü¤Ë career was controlled by her mother Maria and step-father James (Pictured, with mum Maria in 1999)
Normal teen: Ϸǯ¤Î just 16, Charlotte broke ²òÊü¤¹¤ë¡¿¼«Í³¤Ê from her stifling showbiz schedule and ran away from home, breaking ´Ø·¸ with her mum and James for two years after she was caught smoking (The singer pictured in 2005, and, ¸¢Íø 2008)
Heartbreak: After ²ò¸Û¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëing her parents when she was just 16, the teen soprano ÂçÉôʬ¤Ï took »ÙÇۡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÅýÀ©¤¹¤ë of her own ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s, with her mum and step-parents using the money they'd made to Åê»ñ¤¹¤ë in ¤µ¤Þ¤¶¤Þ¤Ê Å굡¡¦ÅÒ¤±¤ës ´Þ¤àing a pub, B&B and more recently a dog grooming ¾¦Çä¡¿»Å»ö? (The family pictured in 2004)?
Without her parents help with ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s, the Welsh singer ÊóÆ»¤Ë¤è¤ì¤Ð spent her millions, ´Þ¤àing ¡ò10,000 on a girls' holiday to Ibiza »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë in 2004
There had also been a bitter ¹çˡŪ¤Ê À臘¡¿À襤 in 2000, with pop talent ·Ð±Ä¼Ô¡¿»ÙÇÛ¿Í Jonathan Shalit, who first discovered Charlotte while she was À®¤·¿ë¤²¤ëing in a pub in Cardiff.
The ¹çˡŪ¤Ê Íí¤Þ¤ë saw James and Maria settle in a °ãÈ¿ of ·ÀÌó »öÎã¡¿´µ¼Ô when the singer was just 14.??
Shalit's lawyers ¡Ê¿ÍÌ¿¤Ê¤É¤ò¡ËÃ¥¤¦¡¤¼çÄ¥¤¹¤ëd Maria had ²ò¸Û¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd him while in ·ÀÌó because she no longer ¼êÇÛÃæ¤Î¡¤¤ª¿Ò¤Í¼Ô to »Ùʧ¤¦¡¿Ä¶â his ¡ÊÇäÇã¡Ë¼ê¿ôÎÁ¡¤°ÑÂ÷¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿°Ñ°÷²ñ¡¿¸¢¸Â.?
The teenage singer said outside the courtroom when the »öÎã¡¿´µ¼Ô was over: 'This has been a horrible year for me and the »Ä¤ê¡¿µÙ·Æ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë of the family. I am really glad it is all over.'?
However, just two years later the ½½Âå¤Î¾¯Ç¯¾¯½÷ sensationally ²ò¸Û¤¹¤ë¡¿Ë¤²Ð¡¿¼Í·âd James and Maria, after she became romantically ȼ¤¦¡¿´Ø¤ï¤ëd with DJ Steven Johnson, who her parents Ʊ°Õ¤·¤Ê¤¤d with.
She said finding fame changed the family's dynamic:?'I don't think anything went wrong it was just like a °µÎÏ cooker... there was a couple of Ͷ²ý¤¹¤ë ±¢Ëšʤò´ë¤Æ¤ë¡Ës when I was a kid, a whole Ééô of ¶¯Ä´¤¹¤ë¡¿¥¹¥È¥ì¥¹ and °µÎÏ, we were living in each other's pockets.
The family's Íî¤Á¤ë-out was so ¸·¤·¤¤, it resulted in Maria ¶ì¤·¤àing a nervous ·èÎö¡¿¸Î¾ã after the former child À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë ¼Âह¤ëd to speak to her and stepdad James for nearly two years?
¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë again: After Maria and James stepped away from her career, the family ·ë¶É reconciled and now enjoy a ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë ´Ø·¸? (mother and daughter pictured in 2019)?
'ÀäÂÐ my best friend': Charlotte ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d her ¹ÓÇÑ in 2019 after learning her stepdad is terminally ill
Charlotte married musician Jonathan Powell in a secret µ·¼° surrounded by just a few friends and family in 2017 (pictured in 2015)?
Church Äɲ乤ëd: 'It¡Çs only with hindsight that I knew just what it meant to my mum. It felt like they had ´°Á´¤Ë lost me and just this whole life that we had built together for the last few years.'?
In the £±£°Ç¯´Ös since, James and Maria have long been financially ÆÈΩ¤·¤¿¡¦Ìµ½ê° of the singer, Åê»ñ¤¹¤ëing the money they made from Charlotte's career in a B&B and dog grooming ¾¦Çä¡¿»Å»ö.?
Maria once said: 'When s he no longer needed us as chaperones after she reached 16, we had to think of new ways to earn money.?
'I knew we were good with people, so when a B&B ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à up for sale in 2003, we thought, ¡ÈLet¡Çs give this a go.¡É'.
James continues to À臘¡¿À襤 ill health, but the couple are ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë once more to their daughter
ºÇ¶á¤Î years have seen the trio closer than ever. In?2019, Charlotte ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d her ¹ÓÇÑ after James was ¿ÇÃǤ¹¤ëd with ½ªÅÀ illness?AL amyloidosis.?
She said: 'It¡Çs ÀäÂÐ terrifying the idea of not having him around. I rely on him for so much, he¡Çs my buddy, my ÀäÂФΠbest friend and has been for years.'?
James continues to À臘¡¿À襤 ill health but has so far È¿¹³¤¹¤ëd doctors ͽ¬s that he might live for just six months ¤Ë°ú¤Â³¤¤¤Æ his diagnosis.?
¾ÚÌÀ¤¹¤ëing just how ¤Î¶á¤¯¤Ë Charlotte is with the man she calls 'Dad', he was the first guest on her new podcast series for BBC Sounds.?
In the first episode of 'Kicking »Ù±ç¤¹¤ë with the Cardiffians', James told his step-daughter about how his own ¤·¤Ä¤± had been Éϵ粽¤·¤¿ and at times »ÄµÔ¤Ê.?
He ½Ò¤Ù¤ëd his first memory growing up in ¤à¤Á¤ÎÀ×s as ¸ºß »ÙÇÛ¤¹¤ëd to ˽ÎÏ¡¿·ã¤·¤µ by his father.?
He said: 'My father had come home drunk because we all slept in the one bed. I've got two [siblings], a brother and a sister who are older than me. We didn't have pyjamas on and my father ¡Êµ¡¤Î¡Ë¥«¥à upstairs drunk and ¡Ê·Ù´±¤Î¡Ë½ä²ó¶è°è¡¤¼õ»ý¤Á¶è°è us with a belt. That was my first memory as a child.'
Charlotte Church with her ex Gavin Henson at a ¥´¥ë¥Õ tournament in 2005; the couple bought a ¡ò500,000 home and a ¡ò800,000 ¥è¥Ã¥È together?
The ¹âµé¤Ê ¥è¥Ã¥È »Ø̾¤¹¤ëd '¤¢¤é¤Þ¤·¤Î' that Charlotte bought with her ex-boyfriend rugby À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë Gavin Henson. Pictured: Swansea Marina in October 2009
After a shocked Charlotte Åú¤¨¤ë¡¿±þ¤¸¤ëd: 'Wow, dad that's f***ing horrific', James Åú¤¨¤ë¡¿±þ¤¸¤ëd: 'It's not pleasant. That's why I think what you're doing (with this podcast) is really important.?
'There's a lot of other questions I wish that I'd ask my mother and father before they passed away.'
Charlotte ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d this week that 'she's no longer a millionaire' and has É餫¤¹¡¿·âÄƤ¹¤ë-sized to keep her ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s in check.??
The former child À±¡¿¼çÌò¤Ë¤¹¤ë ǧ¤á¤ë she frittered away money when she first ¿¤Ó¡Ê¤ë¡Ëd ºâÀ¯¾å¤Î »ÙÇۡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÅýÀ©¤¹¤ë in her late teens. She spent her fortune on a ¡ò500,000 lavish manor with ex Gavin Henson, an ¡ò800,000 ¥è¥Ã¥È, an Ibiza girls' holiday with a ¡ò10,000 Ë¡°Æ and, more recently, a ¡ò1.5 million hippie ÂàµÑ¡¿ÊÝÍÜÃÏ.
¤Ë¤â¤«¤«¤ï¤é¤º the 38-year-old ¾ÜºÙ¡Ê¤Ë½Ò¤Ù¤ë¡Ëing her ºâÀ¯¾å¤Î misfortune and having to downsize her home, she is ÊóÆ»¤Ë¤è¤ì¤Ð still sitting on »ñ»ºs of over ¡ò3.5 million in one of her companies and made a tidy pr ofit of ¡ò700,000 on the ºÇ¶á¤Î sale of her house.?
Charlotte Church ¸Â¤é¤ì¤¿¡¿Î©·ûŪ¤Ê, of which she is the ñÆȤΠdirector, saw its »ñËÜ¡¿¼óÅÔ and reserves grow from ¡ò3.36million to ¡ò3.5million in accounts, which were ¤È¤¸¹þ¤ß¡¿Äó½Ð¤¹¤ëd last month.
However, her The Dreaming ¸Â¤é¤ì¤¿¡¿Î©·ûŪ¤Ê, which owns the woman-¾ÇÅÀ¡Ê¤ò¹ç¤ï¤»¤ë¡Ëd countryside ÂàµÑ¡¿ÊÝÍÜÃÏ which she recently ³«»Ï¤¹¤ë¡¤ÂǤÁ¾å¤²¤ëd to »Ùʧ¤¦¡¿Ä¶âing guests,?has ÂáÊ᤹¤ë µÁ̳¡¿ÉéºÄs of ¡ò551,000.?