'Heartbroken' Claire Sweeney forced to sell Mallorca villa after earning just £5k last year

Claire Sweeney has revealed she was forced to live off the money she earned from the sale of her Mallorcan villa after her earnings dropped to £5k during 2020 and the early part of last year.

The former Brookside star admitted that her income was 'decimated' by the COVID-19 lockdown, which stopped her from being able to perform on stage — her main source of her income in recent years.

The 50-year-old singer and actor, whose 30+ year career kicked off when she landed a role on Channel 4 soap Brookside in 1991, found herself out of work in 2020.

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"I was earning under £5,000," she told Sunday Times. "Our industry was decimated. Thankfully I'd sold a house in Spain, in 2019, so I was blessed that I could sit it out comfortably.

"It was a big house in Mallorca that I'd bought in 2004 for €690,000 (£580,000).”

"It broke my heart to sell but it was in its own grounds, and my little boy didn't want that — he wanted to be with other kids."

Sweeney, who shares six-year-old son Jaxon with former fiancé Daniel Reilly, added that although she did sell the property for a higher price than what she purchased it for, the profits were lost to taxes.

She explained: “I sold it for €950,000 (£804,000), but I had to pay Spanish taxes and English taxes."

In recent times however Sweeney has had a change of fortune.

Earlier this year she toured with a production of 9 to 5: The Musical and she is set to star in new West End show, Cabaret All Stars.

Sweeney, who previously admitted she'd gained weight during the lockdown, said her main concern now is looking the part for the new role.

She recently told Closer magazine: "This show has got a really raunchy feel to it, laced with lots of humour.

"I wear a fabulous catsuit! I find it really liberating that I'm going to get completely outrageous and I am going to sing the song Light My Fire with a big band arrangement — and I think they're actually going to set fire to me while I'm doing it."

"This does all mean that I want to look my physical best."

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