So it’s a days filming today for a Tonight with Trev Mac programme about Rosie Millard, the former BBC Arts Correspondent and now presenter/Sunday Times Buy-to-let columnist. She’s been slammed recently for being £40,000 in debt while having a huge amount of property. My job was to go in and see her and find the real story and help if I can.
I’ve worked with Rosie before (on a property programme) and we get on rather well. In fact we both actually have the same agent for TV work and when I first read the story I did send a personal email saying I’d happily have a chat if it’d help. However in the end it turned out I would have to do it on camera.
I arrived at her beautiful home in Islington, to be greeted by quite a strong expresso, as well as the producer, cameraman and soundman (both called Steve, it makes it much easier).
The funny thing is both Rosie and I present Tonight with Trev on occasion, so it’s a rather strange doubling to be there together. In fact in this she’s the presenter of the programme and I am ‘experting’. A bit of a shame for me as I suspect it’ll mean a softening on the agenda.
On to looking at the debts. The first thing that was obvious was the papers didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. She’d been slammed for a horrendous £40k of credit card debts. Yet between her and her hubby it was actually £20k and all at 0% and she’s a good tart constantly moving it.
Without giving the programme away too much (it’s on 13 May), Rosie’s problems are pretty simple. She’s overexposed to property, has no cash due to really poor money management, and spends substantially over her means (or did before anyway!)
For someone who earns north of £200,000 she really should have a good life. Before I went I didnt have much sympathy (well it’s tough to isn’t it). Yet actually after the day together, I felt much less antipathy to the situation. To be fair, she isn’t asking for sympathy, is aware of the issues, and rather bravely takes it on the chin (If you were well known would you expose your finances that way….?)
Right I’m going to stop writing now. After-all I am a journalist too, and don’t want to deny a bit of income writing a juicy piece for a paper on the day by giving everything away here! Can’t let Rosie reap all the pennies can we?
