Bucks Fizz’s Cheryl Baker says her DOI partner offered her money after she was left ‘totally broke’

Buck Fizz star Cheryl Baker has told how her former Dancing On Ice partner Daniel Whiston offered to send her money after she was left ‘totally broke’ amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The singer, 66, recently opened up about her financial woes, admitting she was struggling to pay her bills and taxes after work dried up thanks to lockdown restrictions.

And in a new interview, Cheryl has told how her friends and fans have kindly offered her money to keep her afloat after her gigs and shows were postponed or cancelled. 

Speaking to The Sun after her initial money revelations, Cheryl told how pals including Dan and her bandmate Mike Nolan, as well as a fan in Australia, have offered to help her financially till she gets back on her feet.

She said: ‘Mike rang me and said, “I’m coming down on the train. Pick me up at the station, I’m bringing cash for you”.

‘My skating partner from Dancing On Ice, Dan Whiston, called and offered to send money. A fan in Australia put a call out, saying “Cheryl’s destitute, we need to start a collection”.’

Cheryl, who shot to fame when band Bucks Fizz won Eurovision in 1981, now  performs with bandmates Mike, 66, and Jay Aston, 59, as The Fizz.

But the star hasn’t earned any money since October since a string of gigs and events were scrapped due to the pandemic, with Cheryl adding they had a tour planned in addition to festivals and eighties weekends. 

She explained: ‘Everything was cancelled or post-poned and now some of the dates that were postponed to the beginning of this year have been put back again. I’ve just been told one gig, set for March 6 this year, will be in 2022.’

She went on to say that she’s barely worked since March, with much of her family in the same boat as they too are in the entertainment business, adding that the industry she loves is ‘on its knees’.

Cheryl, who appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2018, is keeping positive despite her worries, adding that she’s found ‘joy’ in having her 26-year-old twin daughters Kyla and Natalie back home with her during the pandemic.

The TV star, married to guitarist Steve Stroud, 68, has also been embracing ways to save money and has even been growing her own vegetables. 

She told the publication that she’s focused on improving her vegetable garden as she knows she’ll likely still be out of work come spring.

Cheryl revealed that she and her husband have tried to be ‘frugal’ and have saved cash by not going anywhere amid the pandemic.

But the couple’s attempts to keep the bills down by staying warm by the Aga in the kitchen have somewhat been scuppered by the girls being home and needing to have the ‘expensive’ heating on. 

The Making Your Mind Up hitmaker did suggest to the publication that she could find employment as a ‘delivery person’, but didn’t want to ‘risk my health’ by being out and about at work.

She has however made some cash by recording personalised video messages for fans on CelebVM app, however, she’s had some backlash from trolls who accused her of ‘fleecing’ fans.  

She told how she hit back at the critics by asking them how exactly they expected her to ‘earn a living’, adding that she still had bills to pay after a ‘year of struggle.’

Cheryl first revealed her money woes last week when she confessed to being left ‘broke’ and struggling to pay her taxes. 

Her band The Fizz had to postpone their Up Close and Personal Tour last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Cheryl saying her only source of income was the group’s one-off streamed live show in October.

She told OK! magazine: ‘We had one virtual gig and that was our only income. It’s been ridiculously hard. I owe lots of tax… I physically haven’t got the money to pay anybody because I’m broke.’ 

She went on: ‘It’s been bittersweet for me. It means that I haven’t worked for a year. We had one virtual gig and that was our only income. It’s been ridiculously hard.

‘I owe lots of tax and VAT because I had a great year three years ago. But because I had that great year, I now can’t claim anything from the government. So, I’ve had to ring the VAT and tax people and say, “You’re going to have to put it on hold.”

‘But that’s the only thing I can do right now because I physically haven’t got the money to pay anybody because I’m broke. But, I am well and that is far more important.’