Gail Porter asked for job in local bookshop when she was homeless

by · Mail Online

Gail Porter has revealed she asked for a job in her local bookshop when she was struggling with homelessness.

The TV presenter, 53, who was declared bankrupt in 2017, previously experienced a period of homelessness for six months. 

After losing her hair completely in 2005, alopecia sufferer Gail - who found fame on Blue Peter, Top Of The Pops and Live & Kicking - found that her work opportunities faded rapidly, causing her outgoings to be far greater than her income.

Appearing on Lorraine on Thursday, Gail recalled her financial hardship during this period as she she struggled to land television work.

She said: 'I remember going to to the local book shop going, "Do you have any jobs going?" 'And they said, "Come on you're Gail Porter," and I said, "No genuinely, can I have a job?"

Gail Porter has revealed she asked for a job in her local bookshop when she was struggling with homelessness 
The TV presenter, 53, who was declared bankrupt in 2017, previously experienced a period of homelessness for six months
After losing her hair completely in 2005, alopecia sufferer Gail found that her work opportunities faded rapidly (pictured in 1999)

'I saved as much as I could and I have an amazing daughter whose 22 now and money just goes out.'

She added: 'I'd lost my hair, work wasn't coming in, bills were coming out. It can happy to anybody. I never expected it would happen to me.'

Gail famously posed for magazines like FHM at the height of her career but she claimed she often wasn't paid for those photoshoots.

She said: 'Magazines usually didn't pay us, you didn't get paid for these things.'

Gail is now a patron of the Fair Credit Charity - which alleviates financial hardship through community lending. 

The presenter has praised Prince William for his support as the unlikely duo tackle the nation's homelessness crisis together.   

She recalled on Lorraine: 'I got asked to do this, my postman buzzed the door and said you've got a royal letter.'

The Prince even broke Royal protocol to give her a hug at the launch of his homelessness project last summer. 

She said: 'I remember going to to the local book shop going, 'Do you have any jobs going?' 'And they said, 'Come on you're Gail Porter,' and I said, 'No genuinely, can I have a job?' '
She added: 'I'd lost my hair, work wasn't coming in, bills were coming out. It can happy to anybody. I never expected it would happen to me' 
Gail famously posed for magazines like FHM at the height of her career but she claimed she often wasn't paid for those photoshoots

Gail has praised the 42-year-old for his homeless foundation Homewards, which she is also involved with.

She said: 'He's hoping to end homelessness within the next five years which is a big ask.

'He's using his position for good, which must be difficult because people will think about how he lives a very nice lifestyle, but he was born into that. He could be sitting back and doing nothing.

'Instead, he's working extremely hard and doing as much as he can.'