Frankie Bridge has admitted she spent all the money she earned as a child star in S Club Juniors and now regrets not managing her early success more wisely. The 36-year-old Loose Women panellist rose to fame aged just 12 as part of the chart-topping pop group before going on to join The Saturdays, achieving 13 Top 10 singles. Speaking on Spencer Matthews’ Big Fish podcast, she said: “I don’t have anything to show for it anymore. I think that’s one of my biggest regrets.”
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Bridge explained that her parents gave her the freedom to make her own financial decisions, believing it was only fair since she had started working so young. “I think my parents always felt they couldn’t tell me how to spend my money because I was earning it myself,” she said. “We didn’t have loads and loads.” She recalled having access to her own debit card as a teenager, admitting: “I was in control of it to a certain extent. I think I only just closed that account last week.” Although the group offered some financial guidance, she confessed she hadn’t taken it seriously, saying she invested “little bits” but didn’t think about saving since she had “no mortgage, no bills, no nothing”.
Looking back, Bridge admitted her earnings were less substantial than she had imagined at the time. “When I look back, it wasn’t as much money as I thought it was,” she said. “It would have been nice to have some of it left.” Despite her financial regrets, she fondly remembered the friendships formed during her time in S Club Juniors, particularly with Rochelle Humes, who later became her bandmate again in The Saturdays.
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Bridge’s candid reflections followed a chaotic trip to Paris Fashion Week, where she was left locked out of her Airbnb for seven hours in the early hours of the morning. After attending the Radica Studio show, she and her friends found themselves stranded outside their apartment when the lock jammed. Sharing her frustration on Instagram, she wrote: “When the lock on your Airbnb won’t work… now four girls are stuck outside with everything inside.” After hours of unhelpful replies from the host, she posted a weary 4am selfie with the caption: “Still not in… seven hours.”
