Table of Contents
SUCCESS can stem from a privileged start in life but some of the nation’s most famous faces prove that isn’t always strictly true.
A life of fame and fortune and palatial mansions was once an unfathomable pipe dream for national treasures like TV presenter Maya Jama and megastar Adele, who were all raised in council-owned homes as kids.
10
Money was extremely tight yet they’re proof that just like the rest of us, regardless of what background you come from, a dose of grit and determination can be the superpower that takes you to the top of your game.
Today, 17% of UK households live in social housing – the modern term for a council-owned property – according to Government data.
Whilst living in this sort of property might have once had a negative connotation attached to it, many residents have gone onto purchase their home through Right To Buy schemes, and at a very reasonable price.
Each local authority across the country runs a ‘waiting list’ for social housing and currently there are more people applying for homes than what’s available.
And it’s easy to see the appeal – huge gardens are often the norm along with ample-sized living spaces, unlike new builds which are comparatively smaller.
There’s a pantheon of wealthy, successful celebrities who come from council houses and even bedsits.
And refreshingly, each one says their humble beginnings helped steer them to success.
From a bedroom the size of a broom cupboard to a mouse-infested flat, we look at the famous faces who were brought up in council properties but have gone onto achieve great things.
Alison Hammond
Brummy-born and bred TV presenter Alison Hammond, 49, captured the hearts of the nation while appearing on Big Brother in 2003 and bagging a spot on the UK’s favourite daytime show, This Morning.
10
From interviewing and drinking whiskey with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling to getting caught on doors while surprising competition entries with thousands of pounds – Alison’s down-to-earth approach to everyone she meets warms her to the nation.
But she reveals her rise to fame hasn’t been easy because living in a three-bed council house with her two siblings and Jamaican-immigrant parents meant life from the get go was tough.
Although it didn’t drag Alison down – she appreciated everything she had.
“It was in a place called Kingstanding in Birmingham. To us this little three-bedroom house was like a palace. We had a front and back garden. There was a drive and a garage. It was like we had landed,” she told The Big Issue.
Growing up, her mum worked three jobs to make sure bills were paid and so Alison and her siblings never went without.
Alison explained that her mum would make sure she and her siblings had whatever they wanted – from roller skates to drum kits, which debunks the suggestion that families who live in council properties are living in poverty, and rely on government handouts.
Adoringly, Alison says her mum is her biggest hero and her unwavering maternal work ethic rubbed off on her.
“Even at the time I could see how hard she worked, how tired she was when she got home. She was everything to me, my mum. As I grew up, I took on a bit of her work ethic,” she added.
Before applying for Big Brother Alison was busy working as a travel rep and cinema usherette and was in £4,000 of debt.
Now, since her stint on Big Brother 21 years ago, Alison’s net worth is estimated to sit between £1m and £4m, with the help of presenting gigs and brand partnerships.
Stacey Dooley
Stacey Dooley, 37, first appeared on our screens in a 2008 for the BBC Three documentary Blood, Sweat and T-shirts. She lived and worked alongside those in the Indian fashion industry making clothes for the UK high street to see what life was like far away from her Luton home.
10
How can I get a council house?
To apply for a council home, you need to fill out and hand in an application to your local authority.
To find your local authority, simply use the Government’s council locator tool on its website.
Once you have access to your local council’s website, it should offer you guidelines on how to complete your application.
After applying, you’ll most likely have to join a waiting list.
Bear in mind, even if you are put on a waiting list, this doesn’t guarantee you a council house offer.
Your council should also offer you advice on how to stay in your current home and solve any issues you might have, such as problems with a private landlord or mortgage.
You are eligible to apply for council housing if you are a British citizen living in the UK providing have not lived abroad recently.
Each council has its own local rules about who qualifies to go on the housing register in its area, but it is based on “points” or a “banding” system.
For example, you’re likely to be offered housing first if you:
- are homeless
- live in cramped conditions
- have a medical condition made worse by your current home
- are seeking to escape domestic violence
Once you are high enough on a council’s waiting list, it will contact you when a property is available.
Some councils let people apply at the age of 18, while others let you apply even sooner at 16-year-olds.
EU workers and their families and refugees may also be eligible.
A council house is reached through a points system, so depending on your housing needs, you may be considered low priority.
The council will contact you about any available property once you are high enough on the waiting list.
There is no limit on how long you can expect to be on the waiting list.
She was such a hit that Stacey, a former retail assistant, went onto have her own investigative TV series, Stacey Dooley Investigates, and even went on to win Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
But growing up was an entirely different story for Stacey who lived in a filthy bedsit with her single mum Diane which was infested with mice.
It was only when Diane sent a photo of Stacey to the council still in nappies and holding a mouse that they agreed to move them into council housing.
To be eligible for a council property today, each authority has its own rules. Generally speaking, applicants must be on low incomes and have lived in the area for some time – they should have a so-called ‘local connection’, or work in the area where they want to live.
She used to work in pubs, clean houses, or do whatever she could. She even used to work on Christmas Day – and I’d go with her to the pub to help clean the ashtrays.
Stacey Dooley
Council’s also have what’s called an ‘allocation scheme’ which decides who has priority but once you’re added to the waiting list, there’s still no guarantee of securing a home.
In Stacey’s case, her mum worked harder than ever to put food on the table after they left their bedsit behind.
Stacey revealed: “She used to work in pubs, clean houses, or do whatever she could. She even used to work on Christmas Day – and I’d go with her to the pub to help clean the ashtrays.”
She also admitted to shoplifting with her friends when money was short.
But in time, Diane’s hard work ethic clearly transferred to Stacey who now has a file of hard-hitting documentaries to her name.
And Stacey’s ‘grounded’ background still clearly shines through because she shows she has the know how to get her interviewees – some from underprivileged backgrounds – to open up.
With her net worth said to be more than £760,150, according to website Articlebio, her success shows little sign of slowing either.
10
Maya Jama
With her lavish jet set lifestyle Maya Jama has come a long way since a childhood spent growing up in a Bristol council house.
The Love Island presenter, 30, is now worth a whopping £3million thanks to her presenter jobs, endorsements and her own skincare face mask line, ‘MIJ Masks.
10
It’s a far cry from her younger years which saw her dad jailed for most of her childhood because of violence-related crimes such as pub brawls and fights.
Revealing how those times have impacted, she shared: “I used to be so shy or embarrassed for anyone to find out if I came out from a council house, or if my dad’s been to jail … and actually that’s what makes me different.”
Maya said in Nando’s Booth Truths: “I want people to know [those things], so that if there are other people that are in the same situation I was in, they can be like … ‘I thought there was no way I’d be able to do that, but she’s done it.”
Maya started her career in 2014 as a co-host on YouTube channel Jumpoff TV and has gone from strength to strength, becoming a guest panellist on Loose Women to presenting her biggest gig to date, Love Island.
While her Instagram page is filled with snaps of her looking sun-kissed at the beach instead of on the streets of Bristol, she still pays homage to her roots by posing with a McDonald’s meal.
10
Adele
She has just announced a ‘very long break’ from music, but global superstar Adele, 36, didn’t always have the luxury to make such choices in life.
While the singer first shot onto the music scene with her album titled ‘19’, the palatial mansions and money which followed were a far cry from what life was like for her growing up.
10
And despite her riches, Adele reveals how she’ll always love her tiny council house in Brixton the most.
She confessed during her 75 Questions interview with Vogue that the small flat above a discount store in West Norwood she shared with her single mum and a flatmate was “the best house” she’s ever lived in.
After getting a spot at The BRIT school, a performing and creative arts school located in Selhurst, Croydon, Adele’s life changed beyond recognition.
It wasn’t long before she became a household name with her first smash hit song ‘Chasing Pavements’.
The mum-of-one, who has a son, Angelo, 11, with ex husband Simon Konecki, now boasts a property portfolio that includes her plush Beverly Hills home, which she bought for £7.7m in 2016, a £4.3m Tudor mansion in the UK, another £8.6m Beverly Hills mansion purchased in 2019 and a third for £8.17m in 2021.
She bought her fourth Beverly Hills property – a Mediterranean-style mansion – from Sylvester Stallone for a whopping £47.3m in 2022.
The London-born singer has now sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and is worth around £165m – an incredible achievement for a girl from humble roots.
10
Paloma Faith
Mum-of-two Paloma Faith, 43, has also been refreshingly open about her rough start to life living on a council estate in Stoke Newington, London.
Her parents split when she was two years old and she grew up with her mum in a tiny council house.
10
Paloma’s mum is said to still live in the same house and Paloma has recently bought one close by.
Speaking to The Times, Paloma revealed: “Going back there always feels weird, ’cos it’s so much smaller than I remember. My bedroom is not much more than a broom cupboard.”
Doors open all day
She also reflected on that time with nostalgia, a time when crime was seemingly low and neighbourhood trust was high.
“Back then, the street was all council houses, and we really did leave our front door open all day.”
But speaking to The Guardian she did admit it was a ‘tough area to grow up in,’ but she was lucky to have her mum’s strong spirit to get her through and make her dreams seem possible.
She said: “My big influence was probably my mum and I think the reason why is because she came from nothing and she made something.
“She taught me that if you have got a dream or ambition, it doesn’t matter where you come from or what accent you’ve got, you can do it. She’s the one.”
Her mum spent ten years trying to get pregnant before she finally had Paloma and dedicated her life to making sure she had the best.
Despite now being one of the UK’s most successful singers and a networth of £748,313.00 thanks to lucrative album sales according to Company Check the singer/songwriter hasn’t shaken off her humble roots.
Discussing her current home, she said: “I’ve got bright pink velvet chairs in the kitchen, and one of my friends said, “Aren’t you worried they’ll get stained?” Personally, I think they’ll look better with a few stains and a bit of felt-tip.
“A house is meant to be lived in. It’s not a museum.”
A great point and very well put Paloma.
10
