Former Big Brother Star Admits to Begging After Failing to Find Work

Former Big Brother contestant Lisa Appleton has admitted to begging after failing to find work in the years since the show.  Lisa, who appeared in the ninth series of the reality show alongside her then-husband Mario Marconi, has revealed that in the years following the show she became homeless and was unable to claim benefits. The couple appeared on Big Brother in 2008.  Speaking to The Mirror, the 47-year-old revealed: "I had to start asking everyone for food. I went to food banks. "I just felt my dignity had gone, my confidence had gone. "If anyone gave me a pack of food, I was so grateful - pasta, milk, rice, biscuits and soup. I was so grateful for anything." The star failed to find work after Big Brother.  The former reality star admitted that her daughter would take her out for a meal once a week and said she felt guilty about not being able to do more for her child. She added: "I can see why so many people die when their benefits are stopped. "You cannot judge the homeless or people on benefits because the stress that you feel at the time is awful." The couple were together for eight years.  Lisa, who split from Mario in 2013, said her troubles started when the couple were tricked into filming a fake reality show which she claimed "tore our lives apart and destroyed our relationship." Lisa stars in a one-off Channel 5 documentary entitled Celebs on Benefits: Fame to Claim which airs on Thursday 25th June on the channel.