Financial advisor with a six-figure salary is humbled by unemployed mother-of-five

A millionaire’s son who lives in his parents’ six-bedroom mansion gets a taste of what life is like on the breadline is like on tonight’s episode of Rich Kids Go Skint.  

Financial advisor and personal shopper Alex, 25, from Stoke-on-Trent, enjoys the finer things in life and still lives at home rent-free in his parents’s six-bedroom mansion despite earning a ‘six-figure’ salary. He spends up to £150 a day on food, up to £3,000 for a table at a nightclub and some £3,600 a year on underwear alone. 

At the start of the episode, he explains he judges people on benefits for being ‘lazy’ and says he doesn’t think it’s fair that they can receive Government support while ‘laying on their a**’.   

But Alex is humbled by a two-day stay with mother-of-five Nickeisha a single mother who relies on £290 a week in benefits to pay her rent and buy food for her family, as well as other essentials.  

Nickeisha, who lives in London, tells Alex that she would rather be working and make her own money, which leads to her guest changing his mind about families who claim benefits. 

Alex, 25, from Stoke-on-Trent, is a wealthy heir, but has made his own six-figure salary by juggling being a financil advisor with working as a personal shopper for the super rivh. In Rich Kids Go Skint tonight on 5Star, he goes to stay with a family-of-six living on the bread line

Mother-of-five Nickeisha lives with her children aged from 16 and eight-month in a three bedroom council flat in London, and has been on benefits since 2012. She used to work as a carer but had to stop to take care of her expanding groom. The kids' father is involved in their live, but him and Nickeisha are not together anymore

Mother-of-five Nickeisha lives with her children aged from 16 and eight-month in a three bedroom council flat in London, and has been on benefits since 2012. She used to work as a carer but had to stop to take care of her expanding groom. The kids’ father is involved in their live, but him and Nickeisha are not together anymore 

During his stay with Nickeisha, Alex's eyes were open to the reality of feeding a family of young children while on benefits

During his stay with Nickeisha, Alex’s eyes were open to the reality of feeding a family of young children while on benefits 

Alwz cooked for the family of five children (one of them is pictured with him) and said he respected Nickeisha for what she did for her kids

Alwz cooked for the family of five children (one of them is pictured with him) and said he respected Nickeisha for what she did for her kids

At the start of the show, Alex reveals he splashes out on anything that takes his fancy and spends an average of £5,000 on clothes alone each month. 

The financial advisor does not mess around with fashion, explaining it’s the best way to ‘showcase himself’ and saying ‘who you are without saying a word.’  

This taste for nice clothes has allowed him to work as a personal shopper for the mega rich, who like his sense of style.  

‘I drive a BMW 8-6 that was brand new. That was about £65,000. I saw it and I liked it and a couple of weeks later it was on my driveway,’ he explained. 

‘I’m very spontaneous with my purchases. If I see something, I can’t miss out on it, so I need to buy it right there and then.’

The same goes for Alex’s ‘play hard’ attitude, which sees him spend between £3,000 and £5,000 to book tables in lavish nightclubs where he hopes to rub elbows with socialites and footballers that might take an interest in his personal shopping business. 

Speaking of what he expects of spending time with the family, Alex says he wanted to get their side of the story.  

In order to make ends meet, Nickeisha sometimes has to spread £3 for four days and says she was left with nothing, just 'surviving.' She explains she receives £290 a week in benefits, with £70 covering her rent, £40 going to water and electricity and the rest covering food and essentials

In order to make ends meet, Nickeisha sometimes has to spread £3 for four days and says she was left with nothing, just ‘surviving.’ She explains she receives £290 a week in benefits, with £70 covering her rent, £40 going to water and electricity and the rest covering food and essentials

On the show, the mother-of-five and Alex go visit the tomb for her mother, who died nine-months ago

On the show, the mother-of-five and Alex go visit the tomb for her mother, who died nine-months ago

‘I want to see their side of the story, I want to see why this family is on the bread line,’ he says. ‘I want to be able to delivery my story and drive them to become a better person.’

Meanwhile, mother-of-five Nickeisha’s life could not be further from the rich kid’s. 

Crammed in a three-bedroom apartment with her five children aged 16 to eight months, she has been living on benefits since 2012, when she was pregnant with her third baby. 

The unemployed mother lives on £290 a week, £70 of which go towards her rent, and £40 towards gas and electricity. This leaves her with £180 a week to buy food and essentials.

‘Sometimes all I have is 3 pounds to last me until the next four days,’ she explains. ‘There is nothing left for me to do anything. I’m just surviving,’ she adds. 

The family can’t afford things others would take for granted, such as eating out.  

‘We have to make it work because this is all we have,’ she tells the camera.  

Alex takes to the family and realises that living on benefits is hard. He says he will be doing more to help families that are struggling like Nickeisha (pictured meeting the kids on their way back from school)

Alex takes to the family and realises that living on benefits is hard. He says he will be doing more to help families that are struggling like Nickeisha (pictured meeting the kids on their way back from school)

‘The only time we go out to eat out is when we get invited to party, like a birthday party, f you call that eating out but takeaways, it’s too expensive.’

While the children’s father, who is not named in the programme, is involved in their lives, Nickeisha and him are separated. 

‘Being a single mum is extremely difficult. It’s not that the dad is not involved in their lives, he is, but were not in a relationship, and sometimes, I would like some help,’ she admits. 

Up until recently, she could rely on the help of her mother, but she passed away nine months ago after developing early onset dementia. 

‘I think spending £1,000 on anything that’s not lifesaving is a waste of money,’ she tells the camera. 

Nickeisha’s biggest heartbreak is the fact she was not able to afford the care for her mother when her dementia started to deteriorate. 

Alex tells Nickeisha she is 'genuine' about her benefits use. But she claps back and tells him she does not enjoy living on benefits, and is not abusing the system

Alex tells Nickeisha she is ‘genuine’ about her benefits use. But she claps back and tells him she does not enjoy living on benefits, and is not abusing the system

‘I did everything I could but financially, it is a big issue when you have relatives and they’re ill and you cant afford the care,’ she tells the camera, tearing up. ‘I would love to have been successful in life, so I don’t think I made her as proud as I should have.’

She was only able to afford a basic funeral for her mother, and says that, more than anything, she wishes her mother could come back. 

‘I wish she would come back, even if it’s for a day. More than money, riches, food, clothes, just to spend one day with mum,’ she tells the camera.   

Nickeisha is shocked when Alex reveals his spending habits.  

‘I do spend a lot of money, eating our three times a day, that’s about £100-£150 a day,’ he confesses to her. 

Nickeisha has to take a moment to swallow this information.   

‘That’s my whole week food shopping,’ she tells him.  

When she hears he spends a minimum of £3,000 on a night out, she is speechless. 

She tells the camera: ‘Would I like to be able to spend £3,000 a night in a nightclub? Absolutely not, there are better things to do with £3,000, I think.’

Meanwhile, Alex is shocked by Nickeisha’s situation when he goes to stay with her, which he says is ‘heartbreaking’.

‘She’s kind of chosen to have the children, so she had to got to provide for them, and she is doing that, which is great and no one should look at you differently for having more children, so there’s no issue,’ he says.   

He also says he can see that Nickeisha is ‘trying as hard as she can.’

Over dinner, Nickeisha tells Alex she used to work and enjoyed having her own money. The rich kids is humbled by all her efforts to make ends meet

Over dinner, Nickeisha tells Alex she used to work and enjoyed having her own money. The rich kids is humbled by all her efforts to make ends meet 

Nickeisha takes Alex to a charity shop, where she buys her children's clothes second hand. She is shocked by his spending, which she says is a 'crime'

Nickeisha takes Alex to a charity shop, where she buys her children’s clothes second hand. She is shocked by his spending, which she says is a ‘crime’

During his time with the family, Alex pulls his weight around the house, cleaning dishes, doing the laundry and making the kids’ beds while Nickeisha is on the school run.  

He also accompanies her to the charity shop to find clothes for her children. Nickeisha also challenges him to buy a dinner for seven on a budget of £15.

The mother-of-five is gobsmacked when Alex comes back with only £1.70 change, having splashed on a rather expensive meal which he thought would please her. 

Nickeisha later tells Alex she doesn’t believe she is ‘abusing’ the system.  

She tells him: ‘I don’t enjoy being on benefits. Because I have experienced not being on benefits, because before benefits, I was working. So I do know what it is to have your own.’

The experience is eye-opening for Alex, who says on it’s way back. ‘I saw how hard poverty can be for people that are on benefits.

Nickeisha explains she used to reply on the help of her mother to look after the kids, but now has to manage on her own

Nickeisha explains she used to reply on the help of her mother to look after the kids, but now has to manage on her own 

After hugging the family goodbye (pictured) Alex said he would get involved with local food banks

After hugging the family goodbye (pictured) Alex said he would get involved with local food banks 

‘It can be in very difficult situation, which I already knew. But I didn’t know how little they get. 

‘I would want to know why there are on benefit but I don’t judge someone because they are,’ he adds. 

‘I see people really struggle to make ends me and not being able to enjoy any luxury at all in life.

‘There are things that may change,’ he tells the camera, adding he would like to get involved with local food banks to help those who are struggling to put food on the table.’ 

Rich Kids Go Skint airs tonight at 9pm on 5STAR.