Latest news with #MarieBuchan
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Shameless ‘Britain's benefits queen' who bought a horse & designer vagina on welfare says she's ‘too old' to work at 43
Marie has admitted she feels guilty for taking taxpayers' money, but she argues there is no incentive to work MUMBELIEVABLE Shameless 'Britain's benefits queen' who bought a horse & designer vagina on welfare says she's 'too old' to work at 43 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SHE'S previously used benefits to buy a horse, a boob job and a vagina designer. But Marie Buchan, dubbed 'Britain's Benefits Queen', insists she is 'too old' to work at the age of 43. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Marie Buchan has received around £500,000 in government handouts Credit: Roland Leon 9 She famously bought a horse using her benefits Credit: Supplied 9 Marie features in an upcoming episode of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over Credit: UKTV / Guy Levy The mum-of-eight shared how she was 'dragged' to a job centre to find work as part of the TV series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over. The single mum invited the TV host into her four-bed housing association property in Selly Oak, near Birmingham. Stacey Dooley spent two nights with Marie, who received £1,000 for filming, and helped her reluctantly sign up to a temping agency to find a carer's job. Although she went through with the application, Marie admitted that it's 'less stressful to claim benefits.' The 'benefits queen', who has kids aged 11 to 23, has seven children still living under her roof. During filming, Stacey, 38, slept on a blow-up mattress in the living room, and brought her own bedding to use and showered in a pre-booked Airbnb. The pair bonded over their love for horse riding and did it together on the show, as well as having a hair and nail pampering session. Speaking to FEMAIL, Marie shared: 'Stace did take me to task over not having a job and kept saying I had to look for work, and she was trying to be encouraging. 'I've done care work in the past and she thought I might want to do it again, but now I'm now 43 I think I'm getting too old to work. 'It is easier and less stressful to claim benefits which I still do and I am entitled to! The form was there in front of me, Stace was trying to support me, but was staring at me and I didn't know what to do. Octomum Marie Buchan sparks outrage after revealing plans to spend her benefits money on a HORSE 'I kept thinking, 'do I really want a job?', but felt I owed it to Stace so, damn it, I signed the form saying I was available for care work.' Marie said although she had applied for the jobs three weeks ago, she hasn't yet heard anything back from the employment agency. She added that she has her 'issues and insecurities' but 'encouraging' Stacey helped her build up her confidence. The single mum said she had been approached by producers to do the Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over show, and although she wasn't sure at first, she thought it could be a good way for people to 'get to know the real me.' 9 Single mum Marie has eight kids, with seven of them living with her at the moment Credit: BPM She added: 'There would be a fee paid which is always good to hear! I'm a much better person than the press make out so I said, 'what have I got to lose?.' 'The questions fired at me were quite intense. It was an emotional rollercoaster. 'I have no job and claim loads of benefits I am entitled to but people judge me and I have had so much negative press.' I've done care work in the past and she thought I might want to do it again, but now I'm now 43 I think I'm getting too old to work Marie Buchan Marie, who volunteers at a food bank two Saturdays a month, said she is tempted to 'splash' the £1,000 participation fee on herself, but will 'probably' buy a new cooker instead. The single mum has been in the system for over 23 years and has received around £500,000 in government handouts. In 2018 she caused widespread outrage after travelling to Turkey to get a £1,500 boob job, going from a 34A cup to a 34D. PUBLIC FURY 9 Marie also had a boob job and got a designer vagina with her benefits Credit: Roland Leon While she insists she paid for the treatment with money raised from car boot sales, it's likely that the goods she sold would have been bought using taxpayer cash in the first place. The following year, she hit the headlines again when it was revealed she jetted abroad for laser treatment to achieve a 'designer vagina' — again insisting she had paid for it with her car boot loot. 'I did fly abroad to get the surgery, but it's something I've come to regret,' she confesses. 'It was all a very big mistake and it's embarrassing for my kids.' Marie triggered public fury yet again when she decided to buy a horse with her benefits. 9 Marie was 19 when she had her first child and started using benefits Credit: SWNS 'I just wanted to buy myself something nice and I had been saving my money. It had always been my dream to own one,' she admits. 'I paid £600 upfront for the horse and then had to pay an additional £100 a month to keep him at the yard. Food was around £25 a month.' Looking back, Marie says she can understand why people were outraged. 'It was a big mistake. I was rubbing it in people's faces and I was showing off and I really regret that,' she says. 'He's now gone because I couldn't afford to keep him. Maybe if I go back to work I could buy another one.' TOUGH CHILDHOOD 9 Marie has worked on and off as a carer over the years Credit: BPM Despite her frequent Government-funded splurges, Marie hasn't always led such a charmed life. 'Growing up, my parents weren't wealthy. My dad was a window cleaner and my mum's disabled, so she got disability benefits,' she says. 'We were a big family – my nan had 14 children. We didn't have a lot, but we got by.' I have no job and claim loads of benefits I am entitled to but people judge me and I have had so much negative press Marie Buchan At the age of 19, Marie welcomed her eldest daughter Tia, and first entered the welfare system. 'I was in and out of work at the time as a carer. I'd come off benefits, have another child be back on benefits,' she says. 'It was a bit of a rollercoaster, so in the end I made the decision to stay on benefits as it gave me the time to bring up my children.' Many hard-working parents make the heartbreaking decision not to expand their brood due to cash constraints. 9 Marie always wanted a large family to 'look after her' Credit: Supplied But for Marie, having more kids has never been a concern. 'I'd always wanted a big family in the hope they would look after me when I was old and grey,' she says. 'I never thought about the financial impact of having eight children because it is just so easy to get help from the government. 'They even give you the form at the hospital to claim your child tax credit. They make it too easy.' Marie famously became a target for criticism when she appeared on This Morning in 2015 and claimed the proposed £23,000 a year benefit cap would leave her short. 'I was on £26,000 at the time, meaning I only had £500 a week to survive on,' she says. BIG BILLS 9 Marie has said she doesn't have enough money with her large family Credit: BPM Media 'We are a big family, so half of it would go on our food shop alone. 'We also had the rent, the council tax and bills to worry about. The council only paid £45 per week towards rent and £16 per week towards council tax.' In her 23 years of claiming benefits, Marie's annual income has fluctuated between £26,000 and £37,000. And while she admits she feels guilty for taking taxpayers' money, she argues there is no incentive to work. 'I believe we are better off on benefits, because we get help in every area of our lives, whether that's the rent, bringing up the kids, or bills,' she says. 'You can access food banks or fuel vouchers. There's a lot of help out there. "I've completed six college courses on mechanics and social work, but I'm still sitting here claiming my benefits. I've done nothing with them. 'It's very easy to sit in the system for the rest of your life.'
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Shameless ‘Britain's benefits queen' who bought a horse & designer vagina on welfare says she's ‘too old' to work at 43
Marie has admitted she feels guilty for taking taxpayers' money, but she argues there is no incentive to work MUMBELIEVABLE Shameless 'Britain's benefits queen' who bought a horse & designer vagina on welfare says she's 'too old' to work at 43 SHE'S previously used benefits to buy a horse, a boob job and a vagina designer. But Marie Buchan, dubbed 'Britain's Benefits Queen', insists she is 'too old' to work at the age of 43. 8 Marie Buchan has received around £500,000 in government handouts Credit: Roland Leon 8 She famously bought a horse using her benefits Credit: Supplied The mum-of-eight shared how she was 'dragged' to a job centre to find work as part of the TV series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over. The single mum invited the TV host into her four-bed housing association property in Selly Oak, near Birmingham. Stacey Dooley spent two nights with Marie, who received £1,000 for filming, and helped her reluctantly sign up to a temping agency to find a carer's job. Although she went through with the application, Marie admitted that it's 'less stressful to claim benefits.' The 'benefits queen', who has kids aged 11 to 23, has seven children still living under her roof. During filming, Stacey, 38, slept on a blow-up mattress in the living room, and brought her own bedding to use and showered in a pre-booked Airbnb. The pair bonded over their love for horse riding and did it together on the show, as well as having a hair and nail pampering session. Speaking to FEMAIL, Marie shared: 'Stace did take me to task over not having a job and kept saying I had to look for work, and she was trying to be encouraging. 'I've done care work in the past and she thought I might want to do it again, but now I'm now 43 I think I'm getting too old to work. 'It is easier and less stressful to claim benefits which I still do and I am entitled to! The form was there in front of me, Stace was trying to support me, but was staring at me and I didn't know what to do. Octomum Marie Buchan sparks outrage after revealing plans to spend her benefits money on a HORSE 'I kept thinking, 'do I really want a job?', but felt I owed it to Stace so, damn it, I signed the form saying I was available for care work.' Marie said although she had applied for the jobs three weeks ago, she hasn't yet heard anything back from the employment agency. She added that she has her 'issues and insecurities' but 'encouraging' Stacey helped her build up her confidence. The single mum said she had been approached by producers to do the Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over show, and although she wasn't sure at first, she thought it could be a good way for people to 'get to know the real me.' 8 Single mum Marie has eight kids, with seven of them living with her at the moment Credit: BPM She added: 'There would be a fee paid which is always good to hear! I'm a much better person than the press make out so I said, 'what have I got to lose?.' 'The questions fired at me were quite intense. It was an emotional rollercoaster. 'I have no job and claim loads of benefits I am entitled to but people judge me and I have had so much negative press.' I've done care work in the past and she thought I might want to do it again, but now I'm now 43 I think I'm getting too old to work Marie Buchan Marie, who volunteers at a food bank two Saturdays a month, said she is tempted to 'splash' the £1,000 participation fee on herself, but will 'probably' buy a new cooker instead. The single mum has been in the system for over 23 years and has received around £500,000 in government handouts. In 2018 she caused widespread outrage after travelling to Turkey to get a £1,500 boob job, going from a 34A cup to a 34D. PUBLIC FURY 8 Marie also had a boob job and got a designer vagina with her benefits Credit: Roland Leon While she insists she paid for the treatment with money raised from car boot sales, it's likely that the goods she sold would have been bought using taxpayer cash in the first place. The following year, she hit the headlines again when it was revealed she jetted abroad for laser treatment to achieve a 'designer vagina' — again insisting she had paid for it with her car boot loot. 'I did fly abroad to get the surgery, but it's something I've come to regret,' she confesses. 'It was all a very big mistake and it's embarrassing for my kids.' Marie triggered public fury yet again when she decided to buy a horse with her benefits. 8 Marie was 19 when she had her first child and started using benefits Credit: SWNS 'I just wanted to buy myself something nice and I had been saving my money. It had always been my dream to own one,' she admits. 'I paid £600 upfront for the horse and then had to pay an additional £100 a month to keep him at the yard. Food was around £25 a month.' Looking back, Marie says she can understand why people were outraged. 'It was a big mistake. I was rubbing it in people's faces and I was showing off and I really regret that,' she says. 'He's now gone because I couldn't afford to keep him. Maybe if I go back to work I could buy another one.' TOUGH CHILDHOOD 8 Marie has worked on and off as a carer over the years Credit: BPM Despite her frequent Government-funded splurges, Marie hasn't always led such a charmed life. 'Growing up, my parents weren't wealthy. My dad was a window cleaner and my mum's disabled, so she got disability benefits,' she says. 'We were a big family – my nan had 14 children. We didn't have a lot, but we got by.' I have no job and claim loads of benefits I am entitled to but people judge me and I have had so much negative press Marie Buchan At the age of 19, Marie welcomed her eldest daughter Tia, and first entered the welfare system. 'I was in and out of work at the time as a carer. I'd come off benefits, have another child be back on benefits,' she says. 'It was a bit of a rollercoaster, so in the end I made the decision to stay on benefits as it gave me the time to bring up my children.' Many hard-working parents make the heartbreaking decision not to expand their brood due to cash constraints. 8 Marie always wanted a large family to 'look after her' Credit: Supplied But for Marie, having more kids has never been a concern. 'I'd always wanted a big family in the hope they would look after me when I was old and grey,' she says. 'I never thought about the financial impact of having eight children because it is just so easy to get help from the government. 'They even give you the form at the hospital to claim your child tax credit. They make it too easy.' Marie famously became a target for criticism when she appeared on This Morning in 2015 and claimed the proposed £23,000 a year benefit cap would leave her short. 'I was on £26,000 at the time, meaning I only had £500 a week to survive on,' she says. BIG BILLS 8 Marie has said she doesn't have enough money with her large family Credit: BPM Media 'We are a big family, so half of it would go on our food shop alone. 'We also had the rent, the council tax and bills to worry about. The council only paid £45 per week towards rent and £16 per week towards council tax.' In her 23 years of claiming benefits, Marie's annual income has fluctuated between £26,000 and £37,000. And while she admits she feels guilty for taking taxpayers' money, she argues there is no incentive to work. 'I believe we are better off on benefits, because we get help in every area of our lives, whether that's the rent, bringing up the kids, or bills,' she says. 'You can access food banks or fuel vouchers. There's a lot of help out there. "I've completed six college courses on mechanics and social work, but I'm still sitting here claiming my benefits. I've done nothing with them. 'It's very easy to sit in the system for the rest of your life.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Britain's Benefits Queen', 43, who spent welfare payouts on a boob job, designer vagina and a HORSE, reveals why she's not fit to work
A woman known as 'Britain's Benefits Queen' has revealed how Stacey Dooley 'dragged' her to a job centre to find employment - although she still thinks she's 'too old' to work. Mother-of-eight Marie Buchan, 43, who has previously splashed her welfare handouts on a horse, a boob job and designer vagina cosmetic surgery, invited the BBC documentary filmmaker into her modest four-bed housing association property in Selly Oak, near Birmingham, West Midlands. The presenter spent two nights living with the single parent as part of her TV series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, which aims to give a glimpse into the country's extraordinary characters and their families' lives. However, Marie recounted how programme makers 'forced' the reluctant Marie to sign up to a temping agency and seek out a carer's job - albeit admitting it's 'less stressful to claim benefits'. The benefit claimant, who received a £1,000 payment for participating in the show which is due to air later this month, has children aged 11 to 23, with seven of them still living at home. Stacey, 38, slept on a blow-up mattress in the cramped living room. She brought her own bedding and pillows and used a pre-booked Airbnb nearby to shower. The pair bonded over a shared love of horses, and spent time together visiting a local pub and a monkey park. They also went horse riding at a nearby outdoor arena and enjoyed a hair and nail pampering session. However, Marie said the visit to a local recruitment agency, at Stacey's insistence, was a less enjoyable part of the experience. Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, she explained: 'Stace did take me to task over not having a job and kept saying I had to look for work, and she was trying to be encouraging. 'She kept saying, "you must go out there and get a job". She made me go to a employment agency to look for care work, and I was hesitating about signing up. 'I've done care work in the past and she thought I might want to do it again, but now I'm now 43 I think I'm getting too old to work. 'It is easier and less stressful to claim benefits which I still do and I am entitled to! The form was there in front of me, Stace was trying to support me, but was staring at me and I didn't know what to do. 'I kept thinking, "do I really want a job?", but felt I owed it to Stace so, damn it, I signed the form saying I was available for care work. 'This was all around three weeks ago but I've not heard anything back yet. Maybe I'm simply not employable!' She added: 'She kept saying, "make me and your family proud and go out there and get a job!".' 'I was dragged along by Stace, she can be very persuasive! I don't want to work. I'm getting too old and it's much easier to claim benefits!' 'I'd been very nervous about meeting her as she's so successful in her career and is so lovely and slim and glam. 'I felt bit ashamed and thought she may judge me. To be honest I think she was as nervous at meeting me and staying over in my house as she'd read dreadful things about me. 'I reckon she thought she was letting herself into a nightmare because of all the negative press she'd read and researched about me. 'At first I thought she was thinking, "what the hell have I let myself in for?". But thankfully, she wasn't one to judge me like everyone else in the country seems to do! 'I have my issues and insecurities but she kept trying to build up my self confidence and encourage me. 'It was kind of her and helpful, and we had a laugh. She's good fun, and naturally very chatty and engaging. I can see why people like her on TV.' Despite inviting Stacey into her home, Marie admitted that she didn't know much about her or the show before hand. 'I felt embarrassed to admit I'd never watched her on Strictly Come Dancing, and blimey she went on to win it,' the mother added. Stacey met her partner Kevin Clifton on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 when they were paired together for the show. The couple, who went on to win that season, now share a daughter, Minnie, born in January 2023. Marie admitted: 'It's not my type of show but I had to Google her and I was stunned she'd copped off with her dance partner and later married him and had a baby girl, and good luck to them. 'They seem devoted to each other and she spoke a bit about "my lovely Kev", saying he was a ''good guy.'' But I never met him or her toddler daughter who she dotes on. 'They weren't around when she was filming the show but she showed me photos of her little girl and she is so cute.' Marie also confessed: 'I'd never seen any of Stacey's documentaries and wasn't aware of her Sleepover show and it was only when producers approached me to be on it that I Googled all her work. 'At first I wasn't sure but felt it was a good way for people to get to know the real me and there would be a fee paid which is always good to hear! I'm a much better person than the press make out so I said, "what have I got to lose?".' Marie claims the presenter 'grew to like her' over the unusual weekend sleepover experience. She said: 'At the end she said she'd miss me and I was touched. Despite me saying I'd never watched her on Strictly or seen any on her documentaries, she never came across as being precious.' Marie opened up about the cramped sleeping arrangements, revealing the presenter slept in her living room with her producer. She said: 'I couldn't offer her a bedroom because there was not a spare one with all but one of my kids still at home so she slept on a blow up bed with her producer on another one in the living room. 'She didn't use any of my bedding, she bought all her own duvet and pillows and wasn't brave enough to have a shower or bath at my house. 'She went to a pre-booked Airbnb, not to sleep over as she was at my for two nights, but just to have a shower and give me and my kids a few hours of space and a breather.' Marie claimed filming became 'very intrusive' and at times she had to take a break as she became overwhelmed. She explained: 'The team needed to know everything and asked me about all those things I didn't really what to discuss but had to. 'Stace was very down to earth but at times some of the questioning was too much and I broke down. The questions fired at me were quite intense. It was an emotional rollercoaster. 'I have no job and claim loads of benefits I am entitled to but people judge me and I have had so much negative press.' She told how Stacey was trying to encourage her and build her up, telling her: 'Just ignore all of this. Don't care about it, let people talk. 'They never referred to me as a benefits scrounger, that's harsh, but that had to be part of the show. Stace was a bit wary at first about me but strangely we bonded', she added. 'I've got a strong West Midlands accent and she's Luton-London Cockney, and she kept saying to me: "Oh Marie, just slow down you're talking too fast" but she talks as fast as I do! 'I did get a bit upset when her producer kept asking me questions about my boob job and other intimate surgery I've had, which I didn't want to really discuss. But I did a bit because I wanted to get my point across in the programme. 'I'm still painted as Britain's welfare queen, I'm still on benefits and seven of my eight kids, apart from the eldest, still live at home. I'm trying to do my best as a single mum and at times it's tough.' Marie told how aside from awkward and embarrassing questions for the show, she and Stacey still managed to have a fun time. They had also visited a pub - Old House at Home in Harborne for a meal which a close friend of Marie's was invited along too, plus a visit to Trentham Monkey Forest. 'All in all we had a good time and I'm looking forward to seeing the sixth series of the show which is due to go out later this month,' she added. 'I hope they're kind to me and not too damaging. I saw a post production take and it seems fair and I'm quite happy with it. I enjoyed having Stace to stay over, and when we didn't go out for a meal we cooked in. She helped me cook dinner one night, but it took her half an hour to cut a pepper! 'She said she wasn't used to cooking at home and rarely did it. She opened up a bit about her life. She met all of my eight children and some of my grandchildren. My eleven-year-old daughter Olivia was happy to appear on the show, she is the only one, but the others didn't want to, which is fine, it's their choice. 'I opened up to her, I told her I was worried that I was now overweight, telling her "I wish I could lose some pounds and be nice and slim like you."' 'She just replied "Don't worry... just be yourself".' 'I felt at the start, that she felt I was a bit arrogant and am always having to try to explain myself to people, and some haters. 'But after a few days of getting to know me Stace seemed happy to be here and sad to leave me, saying she'd miss me! 'I said to her, "let's have a challenge and swap lives and houses for one week, and she replied, horrified, "oh no, I don't think so!".' Marie, who revealed she is a volunteer at a food bank for two Saturdays a month, said she wanted to spend her £1,000 programme fee on herself. 'I'd love to splash the cash on me but don't think I should,' she explained. 'On reflection I need a new cooker so it will probably be spent on this.' Marie described Stacey, who was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, and has experienced her own family demons in the past, as 'lovely' and 'genuine.' The presenter's father walked out on the family when she was just two-years-old. He was an alcoholic, who died when she was in her 20's. She has made no secret of her struggles, admitting to going through a shoplifting phase with her friends during her youth in Luton and during this time had dated a drug dealer. It comes as the star has told how three families she is 'Sleeping Over' with in her new TV series 'all have a glimmer of notoriety about them'. She said that a 'lady called Marie' is among them 'who has fairly or unfairly, arguably, been labelled by the tabloids as the welfare queen.' She added: 'So there is a lot to unpick there.' The presenter, speaking on Zoe Ball's BBC Radio 2 show on Saturday, added: 'So you go in with an open mind and learn loads over the 72 hours. 'The viewers love Sleep Over. It does well. I love Sleep Over. It is really fun and you sway back and forth throughout the episode. 'You might have a very definite view the first 10-15 minutes and then you're privy to information you haven't even taken into consideration, and then by the end you sort of feel differently about things.' As well as jobless mother-of-eight Marie Buchan, Stacey is featuring 23-year-old adult OnlyFans star Lily Phillips and the Drewitt-Barlow family, who were the first gay dads to father children legally in the UK. The new series starts on August 25 on channels U&W. Stacey is appearing with husband Kevin Clifton, former Strictly Come Dancing pro turned actor, in a nationwide tour of the hit play, supernatural thriller '2:22 A Ghost Story' - and their daughter will travel with them on the road.
