Charlotte Church: From stardom to countryside business owner

Charlotte Church has become an international phenomenon. Today, the 38-year-old singer lives in the countryside and runs an agritourism business. She can only dream about the huge fortune she once had. "I will have to work for the rest of my life," she admits.

Once, everyone knew Charlotte Church. Her debut album "Voice of an Angel" sold over 10 million copies. She sang in front of Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, and Pope John Paul II.

She gained fame as a little girl. It all started with the program "The Morning," where she sang "Pie Jesu" by Andrew Lloyd Webber over the phone in 1997.

Her career then took off. The Welsh singer appeared on ITV's "Big, Big Talent Show." She also hosted her own program, "The Charlotte Church Show." The interest in her exceeded the wildest expectations. People all over the world began talking about the phenomenon of the young artist.

She quickly managed to monetize her success. Even as a child, she became a millionaire. According to the "Daily Mail," by the time she was 11, she had £25 million in her account.

When she turned 18, she got unlimited access to the £16 million waiting for her (today about $20 million). She claimed she would manage the money wisely. However, that did not happen.

As it turned out after years, the fame and money were actually a greater desire of her father, James Church.

"When I earned a lot of money at the age of 14, I told my dad, 'I don't feel good in show business.' He responded, 'Stick with it, because we won't have this opportunity later,'" she recalled. "At 16-17 years old, I thought I couldn't keep going any longer," she told "Closer" magazine.

The young singer's career ended quickly, and Charlotte began to lose her main source of income.

The young singer's extravagance didn't help. As "Daily Mail" reported, for her 18th birthday, she bought herself expensive lingerie adorned with rubies and then went on a trip to Ibiza with her friends, which cost £10,000.

She also easily spent large sums of money. When she got involved with Welsh rugby player Gavin Henson, the couple bought a yacht worth £800,000, anchored in Swansea. A bit later, in 2013, she bought a huge countryside home named The Spinney for £1.5 million.

Not much is left of Charlotte's huge fortune. "I will have to work for the rest of my life. Not because I want to, but because I have to," she admitted in a BBC documentary about her, "Charlotte Church: In Her Own Voice."

"I lived like in a fairy tale, which then turned into a dark, twisted fable," she stated.

In March, the singer decided to sell her property, The Spinney, earning £1 million. Recently, she has returned to recording. However, she insists that it is not solely driven by the need to get some cash. "I'm doing it for my soul. Today, I can do things that excite me," she states.