A single mother of two, Billie Thompson, broke down in tears after a millionaire offered to clear her £16,000 debt and invest £100,000 in her carpentry business. The 12-year-old boy and five-year-old girl live with their mother in a three-bedroom council house in Scotland.
Billie works part-time as a carer and receives some benefits, leaving her with just £52 in disposable income per week. Her mother, Deb, a cleaner, often helps financially but admitted she sometimes tells her daughter to 'stop living like a millionaire'.
The life-changing offer came from Mark Harvey, a millionaire property developer who swapped lives with Billie for the Channel 5 programme Rich House, Poor House. Mark, who lives in an eight-bedroom Derbyshire estate with his fiancée and four children, built his fortune from humble beginnings as a builder's son.
During the swap, Mark discovered bailiff letters in Billie's kitchen and vowed to help. After the week, he told her: 'If you really want to transform your life, I'd be willing to work with you, give you training, programmes so you can stand on your own two feet.' He then cleared her debt and invested £100,000 in her joinery business.
Billie, who attended a joinery course last year, said: 'The fact that he's told me he's going to help me... it's all positive things.' Mark added: 'After speaking with Billie, I can tell she does want change and that's super important.'
