X FACTOR star Fleur East has revealed how she blew her cash on a dodgy cryptocurrency deal.
The Sax singer, 34, is now a TV and radio presenter and set to extend her reality TV fame with a spot on Strictly Come Dancing 2022.
Yet the Walthamstow-born star has revealed the darker side to her fame – and how she lost money on a Bitcoin-style scheme.
Fleur said: "There have been a few sketchy music-industry schemes and things to do with crypto, but it turned out to be too good to be true, which my instinct had sort of told me.
"I thought I'd take a risk, but that's why I stay away from that world.
"I didn't lose a lot of money, but it was more about the time and emotional investment wasted."
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Her dabbling into the financial world came after she was left broke before her X Factor stint propelled her to fame.
She told The Sunday Times: “Before The X Factor things were really bad. I was doing the student union circuit up and down the country for a couple of years.
"I thought things would pick up with my solo stuff, but it completely dried up. I was living with my boyfriend, Marcel, now my husband, and because I've never been frivolous, I had some money to tide me over, and Marcel supported me as well.
"That was just before I auditioned for The X Factor, and I was close to giving up, but every time I was faced with the reality of doing something else, something would kick in my system and go: ‘No. That's not what you're supposed to be doing. You know what you want to do.’”
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She added: “About a year after The X Factor, when I'd done the tour and made some money, I went into Louis Vuitton and bought a pair of trainers for £1,000.
"At the time I'd not spent anything close to that much on any single item in my whole life. I still remember putting my card into the machine and desperately hoping it wouldn't be declined."
Meanwhile, Fleur was announced as the latest face in the Strictly Come Dancing line-up today.
She broke down in tears as she told how she would dedicate her performances to her late father.
Just hours after her new gig was announced, bookies William Hill have placed Fleur as firm favourite for the Glitter Ball trophy.
They have tipped her as 11-4 for the win, ahead of Corrie star Kym Marsh.
Tony Kenny, Head of Sponsorship PR at William Hill, said of the latest announcement: "Fleur is a great addition to the already star studded line up for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. Despite having stage and choreography experience, all Strictly fans know ballroom training can be quite different!
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"It was really heartwarming to see the radio presenter dedicate her Strictly experience to her late father, who was a big fan of the show.
"We’re sure that she’ll give it her all!”
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