A heiress with money to spare admits she doesn’t know what benefits are as she heads to meet a family-of-seven who struggle to finish the month.
Celine, a 24-year-old drama student from Norway living in London, admits she has no idea what it’s like to scrape by as she prepares to spent a few days away with Mike Jarman, his wife Natalie and their five children in Wales for 5Star’s Rich Kids, Skint Holiday, which airs tonight at 9pm.
The Manchester family live off just £1,000 some months, and self-employed Mike and nurse Natalie have to meticulously save up every penny to afford the campervan they rent out for their family holiday.
However, when ‘privileged’ Celine shows up at the campsite in a Balenciaga jumper, Mike is shocked to learn what she’s wearing costs the same price as his holiday for eight people.
Meanwhile, Celine gets a reality check after staying with the Jarmans and finding out how tight their budget really is.
Father-of-five Mike Jarman and his wife Natalie, from Manchester, welcome Finnish-Norwegian heiress Celine, 24, onto their family getaway on 5Star’s Rich Kids, Skint Holiday, airing tonight at 9pm.
Celine doesn’t know what to expect from her holiday with the Jarmans before she heads to meet them.
‘I don’t know what it’s like to live in the UK without money, like on government money,’ she says in the programme, admitting she doesn’t know what ‘benefits’ are.
‘I really hate camping,’ she adds. ‘I hate sitting in tents and caravan parks.’
And father-of-five Mike is not too impressed with his guest when she turns up in an expensive outift.
‘She’s rocked up in a Balenciaga jumper, which, I don’t know, I’d price at two, three, 400 quid,’ Mike tells the camera.
Mike is dumbfounded to hear Celine’s cost just about what his family has been saving to afford their holiday. Pictured: Celine with the Jarman family
‘It’s about what that camper van cost us just here, so to put that into perspective her jumper cost what our holiday cost.’
Later, when he hears that Celine’s designer glasses cost £500, Mike once again can barely hide his shock.
‘What?’ he asks loudly, before adding: A fiver at the garage save, it does the same, love.’
Meanwhile, Celine, who is used to low-key quiet time by the beach and hates camping, is equally struggling to adapt to the Jarmans’ idea of a holiday.
‘It feels so surreal because I’m here in my heels and I have ants crawling up my legs and I’m gonna put up a tent, I’ve never put up a tent before,’ she tells the camera.
The heiress is more used to flying off to the South of France, Spain or Greece than camp sites with communal showers.
Avocado-loving Celine has to make due with bacon butties and barbecue while staying with the Jarmans
‘I am definitely privileged because I always had money,’ she admits.
‘if I ever run out, I can just call my parents and I get more money,’ she adds.
The drama students loves to go shopping and splashes on designer items, such as designer handbags from Saint Laurent and Chanel and Balenciaga t-shirts costing £350.
A quick look at the camping site’s communal shower leave her feeling disgusted.
The heiress learns the value of a tight-knit family and admits she has not seen her father in eight months
‘It actually looks kinda disgusting,’ she says, but adds: ‘It’s gonna be fine because I have no choice.’
While she is disgruntled when Mike instructs her to pitch her own tent, Celine tries her best.
‘Think she’s probably used to have people running around after her,’ Mike tells the camera. ‘She’s gonna have to muck in and she’s gonna have to get involved, otherwise I’m afraid she’s gonna be told.’
But in spite of never having put up her tent before and struggling to grasp with the fact the Jarman feed and amuse themselves on just £30 a day while on holiday, the rich kids does her best to get to know them.
After a day spent at the nearby beach and in the arcades, the family-of-seven and the heiress open up to each other over dinner.
Mike admits that sometimes the family live on £1,000 a months, which is not enough money, and explains that ‘doing lavish things is a bit of a no-no.’
At the end of her stay at the Welsh campsite, Celine says she’s learned to be more carefully with her money
This revelation is a big shock for the heiress, who later tells the camera £1,000 is what she can spend on a bag.
She compliments the family on their ‘tight-knit’ relationship, and admits she has not seen her father in eight months.
The penny drops for Mike, who admits he feels quite ‘sad’ for Celine, who must feel lonely.
After spending more time with the Jarmans, the drama student is challenged to feed the eight of them with just £20 worth of takeaway.
After a well-calculated trip to the local chippy, Celine manages to buy a feast for the last evening of the holiday.
And this dinner-on-a-budget leaves Celine with some food for thought as well.
‘The family has made me realise you don’t need money to have fun, and that as long as you actually care for each other and have a good time as a family, that’s all you need,’ she says.
In order to thank the Jarmans for their hospitality, Celine treats them to a boat trip , and she is surprised by how picturesque the Welsh landscape actually is.
When comes time to say goodbye, it is with a heavy heart that the 24-year-old student packs her suitcase.
But she leaves the family with some priceless lessons.
‘The main thing I’ve learned was to be a bit more careful with my money,’ she says.
Rich Kids, Skint Holidays airs tonight at 9pm on 5Star.