BLUE'S Antony Costa was so skint after the band split he was forced to sleep on a friend's sofa.

The 39-year-old opened up about his financial struggles on this week's episode of The Hot Mess Mums Club podcast.

Antony, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe formed popular boy band Blue back in 2000.

Their first five years as a group saw them hit the number one spot with all three of their studio albums.

But when the boys went their separate ways in 2005, things got extremely tough for Antony.

He told hosts Jenny Powell and Kelly Pegg: "There were times that I couldn't even afford to get home afterwards to where I lived in Hertfordshire. 

"I was sofa surfing because I was so skint. We were never given any advice on what to do with our money, how to save it, what not to do, and I was 18 years old and thought Blue was gonna last for donkey's years."

The hard times made him realise who was truly there for him.

He added: "When you are going through that, you would really find out who your mates are.

"You would just know who the fake friends were, like we would be at a party and people would be cracking up at a joke I would tell that wasn't even funny."

Shortly after the band's split things started to pick up when Antony was offered to take part in the fifth series of ITV's I'm A Celebrity.

His stint on the show made him realise that he needed to do something with his life.

Then in 2006 he bagged himself lead role of Mickey Johnstone in the London production of the musical Blood Brothers, which went on from April to February 2007.

His career began to skyrocket and he starred in his first solo UK tour, played Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk and even took part in TV show Total Wipeout in 2010.

Then in 2011 the boys reunited for the Eurovision song contest, where they placed 11th in the competition.

But sadly Antony hinted that they wouldn't be making a comeback any time soon.

He said: "We did Eurovision on our 10th anniversary which was amazing, then we did the Big Reunion, which was also great because then we did our own little tour. 

"But yeah, 20th anniversary is nothing to be sniffed at and it's been amazing, the Blue brand and Blue music is still going on till this day.

"So, reunion is something we have definitely thought about but it isn't going on at the moment."

One thing that Antony has focused on during the past year is his body – as he managed to shed a whopping two stone in just 12 weeks.

Although everyone else around him was working up a sweat at home, he admitted that he "couldn't be bothered" during the first lockdown.

He confessed: "I was just eating out of boredom, so I was just eating and eating and eating, and before you know it, summer comes and you're having your beers, your vodkas and your having your BBQs and stuff. 

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"Then August came and I just wasn't happy with the way I looked. Then I went for an audition on a TV show, and I saw a picture of me coming out of it and just decided to make a change from that."

Antony shares two daughters with long-term partner Rosanna Jasmin, who he is yet to tie the knot with, and a daughter with his ex-finace Lucy Bolster.

It's not the first time he's totally transformed his looks.

He previously dropped a few shirt sizes in 2018 when he said he was horrified to see a picture of himself looking bloated in a cream jacket.

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