Landing a starring role on a UK soap is classed as a dream job.
With the likes of EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale being a UK staple, celebs soar to national stardom as they appear on screen most evenings.
But despite becoming a household name, there are plenty of soap stars who have fallen on hard times during and after their soap stints.
READ MORE: Soap wedding day heartbreaks – from gay secrets to fake pregnancy exposed
From former King of the Jungle Joe Swash to rom com icon Martine McCutcheon, here are some of the soap stars who declared bankruptcy.
Joe Swash
Joe Swash became a household name after landing the role of happy go lucky Micky Miller on EastEnders.
The now 40-year-old began playing the loveable rogue in 2003, remaining on the soap for five years until he was brutally axed in 2008.
Despite being crowned champion of I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! the same year, Joe was forced to declare himself bankrupt just months later.
"I fell behind on tax and bills and buried my head in the sand, which was the worst thing to do. I should have faced up to it," he told The Sun.
Things started looking up for Joe when he was cast as co-host of the I'm A Celeb spin-off show Get Me Out of Here, Now! alongside Caroline Flack and later Laura Whitmore.
However, Joe went bankrupt for a second time four years later.
But the actor has since completely turned his life around and couldn't be happier with wife Stacey Solomon and their brood.
Michael Le Vell
Michael Le Vell first appeared on Coronation Street in 1983 and has continued his role of garage boss Kevin Webster ever since.
The star, 54, who allegedly £250,000 thanks to his role on ITV soap, was declared bankrupt in 2018.
His financial struggles first began in 2011 following the breakdown of his marriage to Janette Beverly.
Two years later, he actor paid £200,000 in legal fees in a trial over child abuse claims – claims he was eventually cleared of.
He reportedly failed to keep on top of his tax affairs and owed Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs a whopping six-figure sum.
Wil Johnson
Will Johnson played Dom Andrews in Emmerdale from 2012 to 2014.
The actor, 57, had money troubles before he landed a role on the ITV soap and was declared bankrupt for a second time in 2014.
Shortly after it was reported he declared bankruptcy due to unpaid debts, the dad-of-seven bowed out of the soap for good.
He said at the time: "I've had a wonderful time playing Dom Andrews but, like with most things, you have to know when to leave the building, hopefully on a high hope."
Martine McCutcheon
EastEnders icon Martine McCutcheon made a name for herself playing Tiffany Mitchell on the BBC soap, a role she portrayed for four years until 1999.
In 2013, the actress, 46, was declared bankrupt after she filed for insolvency at a London court.
The Love Actually star had been estimated to be worth £2million at the height of her fame, however after she was declared bankrupt, her £25,000 engagement ring from now-husband Jack McManus was even seized.
Speaking in 2016, the former soap star said: "I just thought my health, money, career have all been taken from me, and now even my engagement ring – the one thing that represents what is solid in my life – has gone."
Ryan Thomas
Despite his mass success, ex-Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas is another soap star who was hit financially in the past.
The actor, who played Jason Grimshaw on the ITV soap for 16 years until 2016, was hit with a £40,000 tax bill back in 2013.
The star was unable to pay it after reportedly blowing his soap wages on an extravagant lifestyle.
But despite declaring bankruptcy, the 38-year-old was able to pay it all back and completely turned his life around.
It was rumoured that the former soap star banked a whopping £500,000 after appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018 and is now reportedly worth around £1 million.
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