“I WORK all month so why shouldn’t I?” says 33-year-old single mum-of-four Jo as she splashes out to get her brows done, despite struggling to pay bills.
Jo, who works part-time as a health care manager, treats herself to get her nails and brows done and to go clubbing – despite being behind on payments.
Jo lives in Knowsley, Liverpool, where there are plenty of men but they claim they don't need them, boldly proclaiming the opposite sex is just too much drama.
In Channel 5's Spray Tan Mums: Single & Proud, Jo reveals that she's been slapped with a £990 bill from the energy company and she hasn’t got the cash to pay.
Jo looks after twin boys Isaac and Zachery, one, and Gabriel, two, who all have the same dad who she split from six months ago, and Oliver, 12, from a previous partner.
The struggling mum admits: “Finances have been a nightmare. To work you need the children to be in nursery.
“You’ve got a car, the house has got to be heated so the bills are astronomical.
“So they sent me the letter and I sent it back to say ‘I’m disputing your claim completely’.
“They’ve sent me a letter here to say they haven’t received it so they’ve gone against me. So now they are saying they want £990. Kiss my a***.
“They want it to be paid in seven days. I’m not paying, I haven’t got it. I’ll have to phone them, but I’m not happy.”
In Knowsley three out of every five families has a single parent. But the impressive single mums who live there have each other – to laugh, cry and get by as shown in the series.
The skint mum, who gets tax credits, relays her troubles to fellow single mum Danielle, who works part time as beautician and does Jo’s brows.
Although she doesn’t have the cash for the bill, Jo seems fine to fork out for beauty maintenance, including her nails.
Jo said: “Can’t wait for my brows to look better. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’ll go ‘no I will go get my brows done or nails or my whatever.’
“I think I work all month so why shouldn’t I?
“Those are the little things, I might be sat in the house but those are the things that make me feel better about me.”
Danielle is on hand to offer some words of advice, and says she should accept the fact that the bill has to be paid.
The single mum-of-three said: “You’ve just got to look on the bright side because there’s always a f***ing bill. You’ve always got to pay your bill.”
Danielle replied: “You are always biting your tail. You’ve got your bills. Trying to do all that on your own and working, I sometimes think I’m working for nothing.
“You’ll have a few when you are late on things.”
Thankfully, all hope is not lost as Jo’s parents dig deep to save the day and clear the payment for her.
Mum Chris said: “You are on your own with four kids and heating a three-bedroom house, it’s going to be a lot isn’t it.
“What can you do, I can’t see you with no heating and no food for you and the kids?”
Grateful Jo gushed: “You do buy the clothes, the food, pay my bills sometimes, lend me money.”
To which the generous mum said: “Well it’s got to be done love doesn’t it. I’m glad that I’m able to do it.”
Jo admits she’d be “screwed” without her parents help, and it helps her “get more even.”
The single mum said: “There comes a point in your life when you think ‘fricking hell’ I don’t want to be asking them. I don’t want to be struggling for them to have to do it.”
Mum Chris is on hand to help even more, as Jo wants to hit the town with a pal to go clubbing and needs someone to look after the kids.
Jo said: “I can’t wait. This is the first night in a long time where tomorrow I don’t have to get up with four children.
“Mum, what doesn’t she do for me? Everything. If I want a night out she’ll come and have the children so I can have a night out.
“She literally does everything.”
After downing shots and hitting the dance floor, Jo said: “You’ve just got to go and have a laugh and be wild. Play big or go home isn’t it.”
The series follows other single mums as they share an insight into their lives keeping up with the demands of their kids as well as making time for themselves.
Channel 5's Spray Tan Mums: Single & Proud aired back in March.
Previously, we shared how a single benefits mum-of-six who drives a swish BMW insists life’s BETTER without a man.
How one mum hit back after critics ridicule the extravagant fox-themed first birthday party she threw for her son.
And the woman who let her homeless best friend move in only for her to steal her husband just like the Khloe Kardashian scandal.
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