Heartbreaking details emerge about S Club star Paul Cattermole’s struggles before tragic death aged just 46
TRAGIC S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole died heavily in debt despite his years performing with the chart-topping band.
The singer, found dead at his flat in April aged 46, owed more than £20,000.
Paul had spoken publicly about his money woes and was said to be hoping for a boost from a reunion tour with S Club, who sold more than ten million albums.
Paul left just £15,000 to his loved ones despite his band generating “hundreds of millions” in their hits-laden career.
The singer had total holdings of £35,773 — but owed more than £20,000 in debts and bills.
Official documents show that after the deductions, the star, who did not leave a will, had £15,489 remaining.
That is despite S Club selling million albums during their global success that also included a string of No1 songs, TV shows and money-spinning commercial tie-ins.
However, band members have previously claimed that despite the cash made for the record label and execs, they were paid a flat £150,000 a year.
A source said: “Paul was not in a good way before he died, and was not doing well financially.
“Although it is shocking a member of the group would not be well-off, people who knew Paul might not be surprised by how little he left.”
S Club — including Paul’s former girlfriend Hannah Spearritt, 42 — were left devastated by his sudden death at his £172,000 home in Wareham, Dorset, weeks after the pop group announced a reunion.
Paul, who had various heart problems, was said to be looking forward to the tour as a financial boost.
The band — also featuring Rachel Stevens, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Tina Barrett and Jo O’Meara — were put together by pop svengali Simon Fuller in 1998 and ran until 2003.
They had huge success with four UK No1 singles — including Never Had A Dream Come True and Don’t Stop Movin’.
Despite the triumphs, Hannah was left homeless last year, while Paul had been made bankrupt in 2015.
He had hoped a brief reunion that year would help him bring some cash in and he also tried to auction off his two Brit Awards for £65,000 — only for the bidder to not pay up.
In a 2019 interview, Paul said of the band being at the mercy of record execs: “The thing people were buying into came from us. And to see people get hundreds of millions of pounds and all the credit — no.”
He also said he and his bandmates “got paid a pittance” from a range of Hasbro dolls using their likeness.
In an earlier appearance on ITV’s Loose Women, he told of trying — and failing — to get picked up for a reality TV role to earn more cash.
He said: “I’ve wanted to be on them — Dancing On Ice, Strictly, the jungle — I’ve wanted to do all those . . . but they haven’t wanted me for whatever reason.”
The Sun’s source added: “It is absolutely terrible that S Club made tens or hundreds of millions but Paul died like this, in near poverty.”