Charlotte Church admits she 'hasn't got a lot' as she shares 'complicated' money situation

Popstar Charlotte Church has confessed to '"giving all her money away" as she gears up for a return to the limelight in the debut series of Celebrity Traitors.

The Cardiff-born star first shot to fame at the tender age of 11 when she performed Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu" over the phone on ITV's This Morning. However, she has taken a step back from music in recent years, with her last studio album released 15 years ago.

In an interview with the Big Issue,she shared that she has always remained true to her roots.

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Charlotte, now 39, stated: "I'm still close to my roots, although I'm in a different socio-economic category and I've basically given all my money away.

"It's complicated having money, it changes the playing field. What I feel most privileged about are the experiences I've had, with lots of echelons of society. From the tippy top with extraordinarily wealthy and powerful people all the way to living down the docks around people living with drug addiction."

At just 16, Charlotte was wealthy enough to own her own penthouse flat in Cardiff and was unabashedly "living it large." However, she pledged not to become too complacent about her fortune – estimated to be around £7million by the time she turned 18 in 2004.

Despite openly discussing extravagant purchases such as a jewel-encrusted bra, Charlotte has always been passionate about giving back – she helped launch the Noah's Ark children's hospital appeal when she was only 14 years old.

Charlotte has been known for her generosity, once treating a group of her mates to an all-expenses-paid clubbing holiday in Ibiza. She was reportedly "very generous" during the week-long "girly holiday", picking up the tab for all the drinks every night.

She even passed up a hefty $100,000 (around £75,000) fee for performing her hit song, Pie Jesu, at Rupert Murdoch's 1999 wedding to Wendy Deng, in return for a pledge of "good press" from the media mogul.

Speaking to Stylist Magazine, Charlotte admitted: "I will have to work for the rest of my life, not because I want to but because I have to. The tax man is looking at my accounts wondering where I'm hiding all my money.

"I haven't got a lot of money. I've got enough to be comfortable if I was reasonable for the rest of my life. But I'm not reasonable, so I will have to find a way to sustain my lifestyle."

One of her business ventures was transforming Rhydoldog House, in the Nant Caethon Valley, into a luxury wellness retreat where guests could shell out over £1200 for a four-day stay.

In keeping with her generous spirit, Charlotte also provides a "pay what you can" option for those on lower incomes.

Joining Charlotte on Celebrity Traitors, which kicks off tonight (Wednesday, October 8) at 9pm on BBC One, are stars including Stephen Fry, Kate Garraway and Clare Balding.