He looked every part the Essex businessman last week as he was pictured driving away from a London dealership in a swanky new Audi RS6 sports car, worth a staggering £167,000. But former TOWIE star Dan Osborne quickly came under fire from trolls who questioned how he could afford such an eye-wateringly expensive car.
Last year, reports claimed Dan’s firm – Storms Entertainment – had just £978 left on the books. And in 2017, another of his companies – Charlie Entertainments – was dissolved with undisclosed debts. Meanwhile, his actress wife Jacqueline Jossa is worth an estimated £1.5m, with experts suggesting she could cash in another £1m this year through collaborations and sponsorships alone.
Critics speculated that the car had been paid for by Jacqueline, 27, with whom Dan has daughters Ella, five, and Mia, two. One posted, “I wonder who is paying for that or where it’s coming from? When will she wake up and smell the coffee.” Another added, “All courtesy of his wife. He couldn’t buy that as his work has dried up! He knew he was on to a good deal when she won I’m A Celeb!”
Facing criticism over their relationship is nothing new to the pair. Their three-year marriage has been plagued by rumours of cheating on Dan’s part – accusations he has vehemently denied. However, two months ago he confessed to making “mistakes”, adding that Jacqueline had “forgiven” him.
But with the spotlight now on their personal finances, psychotherapist Noel McDermott warns that Jacqueline’s growing success and fortune is likely to put their marriage under further strain and they may need a secret pact to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Noel says, “Jac and Dan have faced problems in their marriage before, but have appeared to successfully overcome them by agreeing to pull together. The new speculation over the hierarchy in their relationship signals that it may be time to make a new pact together to present a united front against this.
Check out: EastEnders spoilers - Stacey Fowler is attacked
EastEnders spoilers: Stacey Fowler is attacked - slider
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The week begins with Kat and Stacey cleaning The Vic. Meanwhile Lily pulls a sickie and lies about where she got her new tablet from…Later, Stacey goes on a rant about Ruby's money and her Daddy issues – leaving Kat shocked.
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Later on Ruby and Stacey are at the club and take a trip down memory lane… But things get awkward when Lily (who overheard Stacey and Kat's conversation earlier) repeats the nasty things Stacey said about Ruby.
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Ruby is left fuming… The next day, Stacey is shocked and shows Kush what she's been sent through the letterbox.
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While Kush is worried it's a warning from his debts, Stacey assumes it Ruby – but when she confronts her former BFF she denies it.
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Things heat up and it's not long before Ruby threatens that she can have Stacey out of the Square at the click of a finger… Stacey is upset that Ruby is trying to take her kids away from her.
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It's not long before Stacey has a change of heart and is ready to give Ruby a piece of her mind. However on her way to the club she's attacked by a hooded figure and left lying on the floor – but who did it?
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Meanwhile Ben Mitchell tells Callum Highway that Phil Mitchell has been up all night and can't get hold of Ellie.
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Ben thinks she's using a fake name but they have no way of finding her… Callum then asks DI Thompson for some information on Ellie but he's surprised by what he learns.
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When Ellie meets Phil at The Arches, he confronts her about her lies. Later on they meet up again and Ben insists they need to do this properly and go through the courts – if she wants a war then she's got one.
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When Phil tells Ritchie he wants full custody, she admits she can't see how the courts would hand over Raymond to someone with his criminal record.
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Elsewhere DI Thompson wants Jack Branning away from his investigation so Callum tells him to steer clear.
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Phil works on a plan to prove that Ellie is unfit to parent and Denise Fox makes a huge decision.
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When DI Thompson catches Callum accessing information on Ellie for Phil, he tells Thompson he can get Phil on side if he helps him with some intel.
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Peter Beale catches Ian hiding a letter and when Ian tells Max he'll get his first payment asap, Peter assumes that Ian's money issues are resolved and asks for his allowance.
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Kathy Beale is excited to have a match on her dating app but she soon discovers that Peter lowered her age on the app.
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Peter then tells his mum that Ian's borrowed money and an increasingly anxious Bobby listens on, struggling to keep control.
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Kathy decides to confront Ian about the money and says she'll re-mortgage the café to help him out - but she's unaware that Ian has already done it behind her back.
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Ian assures her all is in hand but everything starts to unravel when Peter learns the truth.
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Kathy meets her date and they hit it off but it ends in disaster when she trips over and Ash Panesar advises her to go to the hospital.
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Later on Peter is alarmed when he finds Bobby scrubbing everything clean and counting to five, blaming himself that Kathy got hurt.
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Elsewhere Kathy feels foolish for lying about her age and Peter tells her not to worry whilst noticing Bobby is frantically cleaning his hands still and is anxious that Peter will tell his secret.
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Sharon Mitchell is shocked when Denny's things are returned from the boat accident and when she disappears, Bobby steps in behind the bar.
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Ian checks in on Sharon after seeing her upset over Denny's belongings and he gives her a birthday card. She's grateful for all they've been through together and it's not long before they make up and apologise for the past few weeks.
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Honey Mitchell and Jay deliver a food parcel to number 89 and when Paul answers and says he's Mrs Hancock's nephew, he starts to get flirty with Honey.
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Honey is oblivious to his advances, so Jay tells her to ask him on a date. He later opens up to Honey and Jay admits things with Lola haven't been great lately since lockdown.
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When Honey tells Lola that Jay has been singing her praises, she feels guilty especially after turning down Jay's offer of a date. She then meets him in The Vic…
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Habiba is angry that Ash isn't going to court to support her brother Jags Panesar – she's unaware that Ash feels too guilty. Habiba is then devastated and fuming at the rest of the Panesar's for turning on Jags.
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It dawns on her that she's had enough of them and and wants Ash out of the house. However she's later left annoyed when Iqra Ahmed hasn't told Ash that she needs to move out. She then gives her sister an ultimatum – me or Ash?
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And when Mick Carter spots Shirley Carter he's still angry with her and makes a a snide comment.
“Dan may perhaps have to accept that Jacqueline will be the ‘breadwinner’, but this risks causing strain or even jealousy if he is the type of man who traditionally believes his self-worth is based on how much he earns and providing for his family.
“The downside is that in this kind of situation – which lots of men are facing during the ongoing pandemic – his new sports car could be a sign that he’s trying to assert his own financial independence, but power struggles are not a sign of a healthy relationship.”
Noel warns that this could well be the next hurdle the couple may face. He continues, “The best thing Dan can do is to accept that his wife has the financial power right now. In situations like this, couples need to be having conversations about what their roles are within the family.”
On the surface, all the signs are good for the couple, who appear stronger than ever, with Jacqueline recently posting a picture of her cosying up to her husband, with the caption, “Time well spent my love”. The ex-EastEnders star appeared to confirm recent reports in Closer that she would do a reality TV show, and last week said, “A camera following me around could be quite fun.”
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But it’s not been smooth sailing for them during the pandemic. During lockdown in May, Jacqueline admitted to her followers that she, along with the couple’s two daughters, had moved out of the family’s £1m home in Bexleyheath, Kent, and into an unoccupied house Jacqueline’s parents had just purchased. “I had really been struggling…I just needed some time and breathing space,” she said, before moving back into the marital home just days later.
With the possibility of a second lockdown looming, Noel is concerned for the couple.
He adds, “This is also going to be a crucial time for Jacqueline to assess her marriage – but Dan needs to put in the work. If he can accept that power will shift between both of them at different stages, they can make their marriage work and they’ll be better and stronger for it.”
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