Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson has opened up about his financial worries as he admitted he is so skint he couldn't afford to put the heating on this winter.
The Irish actor, 64, who is best known for playing Jim McDonald on the ITV soap, revealed that 2024 was his worst ever year in the entertainment industry and he claimed was even cancelled by the BBC after they said he had 'anti-trans views'.
The financial woes were also impacted by the closure of his wife Debbie's farm shop in Prestbury, Cheshire, which left them facing legal action over unpaid debts of nearly £50,000.
Speaking on The Nolan Show, Charlie confessed: '2024 is the most unsuccessful year I've had in 44 years.
'And there are a lot of issues to do with that. I've got lots of white hair, I'm 64 and there are less parts around.'
Asked how he pays the bills, he told host Stephen Nolan: 'I work for GB News at the moment and I've got to renegotiate that contract next year and my wife Debbie runs a women's refuge.'
Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson has revealed he's struggling financially and can't turn on his heating on as he claims BBC cancelled TV job due to anti-trans views
The Irish actor, 64, who is best known for playing Jim McDonald on the ITV soap, revealed that 2024 was his worst ever year in the entertainment industry (pictured in Corrie)
Explaining the couple couldn't afford to put the heating on he continued: 'I'm in the living room with my shooting gear on because I'm a field sportsman and because I can't have the heat on all day and it's Baltic over here.'
He admitted: 'You have lean times, I mean last year the heat was on all the time in the winter, this year it will not be.'
Charles, who has been with Debbie more than 15 years, explained he is lucky she has a job but that they still have to watch what they spend.
He added: 'Debbie is manager of a women's refuge, she has a wage. I have a wage at the moment until January so we're all right but we haven't been abroad this year, we don't eat in The Ivy when we go back to Belfast. You cut your cloth.
'I live 50ft from a local bar in my village - The Rodney so I don't have to get a taxi there, I can walk there and get a tab.
'There are a lot of people worse off than me. We have two incomes coming into the house - they're not huge but we're better off than an awful lot of people.'
As host Stephen asked him why his work has slowed down, Charlie claimed he was cancelled by the BBC after they believed he was anti-trans.
He explained: 'People in my industry won't admit this, but it is about your beliefs, your standards and what you speak about on social media, that all has an effect.'
Explaining the couple couldn't afford to put the heating on he continued: 'I'm in the living room with my shooting gear on because I'm a field sportsman and because I can't have the heat on all day and it's Baltic over here'
It isn't the first time Debbie (pictured) and Charlie have struggled financially after their farm shop went bust in 2018, with the star admitting they had no choice but to 'pull the plug'
Explaining he was due to appear on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip but was pulled from the job, he said: 'About 18 months ago I lost a job, a daft job but a job nonetheless -Celebrity Antiques Roadshow because I had joined with Sharron Davies and Kellie-Jay Keen from the Let Women Speak movement which was basically speaking up for women in sport.
'The campaign that was running from various sections of the community, straight women, lesbian women - they were getting things thrown at them in Hyde Park and all the rest - these idiots in balaclavas and all the rest of it.
'And I joined the Let Women Speak movement and I put some tweets out in support of Sharron Davies and all Sharron stands for in women's sports and Kellie-Jay Keen having the guts to speak up for what she believed in.
'And my agent received a letter from the BBC saying "we can't use Charlie because he's anti-trans and that's the truth and if they want to deny it I've got the email so there you are.
'That's what they said - I couldn't do Celebrity Antiques Roadshow because I was considered anti-trans.
'I laughed initially when my agent informed me and said 'Are you serious?' And then I got very angry and then I left it alone because I was tempted to take it a bit further but having talked to my wife and friends in the industry and my agent I decided I would just leave it.'
The BBC confirmed the official lineup for the show was announced in October and Charlie wasn't on it.
They disputed the claim that Charlie received any letter and explained that not all conversations with potential celebrities lead to bookings.
Meanwhile it isn't the first time Debbie and Charlie have struggled financially after their farm shop went bust in 2018, eight years after opening with the star previously admitting they had no choice but to 'pull the plug'.
Opening up in his autobiography That's Life, So It Is, Charlie penned: 'Poor Debbie was finding it increasingly difficult to make the business work as well as it had been, and it was starting to drag her down and make her ill.
'We had several long talks about what we should do, and couldn't help but arrive at the same solution.
'But Debbie couldn't give up on our little business and it was breaking her heart.
'Eventually, the figures just didn't make sense at all. She was losing money every day but more importantly her health and mental well-being was suffering.
'In the end, myself and the accountant said she must pull the plug before something awful happened.'
According to documents obtained by The Mirror last June, Charlie has missed deadlines to repay £37,000 from the 2018 failure of his deli.
Debts at Prestbury's Farm Shop had passed £50,000 with liquidators' fees of £14,500 included, and Jim was reportedly being threatened with legal action over the unpaid funds.
Money was owed to a turkey farm, wine suppliers, an energy company and other companies based as far away as France.
Liquidators claimed that Lawson and his wife Debbie 'may be unfit to be involved with managing the affairs of a company in the future'.
As host Stephen Nolan asked him why his work has slowed down, Charlie claimed he was cancelled by the BBC after they believed he was anti-trans (pictured on Corrie in 2018)
According to documents obtained by The Mirror last June , Charlie has missed deadlines to repay £37,000 from the 2018 failure of his deli (pictured on Corrie with Beverley Callard in 1960)
In the documents, HMRC said: 'During the period of this report, no further monies have been received in respect of the payment of the costs of the liquidation.
'To date, the sum of £3,160 has been paid and the balance is being pursued. As a response was not received from the guarantor, solicitors have been instructed to collect the amount owed.
'Based on current information, regrettably, there is little likelihood of any funds being available to pay a distribution to unsecured creditors.'
Charlie first set up the company in 2010 with partner Debbie and was often seen behind the counter serving artisan cheese, meat and game.
His agent told the publication that 'the matter is in hand and ongoing.'
Charlie has struggled with money woes in the past, and in 2001 he had to declare himself bankrupt, owing almost £200,000 to the Inland Revenue and financial companies.
MailOnline contacted a representative for Charlie for further comment at the time.
