Care worker who lost job in pandemic cries as millionaire gives him job (2024)

A care worker who lost his job in the pandemic, meaning that his family-of-six rely on just £80 spending money a week, is in tears as a millionaire construction worker offers him a job.

While Solomon Gordon and wife Chelsea struggle to make ends meet on universal credit with their four children, Johnny and Gemma Goodale D'Amore live a life of luxury in their million-pound Peterborough home.

Construction firm owner Johnny and wife Gemma, who runs her own successful accountancy company, renovated their property last night, which now includes a game room with pool table and dart board and a luxury walk-in wardrobe.

The couple share their home with Gemma's children George, 10, and Mason, eight - her kids from a previous relationship - and daughter Millie, two, and newborn son Gray.

"The kids know that they have to work hard otherwise we wouldn't have all the things that we have," Gemma explains.

She is involved in her husband's company's finances - when she was 20, she became the UK's youngest chartered accountant.

"I completely self-taught myself from 18 to qualifying at 20 and now, 15 years later, we're a well-established known local accountancy firm," she says.

Gemma employs five full-time staff and spends only 22 and a half hours in the office a week so that she is able to spend time with her children.

But, in order to do so, she needs some help and hires a nanny and cleaners to help out.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Solomon and Chelsea, who rent in a three-bedroom council house in Bedford.

The couple have four children together - Kyla, 13, Harvey, 10, Leila, six, and two-year-old Tilly.

Sadly, Solomon lost his job working in a care home with children during the pandemic, but is desperate to find another one.

As a basic carer, Solomon is on a minimum wage but his dream is to one day own a residential home for children.

But in order to do so, he needs better qualifications and at least an NVQ Level 5.

Meanwhile, Chelsea wants to own her own business and is printing t-shirts for family and friends - which she hopes she will be able to expand and build on.

"Money is tight at the moment until I get another job," Solomon says.

The couple have been struggling with their finances and owe £6,000 on credit cards.

"We've still got debts that we haven't paid creeping up behind us," Chelsea explains.

Both Chelsea and Solomon's parents died when they were young, which led to Solomon going into care when he was 13.

As a result, Solomon is passionate about working with children in the care sector and is hopeful about going back into it.

Each of the families swap for a week, and Gemma is instantly shocked when she realises that the Gordon family don't have a carpet in their house.

Meanwhile, Chelsea is stunned by the Goodale D'Amore's plush kitchen, gushing: "Wow! this is like the dream kitchen!"

As they tip out their cash for the week, Gemma and Johnny are stunned they only have £80.12 to spend on six people.

Yet Chelsea brands their own money for the week - £1,652.36 - "ridiculous".

As she and Solomon settle into the luxury lifestyle, Johnny begins thinking about his and Gemma's children and the amount they gift them with every week.

"Looking at how to budget this week - our children are extremely spoilt," he admits.

Johnny and Gemma later stumble across paperwork showing debt the other couple are in.

"It's horrible to think that on top of a really tight budget, they've had to get themselves in debt just to keep themselves afloat," he says.

At the end of the week, Johnny lays a carpet out for Chelsea and Solomon and helps them out with a few DIY jobs around the house.

He also realises he needs to get his children doing more chores around the house, saying: "It's definitely something we will be putting in place when we get back."

As the couples meet for the first time, Chelsea tells Gemma and Johnny: "You've been an inspiration - knowing that I can do my business with four kids."

But Gemma points out a flaw with her t-shirt printing business - her laptop is really slow.

"Yeah, it's rubbish," Chelsea laughs.

Gemma continues: "That was really, really frustrating for me. You see, I work on a computer all day every day and it just took so, so long to just get going!"

She then reveals that they have bought Chelsea a new laptop, leading her to cry in shock.

"So we obviously thought that was something we could get you guys," Gemma says. "Obviously the kids can use it for the homework and hopefully that's something that will help you all ."

Chelsea exclaims: "I'm going to cry!"

Also during the week, Solomon had worked on Johnny's construction site.

Asked how it went, he said: "I really enjoyed it - still looking, obviously, for a residential care job because my heart, passion, everything is in that. I don't want to do anything else."

"That's really nice," Johnny smiles. "It takes a certain type of person to work with children in care homes. You have to have a heart for it."

Unbeknownst to Solomon, he became friends with a man called Simon at his son's football day. Simon's wife had known about a care home in need of staff and told Johnny, who arranged an interview.

"We've got a call lined up with a care home," Johnny tells Solomon, who looks overwhelmed.

Gemma says as Solomon looks tearful: "It's a children's care home - it's near where we live. "

"I know it's in Peterborough, but it's exactly what you're looking for and you're more or less what they're looking for," Johnny says. "Once your probation is over, they actually pay for you to do your level five as part of progression.

"If it can get you that stepping stone and part of those qualifications that you need, that brings you to another level."

Chelsea begins crying and says: "I cannot thank you guys enough."

Johnny responds: "We cannot thank you guys enough for learning bits ourselves."

*Rich House, Poor House airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5

Care worker who lost job in pandemic cries as millionaire gives him job (2024)
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