Emmerdale star bankrupt and living in 'rat-infested' council house after 'losing fortune'

An ex-Emmerdale actress was left living in a "rat-infested" council house after losing a "fortune" when she quit the ITV soap. Kerry Stacey is best known for her role as Tonicha Daggert in Emmerdale from 2005 until 2007 - and her short-lived romance with Paddy Dingle. The on-again, off-again couple eventually became engaged but broke up after one miscommunication too many, with Toni leaving the village for good.

After leaving the ITV soap, Kerry decided to launch her own drama school in Nottingham, gushing at its launch: "I want to give back as much as possible. I want to help people find work." But a year later, bankruptcy orders were issued by Nottingham County Court relating to her acting business and casting company, and she was declared bankrupt.

She continued to act, landing a brief role in BBC soap Doctors, but her last on-screen job came in 2016 with her role as Mrs Cave in three episodes of the TV series Jamie Johnson. Despite having appeared In everything from Casualty to The Bill over the years, she was forced to move into a "rat-infested" council flat.

Kerry lost thousands of pounds when her acting school closed after three years, and she moved into social housing with her two young children. She admitted to the Glasgow Times: "Since leaving Emmerdale, things have been tough.

"I was young and a bit immature, and all of a sudden I had the money to be able to do the things that I wanted to [...] Initially it went very well, but things started to take a turn for the worse when I started to offer free lessons.

"It meant that I couldn't pay the costs of renting the premises, and very quickly my life started to turn upside down." She added that moving into social housing was "absolutely horrific", with she and her kids "coughing up black and brown phlegm constantly", as well as suffering several bouts of bronchitis the she blamed on mould and "huge holes in the wall" of her home.

She said they were "treated like dogs" and left "freezing cold" in the accommodation, which had "sewage coming through the taps" and rats coming in through the walls.

In 2018, a representative for Nottingham City Homes said in response: "We have attempted on several occasions to visit to assess the situation and carry out any actual repairs.

"We will also be offering again to support Miss Stacey in her wish to move house, as despite having a high priority status for a move, she has not been bidding for any new properties, so she may require extra support."