Kirsten O’Brien opened up about the most financially challenging year while reflecting on her successful TV career.

Kirsten O’Brien lifted the lid on her finances (Image: Getty)

BBC presenter Kirsten O’Brien got candid about her finances and detailed the lengths she went to in order to cover different payments.

The TV star is best recognised for her decade-long role on CBBC’s art programme, SMart, which she presented with her late co-star Mark Speight.

After her exit in 2009, Kirsten has been freelancing in the TV industry and hosts BBC Radio Berkshire’s mid-morning programme.

The mum-of-three admitted that the uncertainty of freelancing, combined with the unprecedented effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, took a toll on her finances.

Speaking to the MailOnline in 2021, Kirsten admitted: “Now is actually the most difficult financial time in my life. My husband Mark and I both work in the arts – he is a TV director.

Kirsten O’Brien co-hosted SMart with Mark Speight (Image: BBC)

“There is always a level of uncertainty around our incomes being both freelancers, but even when there have been gaps, work has always come in after a month or so.”

She revealed: “In the last year, that hasn’t happened. We haven’t particularly worked through the pandemic and now is the biggest struggle we’ve ever had to cope with.

“Before, we’d just muddle along, go out for a meal and everything would still get paid. But recently, we’ve had to look at how we can make our money stretch.

“We’re managing to pay our bills but it takes a lot more thought now – and budgeting. We’re moving money from here to there to cover different payments,” Kirsten added.

Kirsten O’Brien now presents a BBC radio show (Image: X)

The radio host also shared: “For the first time ever, as a married couple, we’ve had to scrutinise our incomings and outgoings to understand how our finances work, and how much we need to make between us every month.”

As a result, Kirsten and Mark were able to “get rid of frivolous costs” by switching their energy supplier and internet provider.

The 52-year-old stated: “When you’ve got costs that potentially you can’t meet, you question why you have them. Luckily, my husband got work recently as the series director of Channel Four programme The Great Pottery Throw Down.”

Kirsten also reflected on her career and opened up about the “silly money” she made as an entertainer at Butlins during the mid-1990s.

Just months before her presenting role on CBBC, Kirsten worked at the resort with shows at all three locations every Saturday from May to October and was paid £750 a time, which she explained is “equivalent of around £1,500 today.

With accommodation at Butlins for the weekend, Kirsten was still able to work her CBBC job that “covered all my bills” and shared that her wages went straight into a savings account.

After one season, the TV star put down a £20,000 deposit on a £125,000 flat in Camden while renting in 1997, a property which she still owns today.

She explained: ”By fluke, I bought at absolutely the right time – the bottom of the market. I renovated it and turned it into a two-bedroom flat. I’ve still got it and rent it out. It’s probably worth about £500,000.”