Former Martin Lewis show host in tears after sharing truth behind exit

TV presenter Angellica Bell was in tears as she opened up to Big Brother about her tough time after she was axed from The Martin Lewis Money Show back in 2023

TV host Angellica Bell became tearful as she opened up about her departure from The Martin Lewis Money Show in 2023. On Tuesday evening, Angellica entered the Celebrity Big Brother Diary Room and couldn't hold back her emotions when reflecting on her challenging experience on the show.

Prompted by Big Brother's playful question about her morning kitchen antics, Angellica admitted feeling 'so good' for having 'vexed' fellow ITV housemate Donna Preston. However, the mood shifted as she confided to Big Brother: "I'm going to be honest with you, I didn't think I'd get this far. I'm still pinching myself that I'm here."

Big Brother's compliment, "Big Brother thinks you're a great housemate," overwhelmed her, leading to tears as she confessed she struggles with accepting praise.

Reflecting on her journey, she shared: "I've loved every minute, it's probably the best thing I've done in a long time. Before I came in here, I was a little bit scared. The press were asking me if I would talk about the Martin Lewis show and stuff, it took me a long time to get over that."

The support from fans and fellow celebrities meant the world to her, as Angellica explained: "I was so grateful to all of the audience who messaged me about it, also to other celebrities who contacted me and stuff because those messages are what got me through."

Her appearance on Celebrity Big Brother was a step towards rediscovering herself after a tough period: "That's why I wanted to come onto this show and tap into my old self because it's taken me a long time."

As she wiped away tears, Big Brother reassured her: "Angelica, Big Brother thinks you're doing really well."

To which she responded with newfound confidence: "You know what, I think I found myself again being here."

Angelica, age 49 and a veteran of children's and daytime television for an impressive 25 years, found herself suddenly ousted from the celebrated show in 2023 after a six-year tenure as co-host, reports the Mirror.

Initially, Angellica was starkly told she was no longer required on set and was quickly succeeded by Jeanette Kwakye, an ex-Olympian turned broadcaster.

After joining The Martin Lewis Money Show in 2017, Angellica later took the reins at Channel 5 to present the rebranded version of The Gadget Show, now called Shop Smart, Save Money.

Rumours at the time pointed to a 'conflict of interest' as the reason for her hasty departure from the ITV programme.

ITV made it clear at the time with a statement that read: "Angellica is not working on the Martin Lewis Money Show Live, however, the relationship with her remains amicable and we are working with her on other forthcoming programmes."