Gogglebox star on Universal Credit defends lavish trips abroad amid backlash after five holidays in six months
Gogglebox: Sandi Bogle and Sandra Martin were familiar faces on the Channel 4 show
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Gogglebox star Sandra Martin has addressed the "hate" she receives online after flaunting her trips abroad on social media.
The 62-year-old was a fan-favourite on the Channel 4 show for years alongside Sandi Bogle before leaving the series seven years ago.
Bogle went on to appear on several reality TV shows, including Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Fit Farm, and Famous and Fighting Crime.
Martin, on the other hand, made TV appearances in 100 Years Younger in 21 Days and Celebrity First Dates but in the past few years, has been absent from screens.
The change-up in career fortunes left Martin jobless, "homeless and broke" and nowadays she lives on £238-a-month Universal Credit.
Despite this, Martin regularly shows off lavish trips in the sun on social media, sparking trolling from fellow Instagram users.
Gogglebox: Sandra Martin saw plenty of success on the C4 show
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Explaining how she's able to shoehorn trips abroad into her lifestyle, Martin has detailed how fans often pay for her adventures.
Martin explained: "I’ve been on five holidays since Christmas Day and I’m going to Malta too, it’s all because of Gogglebox.
"I’ve been to Amsterdam, Portugal, Benidorm, and lots of other places. Soon I’m going to Skegness.
"People love me and I give them entertainment so they pay for my trips," she began to The Sun.
Martin added: "It’s because I’ve got such a large platform, I’m on social media every day and talk to my fans. People are bored and I cheer them up.
"I get a lot of hate for it because I’m always on planes but people gift these trips to me. It’s a miracle really, they must have spent thousands of pounds on me."
The former Gogglebox star admitted she received a healthy pay packet from her time on the show but "didn’t know how to be a celebrity".
She explained she "took care" of family and friends with her money while also "thought I was the Queen", resulting in expensive lifestyle choices.
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Gogglebox: Sandra Martin (left) has defended her holidays abroad while on Universal Credit
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However, Martin also admitted she's unable to get a "normal" job due to the fame she garnered from Gogglebox.
She tried her hand as a cleaner in a train station as her last job in 2022 but quit after refusing to clean toilets.