Ted Robbins recounts Paul McCartney's help for his parents and his life in show business

Ted Robbins, 70, the comedian and actor known for Phoenix Nights and other TV work, has opened up about his finances, his famous family, and a life shaped by both luck and risk. In an interview for This is Money, Robbins says his cousin Sir Paul McCartney helped his parents by buying them a house when money was tight, a gesture that anchored a family early on during a period of financial strain. The house, in Bebington on The Wirral, came at a time when his parents were skint, and it underscored the unusual links that still connect Robbins to one of the country’s most famous families.

Robbins grew up in Liverpool and today lives in Rawtenstall, Lancashire, with his wife of 36 years, Judy. The couple have two children and two grandchildren. Robbins’ family is well known in show business: his sisters Kate and Amy Robbins are actresses, his niece is Emily Atack, and their cousin is Sir Paul McCartney. The family ties sit alongside Robbins’ own long-running career in comedy and television, including his memorable turns in Phoenix Nights, Ackley Bridge, and The Slammer.

The interview traces Robbins’ attitude toward money through a long arc of personal experiences. He recalls his father, Mike, who worked as a redcoat and showman and who described money as a bridge between a person and life’s harsher realities. The lesson, Robbins says, was blunt: money doesn’t buy happiness, but without it, hardship can overwhelm you. His parents’ fortunes and misfortunes shaped Robbins’ own approach to earnings, savings, and the value of security.

Robbins’ first paid job came at 17, when he worked as a compere, presenter, and trainer for a performing dolphin show in Porthcawl. He earned about £40 a week and candidly admits that most of it went on wine, women, and song, a line he uses to illustrate an early propensity to spend rather than save. Still, the anecdote underscores that money was never simply a symbol of status for him; it was a vehicle with real consequences.

The path to stability was not linear. Robbins says he regularly struggled to make ends meet in the early years of his career. A notable moment came when he won £5,000 on the television game show You Bet and was asked which charity he would donate to. He asked if he could keep the money, saying he needed it more than the charity at the moment. The reality of the early years intensified after he landed his first regular television job on Weekend on Granada TV, which paid about £250 per show. That level of pay, he notes, felt like a breakthrough, but it also prompted a period of living beyond his means and slipping into an overdraft. By the time he married Judy in 1989, the overdraft had reached £11,500. An accountant helped him sort out the finances, and Robbins emphasizes the value of professional guidance in turning around a precarious situation.

Robbins also recounts a moment when he earned what felt like “silly money” after a warm-up act for Des O’Connor at Thames TV, which paid £200 a night. A corporate weekend in Ascot for a debt recovery agency illustrated a broader theme in his financial life: lucrative offers can come with caveats, and the best-remembered opportunities often require careful negotiation. He recalls a conversation in which the client initially suggested £700 for a weekend, only to come back with £7,000 after negotiations, with travel, golf, and meals all included on a single tab. The episode stands out as a reminder that good deals can appear unexpectedly, but it is the sustained, steady work that builds lasting security.

One of Robbins’ brightest financial years came in 2004, when residual payments from the Phoenix Nights DVD box set flowed in. He notes that there is nothing like money earned for work already completed, and he forms a close bond with Peter Kay, who remains a friend. The two have longstanding ties; Kay even visits Robbins’ mother-in-law, Dorothy, who lives with the family. That personal connection to successful peers has helped Robbins navigate the industry with a grounded perspective.

Robbins’ biggest money misstep, he says, involved a vehicle purchase. He swapped their Ford Mondeo for a larger car and, during a family trip, he and his then 13-year-old daughter Molly spotted a second-hand BMW 7 Series with ivory leather seats for about £20,000. Molly urged him to buy it, and he did. Three months later, after the warranty expired, the car developed a problem that a mechanic bluntly described as a failure. The experience taught Robbins a lasting lesson: sometimes it pays to bring the family along for decisions and to opt for simpler, more reliable transportation.

As for indulgences, Robbins has a fondness for red wine. He recalls that his cousin Paul McCartney once gave his father two bottles of Chateau Lafite, with one later passed to Robbins. They stored the wine near the kitchen stove, a warm spot that ruined the corked bottles. Months later, on Christmas Day, Robbins discovered the wine had spoiled and poured it away. The anecdote illustrates a pragmatic, if somewhat humorous, approach to luxury: it can be meaningful, but it also invites missteps when mismanaging storage and timing.

In terms of the best financial decisions, Robbins points to buying a house as a turning point. The first home, a tiny end-terrace in Stacksteads, cost around £40,000 and marked the moment he realized the security that home ownership can provide. Owning property without a mortgage, he says, is wonderful, and he has since maintained a semi-detached house in Rawtenstall with space for Dorothy, Judy’s mother, reflecting a commitment to family stability alongside his career.

Robbins has also considered broader fiscal policy, articulating a view that large corporations should contribute more to the NHS. He recalls meeting former Labour Chancellor Denis Healey at Westminster after a generous lunch, a moment that underscored the social dimension of financial responsibility in the public conversation.

No. 1 financial priority for Robbins is ensuring something is left for Judy and the children. That priority reflects a practical approach to legacy rather than conspicuous consumption.

A life-threatening experience in January 2015, when Robbins suffered a cardiac arrest on the opening night of the Phoenix Nights Live tour at Manchester Arena, brought a blunt reckoning with the fragility of life. He was clinically dead for about 20 minutes before medical responders in the audience and hospital staff saved him. He says Peter Kay stayed with him and his family during the recovery, underscoring the importance of community and support in the wake of trauma. Robbins’ perspective now centers on health and the relationships that matter most; he has frequently expressed gratitude for the responders and for the hospital team that treated him at Wythenshawe Hospital. The episode remains a defining moment in his life, reinforcing the adage that personal health is the ultimate form of wealth.

Robbins’ story—spanning a cousin’s generosity, financial ups and downs, the lure and limits of showbiz money, and a life-altering medical crisis—offers a nuanced portrait of a performer who carries both a public persona and a grounded, family-centered approach to money and life. The interview, conducted for This is Money, presents a restrained, factual account of Robbins’ experiences, highlighting a career defined by longevity, resilience, and a consistent emphasis on family.