From Joomearaonline.com ;D
Exposed: Gambling habit of S Club Jo
February 1, 2002
JO O’MEARA has a gambling habit that has seen her spend thousands of pounds on fruit machines. The S CLUB star — idolised by millions of children around the world — goes to her local bingo club up to four times a week and spends hours on jackpot machines. This week alone she has been to the Gala Bingo hall in Barkingside, Essex, three times — Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
She has also gambled on at least eight other visits in the past three weeks — and usually on her favourite £500 jackpot machine. The singer has gambled away at least £4,500 but claims to have scooped nine jackpot wins on the machine — and insists she is close to breaking even. A spokesman for Jo last night admitted the star did gamble but insisted she wasn’t an addict. But the news will stun S Club’s army of young fans and shatter her squeaky-clean image.
Last night Jo, who lives in a £250,000 bungalow in Romford, Essex — just a few miles from the bingo hall — said she gambled to help her cope with being unable to work with the band. The blonde, who is worth an estimated £500,000, suffers from a rare hereditary condition of the spine which causes severe back problems.
She has been off work with the problem since before Christmas when she was forced to pull out of S Club’s visit to London’s Great Ormond Street Childrens’ Hospital. Jo says: “My back’s not too good so gambling is all I can do. I come as much as I can; quite a few times each week.
“It’s my only release and it’s an outlet for me. I play on the fruit machine that pays out a £500 jackpot.
“I have already won the £500 prize nine times. I think I’ve just about broken even.” On Thursday night, Jo arrived at the members only club at around 7pm in her Peugeot 205 motor. After signing in, she went straight to her favourite seat — the nearest one to the £500 jackpot machine. She joined in three games of bingo, during which time players are not allowed to gamble on the slots. She then went over to the fruit machine, feeding it up to 20 £1 coins every three to four minutes.
After the bingo ended at 10pm, she spent a further hour on the machine and was among the last to leave with her mum Barbara. She followed the same routine on Wednesday when she won £25 on bingo.
The singer’s spokesman says: “Jo enjoys going to bingo, particularly at the moment while she is unable to do other activities due to her back problem.”
Jo, who needs physiotherapy three times a week to treat her back, has enjoyed four No1 hits with S Club — Bring It All Back, Never Had A Dream Come True, Don’t Stop Movin’ and Have You Ever. This is the second scandal to rock the band — managed by Pop Idol guru SIMON FULLER — following the arrest of JOHN LEE, PAUL CATTERMOLE and BRADLEY McINTOSH for smoking cannabis in London’s Covent Garden in March 2001.
We dubbed the group Spliff Club 7 after the incident, which resulted in the boys being cautioned by police. Jon has since left the band.
Poor Jo ;D
