Millionaire socialite Amanda Cronin gives glimpse into her lavish life

A millionaire socialite with a £10million jewellery collection and bathroom fitted with £7,000 gold taps has been branded ‘vile’ and ‘dreadful’ for bragging about her wealth to a former homeless man.  

One-time model Amanda Cronin, 45, who landed a multi-million pound settlement when she divorced Monaco energy mogul Mark Daeche in 2019, is one of the richest women in the UK. 

She appeared in a new documentary The Millionairess and Me, which aired on Channel 4 last night, detailing her unlikely friendship with Martin Read, a filmmaker who has spent time in prison and homeless after leaving home at 16.

It showed the influencer, who boasts more than 60,000 followers on Instagram, showing Martin around her Mayfair home before flying him to Monaco and Switzerland for a charity ball.

But the flaunting of her wealth left a sour taste in many viewers’ mouths with one writing: ‘No class, no manners, no style, no real friends. Everything about Amanda is vile. Disconnected from all reality.’

The mother-of-one – who claims she has ‘the longest legs in Belgravia’ and describes herself as ‘one of the most stylish women in the world’ – also raised eyebrows by  donating a Gucci voucher to a charity shop, and parking her £150,000 Bentley outside on Merthyr Tydfil high street. 

The film, which aired on Channel 4 last night at 10pm, sees the socialite and influencer, who boasts more than 60,000 followers on Instagram, flaunt her wealth at her Mayfair home before flying the filmmaker to Monaco and Switzerland where she shows off her lavish lifestyle and takes him to a charity ball. Pictured: Amanda having her makeup done

The documentary begins with Amanda, who grew up in Southampton, showing Martin around her plush London home, including a huge collection of Gucci handbags – which are all one of a kind. 

The mother-of-one explained that despite her wealth – she’s often gifted designer goods by brands who want to see her promoting their products to her huge Instagram following.  

‘I get gifted, I get deliveries everyday. Everyday something arrives through the post, it’s nice. It’s like Christmas everyday’, she said. 

After showing off her £150,000 Bentley, Amanda revealed she had purchased another Mayfair mansion for £3million, which she’s renovating in the hope of selling for £11million. 

The pair visited a furniture store selling eye-wateringly expensive products including a £26,000 bath and bed costing £88,000. 

Amanda lived in Monaco for ten years before her marriage fell apart, and  while celebrating her 45th birthday, she opened up to Martin about life following her divorce.   

While at a charity ball raising money for underprivileged children in Switzerland, Martin asks Amanda why the rich don’t pay more taxes rather than spend thousands on charity auctions given the energy crisis, end of furlough and cost of living crisis in the UK 

She appeared in a new documentary The Millionairess and Me after striking up an unlikely friendship with Martin Read, a filmmaker who has spent time in prison and homeless after leaving home at 16 

‘I’m so over people trying to hook me up and couple me up’, she said. ‘My daughter feels the same I know [my friends] feels the same. We’re powerful intelligent and successful women on a trajectory. 

‘Of course we need love and lovers and we have this, but at the end of the day it’s not us being defined by men anymore walking in the shadows of men.’ 

When asked whether her marriage had left her with some emotional scars, she said: ‘I think it’s definitely a fair comment yeah. But time heals and hearts heal.’ 

She added: ‘I like being kissed goodbye in the morning. I’m very classic and old school, “I’ll see you later my darling I love you I’m besotted with you”.’

While she now enjoys a lavish lifestyle, Amanda opened up about her early life in Southampton, where she had an ordinary upbringing and dreamed of being an air hostess before being scouted as a model. 

The mother-of-one explained that despite her wealth – she’s often gifted designer goods by brands who want to see her promoting their products to her huge Instagram following. Pictured at the Eden Rock Hotel in St Barts

The pair visited a furniture store selling eye-wateringly expensive products including a £26,000 bath and bed costing £88,000 

On a trip to Read’s hometown of Cardiff, the pair visited a Red Cross charity shop, with Amanda putting together a shop display and parking her Bentley on the street. Amanda is pictured posting on Instagram

‘I have been desperate and I have been in situations where I have been at the brink of disaster’, she said. ‘My whole world fell apart overnight in public, I don’t think it’s about being touch. 

‘That’s not a problem, when you can’t pay your rent you can’t pay your bills that’s a problem. 

‘People might think I’m in a gilded cage – I am, but I know what it’s like to not be in a gilded cage, and I know what it’s like to be in a gilded cage with the door locked which is not ideal either.’ 

On a trip to Read’s hometown of Cardiff, the pair visited a Red Cross charity shop, with Amanda putting together a shop display and parking her Bentley on the street.

While there,  Amanda donated a Gucci voucher and pair of Dior sunglasses before dubbing herself one of the ‘most stylish women in the world’ as she helped arrange the shop window.

The shop manager commented that she was ‘unaware of how much power she had’ because a £300 donation could run an an ambulance for a week.

The documentary begins with Amanda, who grew up in Southampton, showing Martin around her plush London home, including a huge collection of Gucci handbags – which are all one of a kind. She is pictured in London

When they were at the event, Martin quizzed Amanda on whether she felt the uber-wealthy should be paying more tax. Amanda is pictured in London

She later met with Shirley Debono, an activist campaigning against the use of Imprisonment for public protection (IPP), a ‘tariff’ meaning an a prisoner serves an unlimited time of detention until they can prove they are no longer a threat to the public.

Amanda was moved by the story of Shirley’s son, Shaun who had served nine years in prison after stealing a mobile phone.     

‘I relate to Shirley as a mother as a woman’, she said. ‘We have a lot in common, fighting for your rights, justice, equality, justice truth, these are really hard battles to fight’

‘I want to help her, I would like to add my voice to the story’. 

After returning from Cardiff, the pair visited a black tie event in Switzerland, raising money for under privileged children around the world . 

When they were at the event, Martin quizzed Amanda on whether she felt the uber-wealthy should be paying more tax. 

It’s an unlikely friendship across the class divide that is at the heart of a new Channel 4 documentary, in which Martin takes a voyage to the heart of Amanda’s privileged world, and vice versa. Pictured: Martin and Amanda 

Golden girl: Wealthy socialite Amanda Cronin is a former model and earned millions through divorce

Best buddy: ‘Rough diamond’ Martin Read has spent time in prison and was homeless

‘It’s a very basic question to just say’, she said. ‘Tax the rich I think it’s more complicated than that, rich people contribute in other ways. 

‘The way that rich people don’t contribute enough is when they’re forced to leave the country because they feel their taxes are unacceptable. If you hike up taxes for rich people they’re just going to leave and go to Monaco and the Bahamas’. 

These comments irked viewers, with one writing:  ‘Christ, money can’t buy class right enough. What an utterly shallow, materialistic person. Love yourself much? Wonder why she’s single eh?’

Another added: ‘What a disgusting woman that Amanda Cronin is looking down her nose at the rest of society. Don’t mind the rich but never look down your nose at those less fortunate than yaself,’  

These comments irked viewers, with one writing: ‘Christ, money can’t buy class right enough. What an utterly shallow, materialistic person. Love yourself much? Wonder why she’s single eh?’

A third wrote: ‘Yuk. This woman is horrible. So far up her own a***she can lick her own intestines’.

Another tweeted: ‘Poor rich people. Being driven out of their country because of high taxes they find unacceptable. Life is better with a bag worth 200K. Better than paying taxes and it going on the NHS or schools.

 However, many praised Martin Read for the documentary and said Amanda was giving back by helping out.   

‘There are film/documentary makers out there that are capable of more than a predictable scripted commentary. Martin Read kept me engaged and entertained in his production of #TheMillionairessandme. A slightly gauche format that could easily have been ruined by the usual suspect,’ one said.

‘ That was an interesting take on the super rich and very well put together and narrated by Martin Read. Maybe a little bit of Merthyr Tydfil will remain embedded in Amanda Cronin.’ added another. 

The Millionairess and Me airs on Channel 4 on Monday at 10pm