A TWO Doors Down star has opened up about having to claim universal credit and said, “People think I’m f****** loaded”.
Doon Mackichan, 62, plays permanently sozzled Cathy White in the BBC hit, which follows a bunch of dysfunctional neighbours and their extended families in the fictional Latimer Crescent.
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And Doon’s character quickly became a fan favourite after being in the centre of a string of iconic scenes, including the infamous hot tub party and Cathy’s birthday bash for Colin’s displeased dad.
Doon was born in London and brought up in Fife, before studying drama at Manchester University.
The comedian has starred in a number of other hit shows including Smack the Pony and Alan Partridge.
And last year she also released her biography My Lady Parts: A Life Fighting Stereotypes where she opened up about different aspects of her life.
And she revealed that with her huge success on the popular Scots sitcom has lead people to believe that she must be raking in the cash.
But Doon admitted that she actually had to claim universal credit and struggled during the coronavirus pandemic.
I didn’t care about the indignity of being on universal credit, I just thought: ‘This is a nightmare’
Doon Mackichan
Although she pointed out that she understood that many were in a worse position than she was, she said it was a “nightmare” time for her.
In her book, Doon said “People think I’m f****** loaded”, and went on to explain that she currently lives in a rented house in London, but owns a a house in Hastings that she’s planning to sell.
She went on to add that the universal credit system left her furious at the time when she was struggling.
She wrote: “I didn’t care about the indignity of being on universal credit, I just thought: ‘This is a nightmare.’
“I just remember thinking, I have to stop, this is becoming my whole life, all I talk about is universal credit and how angry I am.
“It caused me so much stress.
“I thought, imagine if you couldn’t speak the language.”
Doon also talks about fighting stereotypes in her book and opens up about how it feels to be an ageing woman in the TV industry.
She even admitted to carrying around a permanent marker to deface adverts for aesthetics clinics.
Although she said she has found it hard, Doon added that she has deliberately went out of her way to resist getting any Botox or fillers.
Doon said: “When I see myself on screen, like at a screening a couple of nights ago, it’s horrible because you go: ‘Christ, who is that very old lady?’
“I just have to have a word with myself. We need to see those faces to stop being disgusted by it.
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“It’s like a responsibility. If you’re 55, and you really want to get your fucking cheeks done, do it, I’m not judging you.
“But it’s an epidemic with younger women. I just really fight against feeling ashamed of ageing.”
SHE’S GOT BOTTLE
DOON Mackichan previously revealed that based her boozy character Cathy on her own drunken nights out.
She admitted that she has copied some of Cathy’s character traits from friends — but she insists the main influence is her own wild partying.
Doon said: “There are three or four people who are definitely my go-to Cathy girls when they’ve had a few.
“But then there’s myself. When I’ve had one too many, I will definitely humiliate myself on the dance floor.
“There will be some high kicks then some pain in the morning especially around the hip area, when I’m like, ‘I don’t quite remember what I did last night.’
“So I had to do a lot of research for the part — a lot of drinking.”
Doon added that she plays such a convincing drunk, alongside Jonathan Watson as her hen-pecked hubby Colin that viewers actually think she’s pie-eyed on screen.
She added: “People are always asking me if I’m really drunk on the telly.
“I’m like ‘Are you joking? Do you think I could be drunk all day for filming?’
“Although Cathy is always holding a glass, it’s actually full of hideous apple juice that starts giving me acid reflux by 11 o’clock in the morning and leaves me feeling sick.”
