She’s married to a Hollywood A-lister, lives in a stunning London home, and has appeared on BBC series over the years — but now TV presenter Dawn O’Porter has opened up about her ongoing financial struggles in a frank conversation. The 46-year-old former documentary host, who married Bridesmaids and The IT Crowd actor Chris O’Dowd in 2012, has surprised fans by revealing she’s finding it hard to make ends meet.

The Scottish writer and director has had a diverse career, presenting several documentaries and shows including BBC’s Super Slim Me and How To Look Good Naked on Channel 4. Meanwhile, Chris, 45, has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest productions, including This Is 40, Thor: The Dark World, Gulliver’s Travels, and St. Vincent. The couple have two children, sons Art, 11, and Valentine, who is eight. Despite their high-profile status, it seems they, like many other parents, often can struggle financially.

Speaking on the White Wine Question Time podcast with Kate Thornton, Dawn didn’t hold back. She revealed: “I work pay cheque to pay cheque. I’m always broke,” she said bluntly. “My card got declined last week. I’m like, what the f*** is happening? When will this end?”

It’s not what you’d expect from someone married to a man who’s starred in Thor: The Dark World, This Is 40, and Gulliver’s Travels, but Dawn insists the glitz of Hollywood doesn’t pay her bills. The couple recently moved back to London after eight years living in Los Angeles.

However it hasn’t been the fresh start Dawn hoped for. Since returning, she’s lost her regular column in Stylist magazine, had a major TV deal fall through, and is now scrambling to stay financially afloat.

Despite being a published author and a TV personality in her own right, Dawn says being married to a big-name actor hasn’t exactly opened the golden gates.

“I’ve never seen myself as a celebrity,” she said. “Even though I’m married to Chris, who is quite a well-known actor, I don’t think either of us have ever seen ourselves as celebrities. I guess if I was a celebrity, I’d get paid lots of money to do things that aren’t necessarily my job… but I don’t.”

Dawn has also penned several bestselling novels, including The Cows and runs the ethical fashion label Help! co-founded with the refugee charity Choose Love.