Dr Alex George is earning a staggering £5,000 a day from his side hustle (Picture: @dralexgeorge, Instagram)
Celebrities typically make their money from touring, movie releases and endorsement deals but it’s just not fulfilling enough for some stars who find avenues of money-making elsewhere.
From beekeepers to car wash owners and doulas, these are the weird and wonderful jobs you’d never expect the rich and famous to do.
When he isn’t saving lives in hospital, Love Island star Alex George is reported to be earning £5,000 a day from his side hustle as a property investor, owning rental properties on the Pembrokeshire coast in West Wales.
It’s a modest career for a celebrity who rose to fame as a Love Island hunk.
He’s not alone as many other celebrities have surprising investment companies and other hands-on jobs that will make you see them in a new light…
Jason Derulo – car wash owner
The man who sings his own name clearly has a smart head on his shoulders after investing in a car wash business.
Jason Derulo reckons his car wash business is worth $2billion (Picture: Getty Images)
Jason Derulo is the proud co-owner of Rocket Car Wash which offers a monthly subscription service with unlimited washes.
‘I took a chance on it because its membership model reminded me of what Netflix and Uber did,’ Jason, 33, told the BBC in June 2023.
‘Usually I’d describe myself as an entertainer, but I feel like that has changed. I don’t think I could only say entertainer anymore. It’s business nowadays.’
The singer joked that it’s his least ‘sexy’ investment but he did claim it to be valued at $2billion so it’s safe to say he’s laughing all the way to the bank.
JLS’s JB Gill – farmer
When you’re a member of one of the hottest boy bands in the UK, swapping the glitz and glam for life on the farm might seem a strange choice.
Shortly after JLS split in 2013, JB Gill decided to become a farmer and it quickly proved to be a lucrative career change.
In 2016, he revealed that he raked in £26,000 selling turkeys to punters over the Christmas season. Speaking to the Mirror, he confirmed that he sold over 200 turkeys during December, at a cost of between £70 and £130 each.
And farmer JB, 36, is still loving life the greener side of life.
Erykah Badu – a doula
When she isn’t crooning on stage, neo-soul legend Erykah Badu is hard at work helping mothers bring their babies into the world.
Yes, Erykah, 52, is actually a real midwife and revealed in 2019 that she had already delivered 40 babies.
Erykah Badu is a support system for women going through childbirth (Picture: Getty Images)
A doula is present at the birth to give guidance and support to the mother in labour.
In 2020, Teyana Taylor hired Erykah to deliver her second baby girl, while Summer Walker also enlisted Erkyah’s doula services when she welcomed her second child earlier in 2023.
Blur’s Alex James – cheese maker
He’s best known for rocking out on stage as Blur’s bassist but Alex James, 54, has a whole other cheesy gig on the side.
No, quite literally, the man sells cheese.
In the early 2000s, the musician found a new home in the Cotswolds for his cheese-farming business and it’s been going strong ever since.
You can buy Alex James’ cheese at the supermarket for £3 a pop (Picture: Redferns)
In fact, it was announced in July 2023 that Alex’s cheese would be sold exclusively in Morrisons.
Sharing his pride about the partnership, the singer said in a statement at the time: ‘Blue Monday is a world-beating British cheese, made with love by the wonderful team at Shepherds Purse.
‘It pairs brilliantly with sparkling wine, beer or cider. Smush it on a Frazzle for the ultimate canapé. It goes well with pears, beetroot, cobnuts and even honey and is perfect for sweet dreams at bedtime.’
Willie Nelson – biofuel manufacturer
Willie Nelson isn’t just known for his music and love of marijuana.
The American musician, 90, owned a biofuel company to help lower the United States’ reliance on overseas fuel sources.
‘There is really no need going around starting wars over oil. We have it here at home. We have the necessary product the farmers can grow it,’ he said.
He owned two plants in Texas and Oregon and even had a service station in Maui, Hawaii where he lived.
No guesses for what his pride and joy was called: BioWillie.
Willie Nelson got into the energy business (Picture: Getty Images)
Frankie Muniz – professional racecar driver
Millennials may know him best from Malcolm In The Middle, but Frankie Muniz appeals to a whole new audience these days.
The 37-year-old actor is now a professional racing driver and competes in the ARCA Series, one of the lower levels in NASCAR.
Frankie was always fascinated by racing growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina and went to the Daytona 500.
He entered 14 races in 2006 in the Formula BMW USA series, and the following year, moved up to the Champ Car Atlantic Series. He continued racing until 2009 when a crash left him with injuries that led to him stepping away.
However, he made a comeback in 2021 and is still racing today.
Frankie Muniz is racing all over town these days (Picture: Getty Images)
Flea – beekeeper
Given that his stage name is Flea, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the Red Hot Chili Peppers rocker is a fan of the insect world.
In 2015, the 60-year-old musician revealed that he had three beehives at home each containing over 60,000 bees, and kept fans up to date on his hives through social media.
Flea has been an outspoken environmentalist and discovered his love of beekeeping due to concerns about colony collapse disorder, which is an abnormal phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a honey bee colony disappear, leaving behind a queen, plenty of food, and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining immature bees.
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