Who is Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins?
CHARLIE Mullins is a self-made millionaire who founded Pimlico Plumbers, which he set up at the age of 27 in 1979.
But despite now living in a penthouse in Central London, Mullins spent the first 11 years of his life living with his parents and three brothers in rented rooms in Camden.
Who is Charlie Mullins?
With his Rod Stewart-style blond barnet, Charlie Mullins is instantly recognisable.
He was born in October 1952 in London and grew up in a council flat with his factory-worker dad and cleaner mum.
Inspired by Margaret Thatcher's industrial revolution and the mantra of the self-made man, Mullins started his business in a basement and now has an empire serving the whole capital.
The charismatic businessman says he dreamt of becoming a plumber from the age of nine, and bunked off school to earn "two bob a day" working with a local plumber in Camden, London.
Mullins says that he was inspired because the tradesman was well-respected, had a great lifestyle and money.
The self-made millionaire left school at 15 with no qualifications and became an apprentice, setting up Pimlico Plumbers in 1979 from an estate agent's basement.
The dad-of-four now lives in a central London penthouse worth £5million and drives a £300,000 Bentley.
He was married to the mother of his four children, Lynda, for 41 years.
His second wife was Julie Anne Morris, but they divorced after four years in 2020.
He was awarded an OBE in the 2015 New Years Honours list for services to plumbing.
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What is Charlie Mullins' net worth?
Pimlico Plumbers founder Mullins has an estimated net worth of £70million.
He was Britain’s first “millionaire plumber”.
Pimlico Plumbers was started from a basement of a London estate agent in 1979 and is now London’s largest independent plumbing company.
In September 2021, he sold a 90% shareholding of Pimlico Plumbers to US home services group Neighborly in a deal worth between £125million and £145million.
His son, Scott Mullins, remains Chief Executive with a 10% stake.
Who is Charlie's partner RaRa?
Twice divorced, Mullins met his partner, RaRa, whose real name is Rachel Leavesley, in Marbella.
RaRa is a singer-songwriter who has been engaged to Mullins since May 2022.
The couple are both appearing on the new BBC One show Unbreakable, which sees celebrity couples put their relationships to the ultimate test.
Ahead of the show's debut, the couple revealed that the mental challenges were the hardest, adding: "Psyching ourselves up to do a bungee jump together was one of the most difficult things we’ve ever done."
What TV shows has Charlie Mullins been on?
In 2009 Mullins appeared on Channel 4's The Secret Millionaire, where he spent a week in Warrington, Cheshire, working with charities as an undercover handyman.
He has also been interviewed on shows including the Daily Politics, Panorama and BBC News, and featured on How'd You Get So Rich with Katherine Ryan on Channel 4.
Mullins is also a Patron of The Prince's Trust and is a sponsor and fund-raiser of The Rhys Daniels Trust and charities that featured in Secret Millionaire and various others.