Little Mix almost blew everything on holidays and penthouses

Little Mix have admitted that in the early days of fame, after winning the X Factor, they had no idea how to manage their new wealth. They blew a fortune renting posh penthouses and going on fancy holidays, before they realised they were running out of money.

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Perrie Edwards told The Sun that when they were first famous five years ago, the label gave them some cash, and the girls let it slip through their fingers. She said: "You think 'I am really rich' and then you spend it all on a holiday and before you know it - you have got nothing left."

The girls also spent a fortune renting posh properties before they saw the impact it was having on their finances. Jade Thirlwall had rented a property in Notting Hill with Edwards, and they soon realised they couldn't afford it - and had to move out.

At the time in an interview with Reality TV they admitted they felt like the money was there to be spent - so they weren't holding back. Thirlwall admitted she'd just bought a pair of shoes for £1,000 - although they were so expensive she was scared to wear them. In the same interview, Edwards said she'd just bought her mum a car - and if she was buying something for someone else she didn't feel so guilty.

Are they any more sensible now?

They told the Sun they were better at managing their money now. However, it would clearly be a stretch to say that any of the girls have a particularly parsimonious lifestyle.

They are famous for their hard work and punishing schedules, so they're not afraid to splash the cash on holidays when they have a little down time - everywhere from the Maldives to Dubai, Ibiza and Las Vegas.

Likewise, while they may not be keen to blow thousands of pounds renting property, they are not afraid to spend a bit of their fortune buying lavish homes. Edwards bought a £5 million London property with Zayn Malik when the pair were together, and after moving out, invested in her own £1 million house in Surrey.

And the flash trappings of fame aren't unknown to the band either. Leigh-Anne Pinnock, for example, bought herself a £100,000 Jeep Black Hawk - complete with custom fridges, a Bose sound system, and even a fold-down vanity in the boot - complete with a hairdryer.

There's no sign that these extravagances are beyond their means, because after successful albums, singles, tours, fragrances, clothing lines and endorsements, they have a combined estimated net worth of £12 million.

Perhaps it's less a question of learning to be good with money than having so much cash that they can afford all the penthouses and holidays they want nowadays - without running the risk of blowing the lot.