Saffron is the lead singer of rock band Republica, best known for their 1990s Britpop hit Ready To Go, writes YORK MEMBERY.

It has been streamed more than 100million times and used in numerous TV shows and films, as well as being played when Sunderland AFC walk on to the pitch at the Stadium of Light.

The 58-year-old appeared in the video for Chesney Hawkes’ The One And Only before finding fame. She lives on the Sussex coast.

What did your parents teach you about money?

I was one of two and born in Lagos, Nigeria, because my dad was working for British American Tobacco. We returned to the UK when I was five.

My Portuguese mother was of part-Chinese descent – they met in Hong Kong. Both my parents have now passed but they taught me two important lessons about money.

Firstly, that you have to earn it. Secondly, that you need to save it – and having a piggy bank as a kid was a great way to acquire that saving habit. My one childhood treat? The occasional can of fizzy pop!

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

I’ve always worked – my first job was a Saturday girl at a bakery. After going to a school of performing arts in my teens, I spent a couple of years as a dancer in Starlight Express, and also starred in The Rocky Horror Show, making enough to buy a small flat in south London in 1988.

I struggled to meet my mortgage payments when interest rates spiked, so got a second job on the perfume counter at Selfridges. The Covid pandemic was also a tough time for musicians because no one could tour – but I’m also a qualified mental and social health care officer, so was a key worker in those dark days.

Have you ever been paid silly money?

Republica signed a five-figure record deal in the mid-1990s but it was really a loan – we had to pay the money back when we had hits with songs like Ready To Go and Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Ready To Go has been synced [licensed for use] in more than 500 films, trailers, TV shows or adverts – such as the comedy Ted Lasso, and the official trailer for the film Captain Marvel.

The Hollywood director Wes Craven even called me personally to ask for permission to use Drop Dead Gorgeous in his [1996] film Scream. Syncing can bring in anything from £10,000 to £200,000 a time.

What was the best year of your financial life?

The late 1990s were good years for Republica and me, following the success of Ready To Go, which charted in the UK, Europe and North America.

We even got to perform the song, which I co-wrote, on the Late Night With Conan O’Brien TV show in the States.

Our follow-up single, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and debut album Republica, were both UK top-ten hits, too.

But the great thing about those two songs – my ‘hardy perennials’ – is that they just keep giving.

The most expensive thing you bought for fun?

I flew to Las Vegas with friends when I turned 50 several years ago – that must have set me back £5,000.

I also enjoy diving in the crystal-clear waters off the Greek islands. My last trip there cost two or three grand, but it’s a great way to recharge your batteries.

Lastly, I’m a Star Wars superfan, and I’ve paid up to £1,000 for a figurine, but I’ve found that they hold their value.

What has been your biggest money mistake?

Someone at the office not renewing my US work visa.

I was offered £250,000 to appear in a US TV advert with Star Trek legend William Shatner.

I was so excited about doing the ad, and specifically asked the person concerned to make sure my visa was up to date – but they forgot to check, so the job went to someone else.

That was upsetting.

Best money decision you have made?

Joining Republica in the mid-1990s. I got to travel the world, make a few quid and, what’s more, the band is still in demand – for instance, Drop Dead Gorgeous features in the new Trainspotting musical.

But without the £100,000 record company ‘tour support’ advance we got in the 1990s we could never have funded the US tour, which made our career.

I think the money I spend on my personal appearance is also well-spent. My red and gold Gresham Blake stage suits can cost me a couple of grand, and I don’t get much change from £200 when I get my hair done in Covent Garden.

Will you pass down your money or spend it?

I’ll pass it down to family members and also leave some to charities that are close to my heart, like Smile Train [for babies born with a cleft palate] and the Kit Wilson Trust for Animal Welfare.

Do you have a pension?

I’ve been paying into a private pension since my 20s but have no plans to retire anytime soon.

Performing is in my blood. I’d love to appear in a musical, too.

Do you own any property?

Yes, a three-bedroom cottage on the South Coast, which I bought about ten years ago – but I spend around half the year on the road.

If you were chancellor, what would you do?

I’d give a tax break to all those small venues that give young musicians their first chance to play a gig before a paying audience – that’s why we’re touring grassroots venues on our autumn tour. I’d also pay healthcare workers more.

What is your number one financial priority?

To safeguard the band’s legacy and songs, and to keep on performing.

You need lots of income streams to survive as a band these days. The music business is still a man’s world though – it’s tough for a woman to succeed on her own terms.

The tour – Republica, 30 Years Of Ready To Go – starts in October (linktr.ee/republicaofficial or instagram.com/republicaofficial).

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