Danny Robins, 48, makes a good living scaring the living daylights out of us, writes Angela Epstein.
Not least with his BBC show and podcast Uncanny, which tells stories of paranormal encounters.
Born in Newcastle, the Bafta winner’s supernatural thriller play, 2.22 A Ghost Story, has toured around the world.
Danny lives in Walthamstow, east London, with his Swedish wife Eva and their two children – who are all afraid of ghosts and won’t watch his shows…
What did your parents teach you about money?
My parents weren’t great with money because my dad spent too much. They also didn’t have well-paid work – Dad studied for years to be an academic and Mum was a teacher. I wanted a career where I would be in control. I realised the more time I spent putting into something, the more I could get out of it. I love being paid for making and creating something.
Have you ever struggled for money?
I did for years, though not at first. Eight months out of university I got commissioned – along with college mates Marcus Brigstocke and Dan Tetsell – to write spoof series We Are History. I found myself with an agent and on good money at 21. By 2000 I was earning £60,000, a huge amount. In my thirties I lost my love of writing comedy and my earnings took a hit. I remember moving £5 from a savings account to a current account to keep it open.
Supernatural: Danny Robins, who created the 2.22 A Ghost Story play
What is the most expensive thing you bought for fun?
I’d rather spend on holidays or taking people for meals than the latest gadgets. I loved taking my wife to the Savoy Grill for her birthday. I spend so much time in my own head writing I don’t have time to go shopping.
What is your biggest money mistake?
Not starting a pension until a few years ago. I never planned for my future, which as a freelancer you have to do. I’ve since invested as much as I can but you can’t catch up on two decades’ worth of missed opportunities. My wife does the planning. I have the financial equivalent of dyslexia. I don’t understand my tax return!
What is the best money decision you’ve made?
Buying my first home. Early in my career I put a deposit down on a flat next to the Hawley Arms in Camden – a so-called old man’s boozer. Within months it was the coolest place to be in London, and the same thing happened when I sold the flat and bought another in Kentish Town. In 2012, I could buy a house in Walthamstow and renovate it. I’ve done well more through luck than planning.
How many properties do you own?
Just our house. Eva would love a Swedish summer house and to be closer to her parents. I have a hankering for a little place by the sea. But we spent so much renovating the house.
Do you invest directly in the stock market?
Only through my pension and cautiously. We set our risk at a low level and invest ethically in things that don’t destroy the environment. I realised that after my childhood and lean years there wasn’t a financial light at the end of the tunnel. But it all changed in 2021 with The Battersea Poltergeist and then 2.22 A Ghost Story. I was earning more than I ever had.
What was the best year of your financial life?
The last. My play has been to five continents, on tour in the UK and in the West End. It took five years to write but it brings in royalties. The paranormal has been good to me. Some people found God, I found ghosts.
If you were Chancellor, what would you do?
Everything I could to reduce the gap between poor and rich without the rich feeling punished. People are happy to pay Sweden’s high taxes because they feel they are getting a better society. We grumble about tax because we’re not convinced it’s well spent.
Do you donate money to charity?
Yes, the George Oliver Foundation set up by my friend Emily in memory of her son who died at 14 months, and Walthamstow Eat or Heat food bank.
What is your number one financial priority?
My children. They’re growing up in a world where getting a property can seem like a madman’s dream. Going to university also costs a fortune – when I went people gave me money to go!
- Uncanny: Fear Of The Dark goes on tour in September: tiltedco.com/uncanny-fear-of-the-dark. For 2:22 A Ghost Story go to 222aghoststory.com/uk-tour-tickets.
