A teenage mother has been brought to tears after being given a new home by a millionaire who was homeless as a child.
Marco Robinson, 49, a property developer now worth £25m, bought 18 year-old Holly a three-bedroom flat in Preston, Lancashire after she showed him the mould-covered flat she shared with her baby.
Appearing on Channel 4’s Get a House for Free, the businessman met with three groups of people – Jo, a woman losing her eyesight, a family of Syrian refugees, and Holly and her daughter Bethany – who were all in need of a home.
Mr Robinson eventually chose the young mother, telling her the flat was being transferred into her name, because he didn’t want her baby to grow up with the same experiences he had suffered from as a child.
Mr Robinson said he had grown up in difficult circumstances, sleeping on park benches with his own mother at times.
As a result, he said he had always wanted to give someone the gift of somewhere to live.
Eight thousand people applied to move into the free flat as part of the television programme.
Runner-up Jo was given a deposit to help her buy her own home, and Mr Robinson gave the Syrian refugee family accommodation to live in while they waited to be granted asylum.
Delivering the news to Holly, Mr Robinson said: “I want you and Bethany to have a solid place to live - a home. I want you to get out there and better yourself. You'll be able to go to college.”
Bursting into tears, Holly said:”'You're going to change my life.
“There’s no words for this. I’m so happy not just for my sake but for Bethany so I can give her a future I can give her stability.”
