Man claims £150,000 in benefits while claiming the only job he could do is being a celebrity
James Alton, 30, has spent thousands pursuing his dream of being a star
A WANNABE celeb has claimed £150,000 in benefits - and insists being a star is the only job that would suit him.
James Alton, 30, says his bipolar disorder prevents him from holding down a job.
But the reports in the last year, he has spent £7,650 of his £10,402 of benefits on trying to become famous.
This reportedly covered the costs of a manager, casting website adverts, clothes and shoes and travel to auditions.
James, whose stage name is Jamesy, told the Sunday People: “I don’t care what people say, entertaining is what I was born to do.
“It makes me happy so why should I do a job that makes me depressed when I can do this instead?
“I’d love to keep a full time job but I am bipolar, you can’t take that away from me. I get a lot of stick about it, people think being bipolar isn’t a real diagnosis."
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In the past year, James, who lives alone in a Derby housing association flat, claims he has appeared as an extra or audience member on the likes of Towie, Britain's Got Talent and Big Brother’s Bit On The Side.
He has also auditioned for Big Brother six times - but reckons his alter-ego 'Mrs Plonka' could be his key to stardom.
But in a letter to James' benefits office, his doctor said: “Mr Alton’s presentation does not fit the criteria for a classic bipolar illness and at most, it is bipolar type 3 which is just a spectrum disorder rather than an illness.”
A DWP spokesman said: “Claimants are expected to do everything they can to find work if they are able to, in return for their benefits.”