Luisa Zissman has admitted she was left feeling like a “mug” after discovering she was apparently the only parent paying her daughter for good GCSE results.
The former Apprentice star, 39, handed over £2,750 to her eldest daughter Dixie, 16, after offering her a cash reward as motivation to secure the grades she needed for a place in the sixth form at a new boarding school.
Luisa Zissman paid her daughters thousands following GCSE results
Luisa explained that she had come up with the idea after Dixie failed to reach the required grades in her mock exams, believing a financial reward would encourage her to put in the extra effort.
Speaking on her podcast LuAnna, Luisa told co-host Anna Williamson that Dixie needed to achieve sixes and sevens, equivalent to As and Bs, to secure her place.
She explained that she wanted to instil the idea that working hard could bring financial rewards. “Like, the harder you work, the more you earn normally… I know that that’s not always the case,” she said.
Luisa initially insisted that the incentive she had devised was not “too ridiculous.” However, the final amount she handed over quickly added up.
She had promised Dixie £1,500 for every grade nine she achieved, with the top mark sitting above what would previously have been an A*. An eight would earn her £1,000, while she offered £500 for a seven and £250 for a six.
Luisa also said she would take money away if Dixie received anything below a four. That said, she soon discovered that her daughter’s claim about her classmates being paid for their grades may not have been quite what she thought.
“She told me that all the kids were getting it at school. I’m such a mug!” Luisa added.
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‘I’ve been well shafted’
The revelation came as Luisa drove Dixie and a group of her friends to Reading Festival over the weekend. When the other teenagers commented on how much money Dixie had received, Luisa realised the arrangement was apparently unique to her daughter.
“All the other kids were like, ‘Oh, Dixie, you just got loads of money.’ And I was like, ‘Did none of you get that then? Because Dixie told me that everyone was getting that at school.’ I just thought, well, private school they do that, don’t they?” she said.
Luisa then discovered none of the other children had been offered a similar reward. She joked: “Turns out none of them did. Eight kids in the car. I’ve been well shafted. But I actually don’t care.”
Luisa was clearly delighted with her daughter’s achievement and had previously shared a video of Dixie discovering her GCSE results.
Alongside the footage, the proud mum wrote: “I’m so proud of my baby. She is amazing. Hard work pays off and she worked so hard to achieve the results she wanted and exceeded everyone’s expectations!!”
“Dixie Lola you’re a rockstar never stop pushing, never stop working hard & achieving your dreams and goals, I could burst with pride.”
Fans were quick to offer their support. One user wrote: “Amazing! Well done Dixie.”
“Oh this is sooo lovely. Huge well done Dixie xxx,” another person shared.
“Congratulations Dixie. As your mum always says, hard work pays off. I hope you are incredibly proud of yourself,” a third remarked.
Read more: Luisa Zissman faces major backlash after calling ‘gross’ McDonald’s customers ‘lazy and unhealthy’
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