Former footballer Michael Owen has opened up about the financial challenges of owning racehorses, admitting he took part in The Masked Singer for the money.
The former England striker, who was paid roughly £110,000 a week between 2005 and 2009 during his time at Newcastle United, discusses the precarious nature of his post-football career in a new Prime Video documentary series, Meet The Owens.
Despite a reported net worth of £54.4 million, the 46-year-old says he must carefully manage his finances to fund Manor House Stables, his breeding and training facility in Cheshire.
'Haemorrhaging money'
"The biggest challenge is the financial side," Owen says in the upcoming series. "It's a bloody hard business and I can't keep haemorrhaging money."
Owen bought his first racehorse at the age of 18 after returning from the 1998 World Cup and decided to make the sport his full-time career after retiring from football in 2013.
He says the industry is a struggle because of its unpredictability and the wealth of his competitors. An episode of the six-part docuseries shows him at an auction, explaining he is often outbid by dignitaries and foreign royals with "much bigger pockets".
"My sweet spot with horses is anything between £30,000 and £100,000," he says, before revealing to his wife, Louise, that he spent £273,000 buying three horses in one day.
Family frustrations
Louise, 46, expresses frustration with his approach to the business and his contrasting attitudes to household spending.
"Michael doesn't tell me anything so I have to trust he's in control," she says. "Michael is very odd about spending money. He won't think twice about spending money on a horse, but if the kids leave a light on in the house he will hit the roof!"
She adds: "Or if I want to redecorate the bathroom because the paint is falling off the wall he'll be like, 'is that really necessary?'"
'Desperate to retire'
The documentary also covers his retirement from football, where he was previously used to the adulation of supporters.
"All of a sudden you're living under your wife's feet and you're settling into a new life," he says. "Retiring from football you no longer feel so valued, loved. There were feelings of adulation constantly, like a drug and you want to make people happy."
He adds: "When you're winning trophies all the time and scaring the s**t out of defenders that's what gave me my buzz."
However, he admits that physical struggles made him eager to quit. "Injuries made me 50 percent of the player that I was, I was almost embarrassed to walk out with my name on my back so I was desperate to retire," he says. "And that's pretty sad, when you just don't enjoy your job. I've come to realise I need a purpose in life."
The Masked Singer
Owen also reflects on his 2022 appearance on The Masked Singer, where he performed in a 'Doughnuts' costume and reached the sixth episode.
His 18-year-old daughter Emily describes the performance as embarrassing. Owen agrees on his motivation, saying: "What made me do it? I guess the money! Now I've done it I'm actually quite proud of it."
Watching a clip of the show, he notes a change in his physical appearance. "Wow I've got a fat head, I look like a doughnut there," he says. "I've lost about three stone since then."
His 16-year-old daughter Jessica adds: "He did decent. He was definitely the entertainment. He did lots of questionable singing, I was quite glad he was voted out!"
Meet The Owens
The Prime Video series, produced by Whisper, follows a year in the life of Michael and Louise as they prepare to become empty nesters and manage their chaotic home alongside the racing business.
Their four children feature prominently. Jessica hopes to become an Olympic showjumper, Emily aims to be the first in the family to attend university, and James is considering a role in the racing business. Gemma is the couple's fourth child.
All six episodes of Meet The Owens will be available to stream exclusively on Prime Video from August 28, 2026.
