[Red Moon]

X Factor Raquelle's fraudster dad

X Factor star Raquelle Gracie's mother has told of the family's shame after her millionaire husband was jailed for fraud.

Pretty Raquelle, 20 - who performed Labelle hit Lady Marmalade with girlband favourites Hope last night - was forced to give up her luxury life when her father Muhammed Naviede was sent to prison 12 years ago.

Mum Michelle told the Sunday Mirror how the family went from living in a luxury mansion and travelling in private jets to living in a cramped three-bedroom semi.

Michelle, 39 - a former pro-tennis player who split from husband Naviede before the trial and now lives in Portugal - said: "Raquelle's life was turned upside down - she went from a chatty, bubbly child to a shy, quiet girl.

"She puts up a confident front but that's an image she's created to protect herself ever since her dad's trial. Underneath she's very fragile."

Raquelle was nine when her father was sentenced to nine years in prison on seven counts of fraudulent trading, obtaining property and services by deception and making false statements. He was also banned from being a company director for 12 years.

The trial followed the collapse of his trading company, Arrows, which crashed in 1991 owing more than £100million.

During his trial lawyers described the millionaire businessman as "a man who lived an opulent lifestyle with a grand house and private jet...financed with other people's money."

Before the trial Raquelle and younger sister Jessica, now 17, lived in a five-bedroom 18th Century mansion in upmarket Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. Michelle, who married Naviede when she was just 17, was presented with a top-of-the-range BMW - even though she couldn't drive - while her husband was a trained pilot with his own private jet.

But when the business collapsed the family were forced to sell up as the millions dwindled away. "We never thought it would end in prison so it came as a massive shock when Naviede was sentenced," said Michelle.

"Raquelle could cope with moving house and losing the material things, but she was always a daddy's girl and losing him hit her very hard." Despite splitting from Naviede, Michelle continued to support her ex-husband throughout his six-month trial at the Old Bailey in 1995. Raquelle and Jessica also stood by their dad. "But he was adamant that we weren't to visit," said Michelle. "I think he found it too upsetting. After about year he agreed to a few visits, but we only went about four times in total. I don't think either of the girls really understood where they were. They were just glad to see their dad."

Her dad's sentence was later reduced to six years of which he served three, but it left Raquelle open to bullying from other pupils at Manchester High School for Girls. "Her dad's case was very high profile at the time and other girls used to make nasty comments," said Michelle. "Raquelle never liked to talk about the bullying but she would come home tearful and I'd know something had happened. None of the other girls' parents were divorced, let alone had a dad in jail. It was a lot to deal with for a little girl."

Naviede was released in 1998 and went on to lay the foundations of a second fortune as a property developer. "Although our split was very amicable, Naviede and I had little contact after his release because by then I'd remarried," said Michelle.

"Naviede was a workaholic throughout our marriage and as far as I know was back at work again as soon as he could after his release."

Meanwhile Raquelle passed her GCSEs in 2004 - scoring A or A* grades in all subjects. She went on to study at Sylvia Young drama school and later the Italia Conti drama school - where she dated EastEnders actor and Strictly Come Dancing heartthrob Matt Di Angelo.

Raquelle - who uses her mother's maiden name - now divides her time between Michelle's home in Portugal, which she shares with her second husband, property developer Peter Ainscough and their two young sons, and her dad's £12million townhouse overlooking London's Regent's Park.

Raquelle's family are no strangers to controversy. Her uncle Tariq Siddiqi was caught up in the downfall of former minister David Blunkett who took a boardroom job with a now defunct DNA company owned by Siddiqi's wife.

And her aunt, Nighat Awan - who had close links with ex-prime minister's wife Cherie Blair and was awarded the OBE - was recently investigated over the alleged employment of illegal immigrants in her chain of curry restaurants. No charges were brought against the woman dubbed The Curry Queen.

Source:Sunday Mirror