A friend of my wife has a crazy idea she can go to uk and work, i have tried to tell her

A. there is not much work to be had

B. she cannot do it legaly

C. cost of living is high compared to wages so she will be no better of

am i correct in saying this or can she get a working visa, will see get good paid work and cheap living, i will show her this thread to try and change her mind even my wife seems to think its the land of milk and honey and is supporting her idea

How about a work and learn holiday, many are advertised at Universities

Work and study programmes. So much work for students on these courses - a lot of the tourism and hospitality sector is staffed in this way.

With relevant experience and good English she could even qualify for a professional placement (IT, insurance, business etc).

Applicant must qualify for a Tier 4 visa. Biggest hurdle is English level, CEFR B1 required.

This is the easiest route to achieve what your wife's friend wants.

See:-

Studying in the UK.

Working in the UK.