Fed up with celeb spotters, CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD sought sanctuary in an ... trends now
As the big five-oh approached in 2015 I was beginning to find the hustle and bustle of my London life tiring. I started to yearn for something a little more tranquil.
Don’t get me wrong, I had loved living in my little pink two-up two-down in Camden, North London, for 20 years.
But I am a born entertainer and love nothing more than rustling up spag bol or curry for 20-plus. I longed for the day I had space to dish up special menus plate by plate, rather than buffet style.
The other reason for wanting to move was the increasing status of my celebrity profile. In the early years of Strictly I could get around Camden pretty well unnoticed, but as the show grew I was finding it increasingly difficult to get from A to B without being recognised.
Most people who approach me are really lovely and I love chatting to them. But when I am in a hurry, feeling ugly as hell, or just wanting to be another face in the crowd, it can get a bit much.
I'm just a country boy: Strictly star Craig Revel Horwood in his £1.8million mansion
I was working a lot at a theatre in Newbury, Berkshire, so it made sense for me to look around that area. I was also dating Damon Scott, the monkey-puppet boy from Britain’s Got Talent, who lived nearby in Salisbury.
Damon’s mum, Susan, knew I was house hunting. While I was there one weekend, she suggested I look at a property she’d seen in the local newspaper. The estate agent gave us the address, yet despite the satnav’s best efforts, we couldn’t find it. It eventually took us up an old tractor track — which is not great in a vintage Triumph Stag.
The bottom of the car was being scraped by stones and I thought it couldn’t be the right place.
It turned out it was. You have to work really hard to find the driveway, but when I finally discovered it, I fell in love. It was a mile-long, private road lined with the most delicious trees, which formed a dappled, sunlit tunnel. We came to the crest of the hill just as the sun opened up.
There was a breathtaking view of what looked like an old-fashioned manor house (although it’s only ten years old), standing in lush lawns and picturesque countryside. When I walked into the house, I was blown away. It wasn’t long before I performed the biggest no-no in house viewing: mentally furnishing the rooms.
I imagined a white baby grand piano perfectly placed in front of the picture window and my Swarovski-encrusted Buddhas sitting happily on the Italian marble hearth. Not to mention my selection of white ceramic dancing pigs that had been looking for just such a generous mantel to high-step on.
Next, I entered the room that is my measure of any home of worth: the dining room. It was filled with natural light and long enough to seat 20 people. Big tick there. The kitchen, meanwhile, was bigger than my whole terrace in Camden.
I wasn’t a fan of the decor. But the place had great bones and was crying out for some CRH flair. I knew I could turn it into something really A-MA-ZING.
Craig Revel Horwood with his partner Jonathan in the impressive grounds of their home
When I walked into the house, I was blown away... even though it was out of my price range
Outside, there was a swimming pool which needed some fixing. But I could see fabulous pool parties, complete with half-naked waiters and inflatable flamingos.
To top it all, the house was surrounded by seven and a half acres
