Declan Donnelly Buys House Next Door To Do Up

Dilapidated building in Grove Park contains two vacant flats


The rear of the property for which the application has been made

December 31, 2023

Declan Donnelly, the host of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, is on a mission to improve his part of Grove Park by doing up the house next door.

He purchased the semi-detached property at the end of last year for £2,250,000 through a trust of which he and his wife are beneficiaries. It had become dilapidated and was a bit of an eyesore next to the expensively refurbished home which he shares with his wife Ali Astall.

A planning application has now been submitted for extensive works to be done on the next-door house, which is divided into two flats, including a wraparound rear extension on the ground floor and a skylight on the top floor. The two-storey property has additional space at roof level and comes with a 30-metre-long garden.

The flats, which were previously rented privately, are currently vacant. Some initial work has already commenced at the property.

The submission which was made by Ms Astall states, “The applicant seeks to maximise the site's potential whilst preserving the character and appearance of the Grove Park Conservation Area. The applicant has the support from the local community and is prepared to accept planning conditions that mitigate the level of construction noise arising from the works.”

The Grove Park Conservation Area Appraisal says the house is a ‘positive contributor’ and describes it as mock-Tudor in style with a standard width double front door under a Tudor style arch with the fence fronting the street in the original style.

Ali Astall and Declan Donnelly. Picture: Facebook

The couple’s three storey plus basement, six-bedroom house has been significantly modelled since they have lived there and now contains a swimming pool, gym, cinema, wine cellar and steam room.