Ant McPartlin appears to have taken his famous catchphrase quite literally — declaring “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here!” as he quietly walks away from his long-time London base.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal the TV favourite has swapped the capital for the calm of leafy Surrey, snapping up a vast new-build mansion on one of the county’s most exclusive private roads. The eye-watering purchase is said to have cost more than £10million, setting a new price record for the area — with over £1million paid in stamp duty alone.
The 50-year-old presenter completed the move just two months after selling his luxury Wimbledon home in south-west London, following a planning row with neighbours. While McPartlin has denied the dispute forced his hand, the timing has raised eyebrows.
A local resident from the village — which the MoS has chosen not to name — said: “Apparently it’s a record sale and it’s all anyone is talking about. It’s one of the most prime private estates, set within an acre of grounds, so he shouldn’t have any trouble with neighbours now.”
Money is clearly no concern for the I’m A Celebrity host, who recently signed a £30million ITV ‘golden handcuffs’ deal alongside long-time presenting partner and close friend Declan Donnelly. Donnelly himself has also been making property headlines, having reportedly bought his third home on the same London street.
McPartlin, who welcomed his first child with second wife Anne-Marie Corbett, 47, just over 18 months ago, is already settling into life among Surrey’s celebrity enclave. Locals say the couple have been spotted out and about with their son, Wilder.
One resident said: “He looks very content and is always happy to say hello if people recognise him. But I don’t think he’ll be fussed here — we’re used to celebrities filling the local pubs.”
The move follows the sale of McPartlin’s Wimbledon property, which became the centre of controversy after neighbours accused him of trying to cut down six healthy trees in his garden on what they described as “a personal whim”. Complaints were raised when the council approved his landscaping plans despite a tree preservation order, prompting McPartlin to eventually back down.
He originally bought the three-storey Wimbledon home for £6million in 2019, moving in with Anne-Marie after previously living next door to Donnelly in Chiswick, west London. The couple reportedly spent hundreds of thousands transforming the house, adding two extensions and a swimming pool complete with Victorian-style changing rooms.
The property was purchased during a turbulent period in McPartlin’s life, after a painkiller addiction — sparked by a botched knee operation — and heavy drinking nearly derailed his career. He entered rehab for two months in 2017, followed by another stint the following year after crashing his car while more than twice the legal alcohol limit.
Earlier in 2018, it was confirmed he had split from his wife of 11 years, Lisa Armstrong. McPartlin stepped away from television for several months and has since credited his former PA Anne-Marie, whom he married in 2021, with helping him rebuild his life.
Now a stepfather to Anne-Marie’s teenage daughters Daisy and Poppy, McPartlin finally fulfilled his long-held dream of fatherhood when Wilder was born in May 2024 — a milestone that appears to have influenced his decision to seek a quieter life away from London.
