Ricky Gervais Secures Planning Permission for Luxurious Riverside Mansion
Comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, 64, triumphs in a two-year planning dispute to construct a £5 million neo-Georgian mansion along the River Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. He plans to raze his current flood-prone property and erect a modern replacement featuring a gym, tennis court, grand entrance hall, galleried landing, drawing room, reading area, lift, and master bedroom with terrace overlooking the pond.
Initial plans faced rejection from Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council due to the site’s high flood risk and inadequate climate impact details. Revised proposals elevate the ground floor by 3 feet, eliminate a side wing, and shorten an external staircase. Gervais commits £10,584 to the council’s Carbon Offset Fund, securing approval amid zero neighbor objections.
Construction awaits a Natural England license following discovery of bats in the loft. Requirements include a dedicated bat loft in the garage, two bat boxes on nearby trees, and a 26-foot buffer zone along the Thames.
Gervais also owns a £14.75 million nine-bedroom estate in Hampstead, northwest London, equipped with spa and gym facilities, alongside two New York apartments.
Roxy Horner’s Energetic Hen Party Celebration
Model Roxy Horner, 34, fiancée of comedian Jack Whitehall, hosts a memorable hen do at London’s Hippodrome Casino. Arriving in a pink limousine wearing a cowgirl hat, she and seven friends, including Whitehall’s sister Molly, enjoy the West End’s Magic Mike male revue. Horner joins a dancer onstage and later attends a private dance session led by Strictly Come Dancing professional Luba Mushtuk.
Mushtuk comments alongside a group photo: ‘Hoping my choreography shows up on the big day.’
Whitehall’s recent stag do involved a six-hour Soho pub crawl with friends like James Corden and Jamie Redknapp, leaving his memory hazy.
James McAvoy’s Frustration with Old Photos
Scottish actor James McAvoy, 46, known for X-Men films, expresses annoyance at his iPhone’s Memories feature. ‘When your phone takes it upon itself to show you [a photo of] yourself from seven or eight years ago, you’re like, “Thank you iPhone, I hate you,”‘ he states.
Danny Dyer Criticizes West Ham Hospitality Costs
Television personality Danny Dyer reveals West Ham United charges even to captain Jarrod Bowen, his son-in-law via daughter Dani’s marriage last year. ‘Jarrod and I went halves on a [private hospitality] box – the club didn’t give their captain one for free,’ Dyer discloses. With the team struggling in relegation territory, he adds: ‘This isn’t the best season to have your first box. You can have all the trimmings, but if the team ain’t doing well, it spoils the day.’
Thyra Goldsmith Lands Dior Internship Amid Mixed Reactions
Thyra Goldsmith, 24, daughter of former MP Lord Zac Goldsmith and Sheherazade Goldsmith, and named among Tatler’s top young eligibles, starts a PR internship at Christian Dior Couture in London. She shares: ‘I delighted in telling people I was going to work in fashion PR at Christian Dior Couture.’ Yet friends respond tepidly: ‘Oh really? My friend/sibling/ex/whatever did fashion PR and hated it.’
Mary Berry’s Narrow Escape with Poisonous Flowers
Baking icon Dame Mary Berry recounts a near-miss on television. ‘I was doing a television programme and I thought, “I know, I’ll put miniature daffodils on this”. But someone on set looked it up and stopped me in my tracks – they’re poisonous. So check they’re not going to kill everybody,’ she advises.
Admiral Questions Royal Meeting with Syrian Leader
Rear Admiral Chris Parry, Falklands veteran, critiques King Charles’s recent audience with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly tied to Al Qaeda. ‘A suitable period of reflection and remorse should precede the honour of being welcomed to Britain and having an audience with His Majesty,’ Parry asserts.
