Inside Davina McCall’s House: £3.4M Kent Home: Renovation & Neighbour Row

Imagine spending nearly eight years building your dream home, only to find yourself in a legal battle with the people next door. That’s exactly what happened to Davina McCall.

The TV presenter bought a £3.4 million, five-bedroom house in Tunbridge Wells back in 2018, right after her divorce from Matthew Robertson. Her plan? Demolish it and build something entirely new. But the journey from tired 1930s cottage to seven-bedroom family sanctuary was anything but smooth.

Here’s the full story of her Davina McCall Kent house — the good, the bad, and the surprisingly messy parts.

Before Kent: Faircrouch in East Sussex

The house she left was no starter home. In 2009 Davina and Matthew moved from Woldingham in Surrey to Faircrouch, a Grade II-listed country house near Wadhurst in East Sussex, paying a reported £3.2 million. It came with six bedrooms, a swimming pool, a tennis court and 38 acres of parkland.

After the 2017 split it went on the market through Savills with a guide price of £6.25 million, close to double what they had paid. Wadhurst sits only a few miles from Royal Tunbridge Wells, so the move that followed was a short one on the map, from a 38-acre estate to a single plot on a private road.

Why Davina Built Her Dream Home from Scratch

The decision to leave her second husband, Matthew Robertson, in 2017 was tough. They’d been together for nearly two decades, and Davina had stayed for the sake of their three kids — Holly, Tilly, and Chester.

But after the split, she made a bold choice. Instead of buying something ready-made, she’d build her own “forever” home.

And honestly? That takes guts.

She bought the property on an exclusive gated estate in Royal Tunbridge Wells and got to work. The architects at John Bullock Design submitted plans in November 2018 to demolish the existing cottage and replace it with something much bigger.

The vision was clear: a house where everyone got to choose how they wanted their bedrooms. “It’s the next phase of our lives — a house that we’ve all built,” Davina said back in 2020.

That’s the thing about a self-built dream home. It’s not just bricks and mortar. It’s a fresh start.

The Neighbour Row That Turned into a Nightmare

Here’s where things got complicated.

Just six months after buying the property, Davina’s plans sparked a full-blown neighbour row in Tunbridge Wells. One couple submitted a strongly worded two-page letter opposing her plans — specifically the vast basement she wanted to build beneath the new house.

Their concerns?

• Scale: The basement would occupy about two-thirds of the main house’s floor area
• Noise and disruption: Rock excavation would cause “excessive vibration, noise and dust”
• Traffic: Heavy lorries would “clearly disregard the amenity of neighbours”
• Road damage: Potential damage to the private road serving the estate
• Size misrepresentation: The architects called the new home “slightly larger,” but neighbours insisted it was “substantially” bigger.
• Positioning: The house wasn’t centrally positioned on the plot, making it look “cramped”

Despite these objections, planning permission was granted in April 2019. A few months later, Davina submitted revised landscaping and tree plans.

What really surprised me was how long this dragged on. Eight years of planning battles, construction headaches, and emotional stress. One source close to the situation said the “blood, sweat and tears which have gone into this house can’t be overstated.”

You can’t blame her for feeling relieved when it was finally done.

Her Life with Michael Douglas: A True Sanctuary

Davina’s partner — now husband — Michael Douglas has been by her side through everything. They first met at Elstree Studios during her Big Brother years, became a couple after her marriage ended, and married on 5 December 2025 at Marylebone Town Hall with around ten guests.

Seven months later, on 19 July 2026, they held a second, larger wedding at their Kent home, with tipi tents in the grounds and guests dancing into the early hours. The venue where they said their vows was the very house they’d built together.

Michael, a celebrity hairdresser from Dundee, has called the Tunbridge Wells home their “sanctuary.” And it’s easy to see why.

“We own a flat in London where we stay Monday to Thursday while we’re working. Then every weekend we head back to Tunbridge Wells. We’ve got a gorgeous home. When we’re there it’s just us.” — Michael Douglas

That weekend escape became even more important during Davina’s health struggles.

The Health Battle That Made the House Matter More

In 2024, a health scan offered to Davina after one of her menopause talks found a benign brain tumour, a 14mm colloid cyst. She had it removed by craniotomy in November 2024.

Michael took over her social media while she recovered, posting updates to her fans.

Then, in autumn 2025, came another blow: breast cancer. She had surgery in October and announced the diagnosis on 8 November 2025, with five days of radiotherapy planned for the following January as what she called an insurance policy.

Throughout both battles, the Kent house was more than just a family home. It was where Michael cared for her. Where she could go “off grid” and recover away from the spotlight.

Davina’s been open about how tough it was. “I’m going to be in hospital for about nine days, and then I’m going to be going home, but I am going to be off my phone for a while,” she told fans before her brain surgery.

That’s the thing about building a sanctuary; it becomes a true family home. You don’t know how much you’ll need it until you do.

The Verdict: Was the Eight-Year Renovation Worth It?

Honestly? It’s hard to imagine Davina saying no.

Yes, the neighbour row was ugly. Yes, the planning battles were exhausting. Yes, eight years is a long time to live in a construction zone.

But the result is a home that serves her family exactly how they need it. Seven bedrooms for the kids. A cinema room for movie nights. A pool for summer afternoons. And a kitchen that opens up to the garden, perfect for entertaining.

More importantly, it’s a place where Davina recovered from serious health scares. Where she married the man she loves — twice. Where her kids could feel settled after their parents’ divorce.

The blood, sweat, and tears? It’s all part of building a family home. They were worth it.

Final Thoughts

Davina McCall’s £3.4 million Kent house is more than just a celebrity home. It’s a story about resilience, family, and what happens when you refuse to give up on a vision — even when the neighbours try to block your plans.

From the £3.4m purchase in 2018 to the completion nearly eight years later, this self-built dream home in Kent represents everything Davina wanted: a fresh house, a fresh start, and a sanctuary for the people she loves.

And if you’re thinking about building your own dream home someday? Just be prepared for the planning battles. They’re real.

Sources

• HELLO! on the £3.4 million Tunbridge Wells purchase.
• Ideal Home on Faircrouch, its listing through Savills and its features.
• AOL on the December 2025 wedding and how the couple met.
• Entertainment Daily on the July 2026 second wedding at the Kent house.
• BreakingNews.ie on the colloid cyst and her 2024 surgery.
• Gold Radio on the November 2025 breast cancer announcement.