James Corden has finally been given the go-ahead to demolish his abandoned home.
The Gavin and Stacey star returned from his stint in the United States last year after quitting his job as the Late Late Show presenter. He headed back to the UK and last summer was spotted house hunting in Hampstead, London. However, the TV star also owns a £8million Berkshire mansion which has laid empty for years.
He had plans to knock down the vast property and rebuild it into a more traditional home, including an outdoor pool, a sauna and a steam room. There were 70 incidents at the property last year that were recorded by his security team as potential break-ins to the empty house. It came after a YouTube video from an urban explorer filmed inside the property, showing off what was still inside the home.
James owns a property in Berkshire (n.c)James installed 24/7 security for the house and even allowed the local police force to use the plot to train their Alsatian dogs. Last January, James became involved in a planning row after Wokingham District Council put a stop to some of his plans for the property. A planning meeting resulted in James only being given permission to go ahead with his plans if he removed the leisure facilities from the proposal.
James, his wife Julia Carey and their three children returned to the UK last year after their LA mansion was sold to the daughter of a Hong Kong private equity billionaire for $17.1 million. The couple's original application to their local council to develop their Berkshire property reportedly included plans to build a new indoor 11.5m long swimming pool, yoga studio, gym, and bathroom - which would have opened onto a terrace and outdoor 20m long swimming pool.
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It features a collection of 45 vertical granite megalithic stones on the grounds (n.c)But English Heritage opposed the planned pool house - arguing it would be too close to the historic collection of 45 vertical granite megalithic stones on the grounds. Locals have also requested that James hand over the stonehenge style large stones in the garden, but they have still been snapped at the property.
James previously discussed why he made the decision to walk away from his high-profile job in America and return to England. "Look it’s not easy in any way to walk away from something that is so... I mean I’ll never work in a better environment than the one I work in now. Nothing about leaving the show was to do with not enjoying it," he told Drew Barrymore when appearing on her show.
YouTubers entered the abandoned house, which still featured furniture"I love it, but the truth is it became a very easy decision because I always knew it was an adventure and I never ever considered it to be the final destination." The dad-of-three added: "I was filming on a Sunday and I came downstairs, it was about 6am and my son, who was 10 at the time, was sat on the stairs and he said, 'Are you working today?'
"And I said, 'I am,' and he said, 'I thought, well it’s Sunday,' and I said, 'I know buddy but this schedule’s just all over the place. We just got to get it done because we only have a tiny amount of time before we have to go back and do the show,' and his face just kind of dropped. So, really the choice was to go, 'Well if I really want to do this other work, that cannot be at the expense of our children, our family,' and that is really all it comes down to."
It has taken months to secure permission for the build (n.c)Last month, James announced that he is working on a brand new episode of beloved series Gavin and Stacey with co-writer Ruth Jones. The pair had kept fans guessing as rumours swirled the cast that they were getting back together. James remained tight lipped on the rumours, while Ruth downplayed them insisting it wasn't true.
Yet just a matter of weeks later, the duo shared a selfie on social media with a script for a new Christmas special. James wrote: "Some news… It’s official!!! We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James."
The house laid empty for yearsThis week, James found himself at the centre of headlines after he was snapped exchanging words with a British Airways staff member after a flight from Portugal turned chaotic. James was set to travel from Faro to London Heathrow but faced delays along with other passengers.
His fellow passengers quickly shut down any possible accusations of diva demands and praised the former Late, Late Show host for sticking up for his travel buddies and keeping the mood as light as possible during the ordeal. After a long wait, the flight was finally rescheduled for the next day and made its way back to the UK without further issues. Throughout the ordeal, James continued to show kindness, allowing women and children to board before him.
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