Television presenter Davina McCall has finished an eight-year renovation of her £3.4 million estate in Royal Tunbridge Wells after settling planning disputes with neighbours.
The 58-year-old broadcaster bought the five-bedroom property on an exclusive gated estate in Kent in 2018 to start a new chapter following her divorce. The extensive overhaul has transformed the plot into a seven-bedroom, four-storey family home featuring a cinema room, a swimming pool, and a garden room.
McCall, best known as a television host, purchased the Kent house a year after splitting from her second husband, former Pet Rescue presenter Matthew Robertson. The former couple had remained together for nearly two decades for the sake of their three children before separating at the end of 2017. Following the split, they sold their former East Sussex mansion for £6.25 million, having bought it for £3.2 million in 2009.
In November 2018, six months after purchasing the site, McCall's architects at John Bullock Design submitted plans to demolish the existing two-storey 1930s cottage and replace it with a substantially larger home.
The proposals sparked formal objections from nearby residents on the private estate. One neighbouring couple submitted a detailed two-page letter opposing the plan to construct a vast underground basement.
"We strongly object to the provision of such a basement," the neighbours wrote in their submission to local planning officers.
The planning dispute in Tunbridge Wells
The neighbours highlighted that the underground level would occupy "some two-thirds of the floor area of what could be referred to as the main house." They warned that rock excavation would cause "excessive vibration, noise and dust" for surrounding properties.
The objectors also stated that heavy lorries required for demolition and construction would "clearly disregard the amenity of neighbours" and risk damaging the private road serving the estate.
Furthermore, the couple disputed the architects' description of the replacement home as only "slightly larger" than the original cottage, arguing it was "substantially" bigger. They added that its off-centre positioning on the plot would make it look "cramped within the site" and would "not, in our view, benefit the street scene."
Despite the objections, local planning authorities approved the development in April 2019. A few months later, McCall submitted revised landscaping and tree protection plans to proceed with construction.
Specifications of the four-storey property
In March 2021, McCall secured permission to construct a separate 7m by 4m garden room. Official planning documents stated the building would allow residents to "enjoy the garden space in poor weather."
Last year, the presenter gained further approval to install two first-floor balconies, opening up garden views from both the principal bedroom and a second bedroom.
The completed four-storey house now contains seven bedrooms and expansive living space. Below ground, the basement houses a cinema room and entertaining areas.
The ground floor features three reception and dining areas, including a large open-plan kitchen and dining room at the heart of the home. Bifold glass doors lead directly to a large garden equipped with a sprawling swimming pool. The ground level also includes an attached garage fitted with a shower room.
On the first floor, the principal suite contains a large dressing room alongside four further en suite bedrooms. The second floor includes two additional en suite bedrooms, each with its own adjoining dressing room.
Sources close to the presenter said she felt immense relief after years of legal and emotional stress tied to the project. One source noted: "She deserves to enjoy this: the blood, sweat and tears which have gone into this house cannot be overstated."
Marriage and family life in Kent
The finished property hosted McCall's second wedding celebration earlier this year, when she married celebrity hairstylist Michael Douglas. The couple, who had been together for several years before officially moving in together in 2023, tied the knot in a private ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall in December before holding a larger celebration at their Kent home.
McCall lives at the property with Douglas and her three children: Holly, 24, Tilly, 22, and Chester, 19. Douglas also has two children from a previous relationship.
Speaking two weeks ago, Douglas described the residence as a family sanctuary. The house proved vital during recent health struggles, serving as a place of recovery while Douglas cared for McCall following surgery for a rare benign brain tumour in late 2024.
Douglas also supported McCall through a breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year, for which she has since received the all-clear from doctors.
Health challenges and retirement plans
Douglas explained that the couple divide their time between London and Kent, maintaining a flat in London from Monday to Thursday during work days before travelling to Tunbridge Wells for weekends.
"Then every weekend we head back to Tunbridge Wells," Douglas said. "We've got a gorgeous home. When we're there it genuinely feels like we're on holiday."
He added: "But we like to feel we've earned it. We work hard during the week and then enjoy it at the weekends."
Douglas disclosed that the couple intend to work for five more years before retiring to enjoy their home full-time.
"We've got five years of hard work left in us," Douglas said. "Then I think it's time for us to relax and enjoy all of that hard work. Davina will be about 62, and I'll be around 58. There comes a point where you think, when do we actually sit back and enjoy everything we've worked so hard for?"
He added: "We're both happy and healthy individuals, but that might not last forever."
