The castle dates back to the 19th century and boasts 17 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a five-storey Great Tower, turrets, a private chapel and 106-acre listed gardens
Alan Carr has bought a castle in the Scottish Borders(Image: PA)
The Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr has splashed out on a £3.25 million castle – and it’s around 71 miles north of Newcastle. The comedian, who won the celebrity version of the BBC show, has bought the A-listed Ayton Castle in the Scottish Borders.
The 49-year-old has signed a deal with Disney+ to document the major renovation he has planned for the property. The castle has been described as one of Scotland’s finest baronial mansions.
Alan said he was in his “turret-era” after spending time at Ardross Castle last summer and that the purchase was made as he approaches a landmark birthday. His win on The Celebrity Traitors was watched by millions of people as he revealed his traitor status to comedian Nick Mohammed and TV historian David Olusoga and secured £87,500 for his chosen charity.
The BBC has already announced The Celebrity Traitors will be back for a second series in 2026, as reported by ChronicleLive.
Speaking about his castle purchase, Alan said: “Some men when they have a midlife crisis buy a Lamborghini or grow a ponytail, but me – I want my very own castle. Since I was a boy in Northampton, I’ve always dreamt big, and have always been enchanted with the history and romance of a stately home and as I turn 50, I feel it’s my time. All I want is a turret to call my own – get me over that drawbridge.”
The Disney+ programme has the working title Castle Man in reference to his former Channel 4 talk show Chatty Man. As reported by the BBC, Carr’s sprawling new pad was put on the market with an asking price of more than £3.25m last summer.
Ayton Castle, in the Scottish Borders(Image: Google Maps)
Ayton Castle dates back to the 19th century and was designed by James Gillespie Graham, Scotland’s leading Gothic revival architect of the time. The castle boasts 17 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a five-storey Great Tower, turrets, a private chapel and 106-acre listed gardens, reports the Daily Record.
The previous owners, who bought the property in 2014, carried out substantial refurbishment. This included building a 600m narrow‑gauge railway that runs through part of the grounds, which visitors to the castle can pay to ride.
Norman settlers were the first recorded owners of Ayton when the De Vesci family are understood to have built a small castle. Thereafter, little is known until the 18th century.
According to the BBC, the first episode of The Celebrity Traitors’ debut series was one of the most-watched single episode on television last year with 14.8 million views across 28 days, while its finale saw an average of 11.1 million viewers peaking at 12 million. The series was filled with unexpected twists, including Mohammed’s decision to banish former England rugby player Joe Marler, whom he had formed an alliance with, due to a mistaken belief that he was a traitor.
Other memorable moments included actress Celia Imrie audibly breaking wind during a mission, and Alan taking the first opportunity to ‘kill off’ his friend, singer Paloma Faith. Starting with 19 celebrities, the show involves contestants attempting to identify the traitors among them while completing challenges to add funds to the prize pot. If a traitor remains among the finalists at the end of the series, the faithful contestants miss out on the money, and the traitor takes home the full prize.
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