Inside Strictly star’s ‘Bridgerton-like’ 120-room home with 1,000 acre grounds, secret disco and VERY racy wallpaper
STRICTLY star Emma Thynn took model Abbey Clancy on a tour of her 16th century stately home – but missed out the bedroom with some rather X-rated murals.
The Marchioness of Bath lives in Longleat House in Wiltshire, a tourist attraction with a safari park in the grounds.
That means Emma has to share most of the Grade I property with paying visitors.
She laughs: “I’ve been caught in my dressing gown more than once. I genuinely have bumped into tours in my dressing gown and been like ‘good morning, this way, carry on’.”
While much of the 128-room home and its grounds designed by Capability Brown are open to the public, the 37-year-old mother-of-two does have private spaces for her family.
Normally, only friends and family see them. But Peter Crouch’s wife, who also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, got to look around for her new ITV show Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes.
The Liverpool-born model marvels at the huge spaces which are dripping with history.
Going through the keyhole she discovers a billiards room that transforms into a mini-nightclub, an entrance with precious vases that the children use for a kickabout and a newly refurbished kitchen with crockery designed by Emma.
Abbey gushes: “I felt I was in Bridgerton. It’s mind blowing to think their family portraits are of Henry the VIII and they’re not reproductions.
“I’m just overwhelmed by the history. It’s just insane.”
Emma, whose father is a Nigerian oil billionaire, married Ceawlin Thynn, 49, in 2013 and they have two boys John, nine, and Henry, six.
She became the first black marchioness in British history when her father-in-law died in 2020, passing on the title of the Marquess of Bath to Ceawlin.
The eccentric late Marquess painted positions from the Kama Sutra sex guide onto some of the walls of Longleat House.
Emma, though, opts not to include those racy bedrooms in Abbey’s TV tour.
She has a more tasteful approach to decorating than Longleat’s previous owner.
The hand-painted wallpaper in the Marchioness’ private sleeping spaces has beautiful images of flowers.
And the four-poster bed, hand-made for the couple in 2013, has a subtle silk canopy.
She has taken great care to make sure any refurbishment is in keeping with the building’s 450-year history.
Emma says: “Whenever we have to rework any space we consult the curator, we have water colours, we have book reference and general knowledge from specialist painters of what should be in a place like that.”
The recently redone family kitchen has period style cupboards that hide all the mod cons – including two fridges.
Peeking out behind the glass is “my china, I designed” says Emma.
The two women then bond over the well-organised pantry, with Abbey admitting: “Pete chooses to play golf and I like to organise wardrobes and cupboards. It makes me happy.”
The pair share afternoon tea in the Billiard Room which Emma reveals has a dual purpose.
She says: “I have uplights so it turns into a disco at night.”
Emma admits that her two young boys have a tendency to wipe their hands on the antique chairs made by 19th century designer William Morris.
And she says they’ve also been caught hitting balls against the bookshelves covered by chicken wire in the long entrance hall.
Emma says: “The chicken wire has been smashed off more than once by a rugby ball or a football.”
It’s not like they don’t have a good 1,000 acres worth of outside space to play in.
At the end of the visit, Abbey and Emma head out to the garden to feed the giraffes.
Being surrounded by exotic animals does sound magical, but the Marchioness admits there is one drawback.
She says: “What will wake you up in the morning is the sea lions.”
Abbey Clancy: Celebrity Homes airs on ITVBe and ITVX