The Great British Sewing Bee star Patrick Grant has an idyllic country life in North Yorkshire and while he absolutely loves his surroundings, his happy home hasn't come easy.
The TV sewing judge stumbled across a derelict house, and it has taken a lot of work to turn it into the stunning house it is today, and as for his garden glow-up, he admits: "It almost ended me."
An ambitious project
Speaking to estate agent Savills, Patrick reminisced about when he first acquired the property "When I bought it, there was a giant crack down the middle. It needed to be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up," he explained. "I was looking for an appropriately sized cottage when I came across this derelict house, and I rather foolishly bought it instead."
When quizzed about what he loves most about living there, he couldn't settle on one thing. "So many things: the space, the sounds of the wildlife, the geology and the views. My kitchen has windows on three sides, so I have a 270-degree view of the Dales and the Bowland Fells. The sunsets are amazing," he said.
This year, Patrick started his "Diary of a garden rescue" column for the Financial Times, and it's here that he has detailed the highs and lows of the major project and how much effort he's poured into it.
"Ten days of this has almost ended me," he wrote, referring to the leveling of the ground to become a sporting lawn for croquet and badminton.
A different career path
Patrick very nearly had an altogether different career – as a gardener. He wrote in the FT that he was inspired by his green-fingered father and he penned: "In my early twenties I worked as a landscape gardener in the Rocky Mountains for a summer and later in my twenties, toying with the idea of retraining as a gardener."
Private life
Patrick made the move up north from London to be closer to his Community Clothing factory in Blackburn. However, he still has ties to the Big Smoke as he is currently dating a 40-year-old dentist from London. He has revealed that the pair met through mutual friends, but little else is known. Since his last partner was stalked online, he has vowed to keep his relationship private this time around.
Speaking to The Times about his relationship with ex Katie, the star explained: "My last girlfriend was so badly stalked online while we were together. I'm loath to put someone else through that ordeal."