TALK OF THE TOWN: Locals worry prime Traitor Alan Carr will flip £3.25million fort into his personal fortress
Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr faces his first battle after buying a Scottish castle for £3.25million – because locals fear he could get rid of staff and turn the grounds into a ‘fortress’.
Comedian Alan, 49, who won the BBC show at Ardross Castle in the Highlands, has bought Ayton Castle in the Borders and Disney+ will film his renovations.
His purchase comes with the 700-year-old Barony of Ayton title – and responsibilities.
Some in Ayton village fear access to the estate will be limited because of Alan’s celebrity status.
Apart from the fairytale castle and formal grounds, which are open only on certain days, the rest of the vast estate is accessible to the public all year round and locals are used to roaming its lands.
There’s a tea room, tours are held throughout the year, the castle sells chopped logs and an arts festival is staged every August.
There is concern jobs could be lost, with some locals sympathising with castle staff on social media saying: ‘You’ll be sadly missed when you go.’
Another added: ‘Don’t think Mr C will keep his “policies” so spick and span (unless it becomes his next TV series!).’ One lamented in reply: ‘All gone now I fear!’
One cheeky poster said: ‘Fed up all these [English flag emoji] people just doing what they like here.’
The stables manager, woodsman and gardener roles are legally protected as ‘part of the sale’.
Alan – pictured above in a special Traitors jumper knitted for him by fellow contestant Tom Daley – will also be a landlord in charge of 11 properties on the estate.
But at least one local backs Alan, saying: ‘Ayton village has the most friendly residents. You’re in for a wonderful welcome Alan!’
Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr faces his first battle after buying Ayton Castle (pictured) for £3.25million
Carr (pictured), who won the BBC show Traitors at Andross Castle in the Highlands, will film his renovations at his new purchase
Willa’s rescue dash
Heiress Willa Keswick had a lucky escape when her party was rescued from an avalanche in the French Alps last week.
A Jeep took Willa and her pals off the slopes of Chamonix just before snow cascaded down, injuring three other skiers.
A scion of the £6 billion dynasty behind Mandarin Oriental hotels, Willa, 42, posted footage of the event and thanked her friends ‘who find the fun in everything’ – even dramatic evacuations.
Heiress Willa Keswick (pictured) had a lucky escape last week in the French Alps
Sydney’s just having a ball
Sydney Sweeney has missed out on awards season glory for her role as a boxer in Christy – so maybe she’ll have more success in a future film about football.
The Hollywood star showed off her skills on Friday night when she took to the pitch after watching Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon defeat rivals Estoril Praia 3-0.
She even got to pose with Sporting’s cuddly lion mascot, Jubas, at the stadium in the Portuguese capital.
Sydney Sweeney (pictured) took to the pitch in Portugal on Friday night to show off her hidden talents
Scary Mary
Dame Mary Berry might have been a generous Bake-Off judge, but she’s not so forgiving where her husband Paul is concerned.
He recently asked Mary to cut back some hydrangeas that were blocking his view.
‘Absolutely not, I told him. If you want to see out of the window, stand up,’ she told the audience at a talk for her book, My Gardening Life.
Dame Mary Berry (pictured) has revealed she’s strict with her husband when it comes to gardening
Rose goes nuts…for Twiglets
Hollywood A-lister Rose Byrne looked utterly perplexed when Baftas host Alan Cumming handed her a packet of Twiglets – but now she’s a huge fan.
Rose told me at the after-party that she can’t get enough of the snack, adding: ‘They’re delicious. I must get some more.’
Actress Rose Byrne (pictured at the Baftas last Sunday) has revealed she is a Twiglet lover
Piers Morgan has turned his housekeeper into an internet sensation, leaving footballer Cristiano Ronaldo trailing in the dust.
When Piers wished the Portuguese star a happy birthday on Instagram in February, the post garnered 1.4 million views and 102,000 ‘likes’.
But when he did a similar post for his long-serving Filipina housekeeper Cory, it got 13million views and 184,000 likes, leaving Piers to conclude: ‘Cory is nine times as big a star as Cristiano and nearly twice as well liked!’
