Alan Carr buying a castle for his 50th birthday
Alan Carr is taking on his biggest property ambition yet, launching a bid for one of Britain’s most important historic castles in his new Disney+ series, Castle Man.
Inspired by his stay on The Traitors and his hands-on DIY experience from TV projects with Amanda Holden, Carr is pursuing a lifelong dream of living in a grand historic home.
The castle at the centre of his search, Ayton Castle, is described as “among the country’s most important historic houses”, and we can reveal the property is under offer, meaning Carr could be about to close buy his new home.
Alan Carr tackles a historic challenge
Carr is no stranger to taking on ambitious projects. He has built a career on comedy, presenting, and hands-on TV work, but a castle is an entirely different scale of commitment.
Carr has joked that most men buy flashy cars during a midlife crisis, but he wants a turret to call his own. “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 fifty, I feel it’s my time. All I want is a turret to call my own – get me over that drawbridge!”
His previous DIY projects have given him practical experience, and he has said he wants a home that combines history and charm with the chance to put his own mark on a property.
Inspired by The Traitors
Carr’s fascination with castles was sparked by his time on The Traitors, where he stayed in a historic Scottish estate.
He said the experience “completely transformed my idea of what life could be in a historic space.” It made him realise that a castle could be more than a dream – it could be a home with character, history, and the potential for personal touches that make it truly his own.
Sean Doyle, Vice President of Unscripted at Disney+, said, “Castle Man is about a performer taking on a property adventure that is both personal and extraordinary. It brings together architecture, ambition, and humour in a unique way, and we’re thrilled to be bringing this series to audiences on Disney+.”
What is the castle?
The castle at the centre of the series, subject to the acceptance of Carr’s offer, will be Ayton Castle.
The castle is a striking Scots baronial house, mainly two storeys with a five-storey Great Tower, built from red sandstone with ashlar details. Features like corbelled eaves, rope-moulded turrets, crenelated parapets, crow-step gables, and roll-moulded sills show the skill of James Gillespie Graham, a leading Gothic Revival architect of the early 19th century.
The estate is described by estate agents Knight Frank as “a truly extraordinary property, widely regarded as Scotland’s finest example of Gothic Revival architecture. Its dramatic five-storey Great Tower, remarkable stonework and exceptional period detailing place it among the country’s most important historic houses.”
Set within more than 160 acres of listed gardens and parkland, the castle offers a rare combination of architectural significance, privacy and scale. In addition to the principal building, the estate includes extensive accommodation and a collection of income-generating cottages and lodges, providing flexibility and long-term potential, whether as a private residence or for carefully considered commercial use. We will wait and see if these form part of the series as well.
The team overseeing the property, whilst refusing to confirm if Carr was the bidder, said they look forward to seeing the next chapter in Ayton Castle’s history unfold, hinting that Carr could soon become part of it.