Josh Widdicombe and his interior designer wife, Rose Hanson, have hit an unexpected pause in their renovations on Noel Edmonds’ former Devon home. The 43-year-old comedian, freshly announced as one of Strictly Come Dancing’s new hosts alongside Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe, snapped up the Grade II listed property earlier this year for £3M.
The couple had sold their £2.3M London townhouse last summer to give their two children, seven-year-old Pearl and four-year-old Cassius, more space closer to Josh’s Devon childhood home. The sprawling 7,500 sq ft mansion boasts five en-suite bedrooms and a separate one-bedroom coach house.
However, after starting work — which included reopening a historic doorway and repositioning architraves — builders were forced to stop when it emerged that planning permission had not been secured. Josh’s agent confirmed in a retrospective application that work was “immediately paused” after the “regrettable” oversight. Thankfully, local authorities have since approved the plans, describing them as “positive.”
Josh previously shared his excitement about the new home on the Parenting Hell podcast, clarifying that it wasn’t in the fictional Crinkley Bottom from Noel Edmonds’ 1990s show. Despite jokes from friends about the property’s former owner, Josh is focused on family life and his upcoming Strictly role, admitting he feels like “the runt of the litter” among his striking co-hosts.
The mansion has a storied past: Edmonds bought it in 2006 for £1.36M after his divorce and the success of Deal or No Deal, carried out extensive renovations, and later sold it in 2008 after a bitter legal battle with a former contractor. Now, Josh and Rose are putting their own mark on the home — just with proper planning permission in place this time.
