Comedian Alan Carr, who became the king of the castle after his dramatic victory on Celebrity Traitors, is now turning his attention to winning over a new crowd—his neighbors in the Scottish village of Ayton. The 49-year-old star has recently bought a £3.25 million Scottish castle, Ayton Castle, located in the charming Berwickshire village, and is set to document his journey of settling in with a Hollywood-style documentary series, Castle Man, produced by Disney+. 
Carr, known for his witty remarks and quick wit, is now seeking divine help to win the hearts of the village’s 600 residents as he prepares to move into his 17-bedroom castle. He has already started laying out his plans to create a harmonious relationship with the local community, including using Ayton Parish Church for a public meeting to discuss his renovation project.
The meeting had to be moved to the church after a planned gathering at the local bowling club proved too small to accommodate the growing number of interested locals. As one local, Susan Patterson, session clerk at Ayton Parish Church, noted, there is much curiosity about Carr’s plans, but overall, people are mostly intrigued and welcoming.
Carr’s castle, which boasts 106 acres of gardens, a private chapel, and a Gothic Revival theme, is an ambitious project. The locals were initially concerned that Carr might close off access to the scenic grounds, but it seems his intentions are more focused on sharing his castle with the community.
While the move has drawn attention, locals remain optimistic. One villager commented, “At first, you wondered if he was going to turn it into Disneyland. But I think he just wants somewhere nice to live—and he could not have chosen anywhere nicer.”
Ayton Castle, dating back to the 19th century, will be the site for a major renovation project, as Disney+ cameras capture Carr’s transformation of the estate into a stately home. The series will follow Carr’s journey of acquiring the castle, overseeing renovations, and managing the challenges of turning it into a working property. Executive producer Ben Wicks described the project as “an incredible journey,” adding, “Alan Carr is about to take on the very real, right royal pain of making it all work—and it’s going to be hilarious.”
Carr, who joked that buying the castle was part of his “mid-life crisis,” has always dreamed of owning a stately home. “Since I was a boy in Northamptonshire, I’ve always dreamt big, and have always been enchanted with the history and romance of a stately home,” he said.
As Carr embarks on this new chapter, he is already creating jobs for locals and boosting the economy with contracts for craftsmen, decorators, and gardeners. The renovation promises to bring a mix of excitement and challenges, as the community and officials from Historic Environment Scotland closely monitor the process to ensure the castle’s heritage remains intact.
With a Latin motto, “Deo Favente” (“With God’s Favour”), inscribed above the castle door, it seems that Alan Carr is about to make his mark in the Scottish countryside. Will his mid-life castle dream become a local success, or will the community take some convincing? Only time will tell.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk
