Michael Jackson's ex-bodyguard reveals what he'd do if he was finally about to buy Grand Designs' 'saddest ever' house

Michael Jackson's erstwhile bodyguard has revealed what helium would bash if helium bought Grand Designs' 'saddest ever' home.

Martial arts millionaire Matt Fiddes, 45, tried to bargain the lighthouse-inspired Chesil Cliff House for £7.5million, but was rejected.

However, helium had his involvement reignited aft it was relisted for £5.25million and with ample cracks successful the driveway, caused the property's asking terms to plunge from the archetypal terms tag of £10million.

Edward Short and his woman Hazel, from Devon, archetypal appeared connected Grand Designs successful 2009 to uncover their ambitious plans to alteration their 1950s location successful Croyde, Devon, into an art-deco achromatic lighthouse.

But these plans were thrown retired of their model erstwhile his matrimony collapsed and helium became millions successful indebtedness successful his hopeless bid to physique and past merchantability the imagination location connected the Devon coast.

The house's operation took 12 years and went respective cardinal pounds implicit budget.

It featured connected Channel 4's Grand Designs successful what was described arsenic the series' 'saddest occurrence ever' by galore viewers erstwhile it aired successful October 2019.

The occurrence followed Edward and his household arsenic misfortune beset the project, leaving the location unfinished and with the household into millions of pounds worthy of debt.

Mr Fiddes, who has built a planetary fittingness empire with implicit 700 Martial Arts and fittingness schools worldwide and is worthy an estimated £30 million, has present shed airy connected what helium plans to bash with the spot arsenic helium continues to enactment connected a deal.

He told his followers connected his Instagram page: 'If I were to acquisition this onshore and property, I would astir apt sound it down and commencement again!

'It’s the astir sensible option. (More to travel connected this successful the pursuing weeks)

'We are inactive doing our owed diligence connected the champion mode guardant to marque this woody enactment and woody with its issues.'

He explained that locals judge the champion enactment was to spot the location demolished arsenic they judge it would beryllium 'washed distant successful 30 [years] time' oregon origin a 'serious accident'.

He added: 'The wide sentiment from locals/builders that person worked connected the spot is that it should beryllium knocked down and thing much successful enactment with the North Devon seashore should beryllium built.

'Lots person messaged maine acrophobic astir however unsafe the entranceway to this spot is connected a precise engaged road.

'And they wonderment however it got done readying and highways support successful the archetypal place!

'It's bittersweet however it’s presently near to ruin, and I americium told it needs a fewer cardinal £ to marque it liveable and safe. That's without unforeseen problems found.

'Its go a tourer attraction that's not wanted connected a unsafe cliff edge!

'Builders consciousness for the benignant of wealth needed to beryllium spent to decorativeness it. It should beryllium knocked present and rebuilt arsenic a location successful enactment with the Saunton and Croyde bay coastline.

'The destiny of this bittersweet communicative volition soon beryllium upon us. If Its not sold it volition beyond repair successful a twelvemonth oregon truthful arsenic its truthful exposed to each weathers, battering it connected that coastline.'

He goes connected to inquire radical for their opinions connected what should beryllium done, and posed the question connected whether it was a 'cursed task pushed for ratings by an ambitious TV show', a merchandise of 'careless decisions' oregon 'unlucky timing'.

The 2019 occurrence of Channel 4's Grand Designs followed Mr Short's unspeakable luck with the seaside property, which became a 'nightmare' and ended his matrimony aft 12 years and plunging his household into debt.

A woody was astir done connected the spot successful August 2023, but a enigma purchaser pulled retired astatine the past infinitesimal and it was enactment backmost connected the market.

Mr Fiddles made his millions aft opening his martial arts schoolhouse concern with conscionable £100.

It has been valued astatine £120million, and helium present boasts the largest privately-owned spot portfolio successful Devon.

When helium started his project, Mr Short hoped that it would beryllium completed wrong 18 months astatine a outgo of £2.5 million.

In a 2019 occurrence of Grand Designs Mr Short explained that helium had agelong dreamed of gathering a lighthouse connected the cliff arsenic a location for his household - but said respective factors got successful the way.

Setbacks included the 2011 fiscal situation which prompted funds to beryllium withdrawn, granite bedrock that took 18 months to drill into, not the expected six, and past Covid halting progress.

When 1 lender pulled retired successful 2018, the location was near derelict, looking much abandoned multi-storey car parkland than millionaire’s paradise. Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud, visiting successful 2019, described it arsenic a ‘desolate carcass’ — connected which 1 irritated section graffitied ‘please finish’.

In the 2019 episode, Mr Short admitted however his manner purchaser ex-wife worked arsenic a cleaner successful bid to money his £7 cardinal physique and that the fiscal strain had an interaction connected their marriage.

In a paper interrogation helium revealed: 'Hazel supported maine and did astonishing things to effort to support things going here, learning accountancy and doing holiday-let cleaning...

'She was precise successful, moving arsenic a manner purchaser for Harrods, Selfridges and Simpsons, truthful to get to this property and person thing is hard.'

And portion helium said the breakdown of his 20-year matrimony was not wholly owed to the accent caused by the build, helium explained helium would 'always transportation a consciousness of guilt' for what helium 'put Hazel through.'

He added: 'It was atrocious for the household due to the fact that I pulled the stableness rug from nether them, without being capable to springiness answers of however we were going to get retired of it, different than that I had to transportation on.'