Inside Bradley Walsh’s rural Essex life with rarely seen wife and ?2.5 …
Having become one of Britain’s most famous faces over the years, Bradley Walsh[1] is a staple part of the nation’s TV shows.
Watford-born star Bradley, who hosts The Chase[2] , launched his career in the limelight in 1982 when he began performing as a comedian.
However, his big break came from ITV[3], who hired him as a presenter on its game show Midas Touch in 1997.
Walsh was then asked to be the face of the UK’s edition of Wheel of Fortune upon Nicky Campbell’s departure.
He segued from hosting to acting and starred in roles on shows such as Channel 4’s Lock, Stock… and ITV soap Night and Day.
Another big break for the actor came in the form of a role on Coronation Street[4] as Danny Baldwin in May 2004. His tenure on the show lasted just two years, and he asked to be written out of it in December 2006.
The Chase star Mark Labbett looks slimmer than ever after sharing on set selfie[5]
Bradley Walsh lives a quiet life in rural Essex
In 2009, he stepped into his most notable role as the presenter of The Chase, cementing himself as one of the biggest names in UK telly.
But behind the glitz and glamour of his game shows, Bradley lives a quiet, private life, tucked away in a corner of Essex.
His current home is worlds apart from where he grew up in Watford, with the popular TV host starting his working life as an apprentice at Rolls-Royce’s aircraft engine factory at just 16-years-old.
The Breaking Dad star lives in a £2.5million barn conversion in Epping, Essex with his wife Donna Derby and their son Barney.
Bradley, 62, currently lives in the five-bedroom property, just 17 miles from bustling London.
Epping is a market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex, and its proximity to the capital makes it popular with commuters.
Bradley and his son Barney
The town is at the end of the Central Line, which can take residents into the Big Smoke within minutes.
According to Rightmove, properties in the area had an overall average price of £652,069 over the last year.
Sold prices in the area over the last year were 3% up on the previous year and 10% up on the 2020 peak of £594,208.
Bradley’s home reportedly boasts a a sauna, a gym, and an outdoor swimming pool.
While the TV presenter tends to keep his life in Epping private, he has previously shared a rare glimpse into his luxury home.
In an announcement about an award nomination on Instagram[6], Bradley showed fans a peak of his kitchen. In the video, white walls and a glass railing could be seen near a mezzanine kitchen.
The eatery appeared to feature a white island unit and black leather stools, along with chrome accessories and flowers.
Bradley lives with his wife Donna Derby and their son Barney (
WireImage)
His life in Essex is worlds away from his humble beginnings.
“I was born in Watford, and grew up in a council house,” Bradley previously told The Telegraph[7] . “My mother was a single parent, who had to struggle hard to make ends meet. At one point she was holding down three different jobs. It was a happy childhood, but we certainly didn’t have a great deal of money.”
In 2021, the TV presenter reportedly forked out nearly half a million on some land which has a golf club on one side and the M25 motorway on the other near his Epping mansion.
He was said to have splashed out approximately £400,000 on a plot of land, estimated to span about 44 acres.
It was unclear what the star was planning to do with the forestry but a bulldozer was spotted on the land, as well as a lorry unloading clay earth shortly after the purchase.