Chris Evans splashes out £4million property so he can be close to TV chef Tom Kerridge 

Chris Evans splashes out £4million on a five-bedroom ‘crash pad’ 15 miles from the home he shares with wife and four children so he can socialise with TV chef and best friend Tom Kerridge

  • Tom Kerridge, the TV chef has a two Michelin star pub in Buckinghamshire town
  • Mail on Sunday understands that DJ Evans will retain his mansion in Ascot
  • Virgin radio host joins other celebrities like Russell Brand in the swish area

Chris Evans (right) has bought a five-bedroom Thames-side property in Marlow so he can socialise with Tom Kerridge

They say that you can’t put a price on friendship, but Chris Evans has splashed out £4 million to be close to his best mate.

The DJ has bought a five-bedroom Thames-side property in Marlow so he can socialise with Tom Kerridge, the TV chef who has a two Michelin star pub in the upmarket Buckinghamshire town.

The Mail on Sunday understands that Evans will retain his mansion in Ascot, Berkshire, which he shares with wife Natasha Shishmanian, 38, and their four children.

But he will regularly make the 15-mile trip to his Edwardian ‘crash pad’ in Marlow, where he, Kerridge and a growing number of celebrity friends who live there will be able to enjoy views across the River Thames from the DJ’s huge conservatory.

One local said: ‘Chris has been spotted a few times around the local area and it has certainly got people talking.

Evans’s neighbours include comedian Russell Brand (above)

Evans’s neighbours include comedian Russell Brand (above)

‘He has a few friends in the area, particularly Tom Kerridge, and it’s so exciting to have him as another celebrity resident.’

Evans’s neighbours include comedian Russell Brand and former England cricket captain Andrew Strauss.

Evans, 53, who left the BBC last year to present the breakfast show for Virgin Radio, fell in love with the town several years ago after dining at Kerridge’s Hand And Flowers pub. 

Opened in 2005, it quickly gained a prestigious Michelin star and added another in 2012.

Kerridge, 45, who last year revealed his battle with alcohol – he would down pints of an Italian cocktail to deal with the stresses of work – was among the first guests when Evans began his new radio job in January.

The DJ has described him as ‘massively talented’ and praised his ‘gorgeous wife’ Beth.

Evans, 53, who left the BBC last year to present the breakfast show for Virgin Radio, fell in love with the town several years ago after dining at Kerridge’s Hand And Flowers pub (pictured above)

Evans, 53, who left the BBC last year to present the breakfast show for Virgin Radio, fell in love with the town several years ago after dining at Kerridge’s Hand And Flowers pub (pictured above)

Before going to culinary school at 18, Kerridge was a child actor and had several small parts, including in the BBC show Miss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors.

Evans’s showbusiness career has been rather more successful. He found fame on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast before becoming presenter of TFI Friday and the Radio 1 Breakfast Show. 

The DJ has described Kerridge as ‘massively talented’ and praised his ‘gorgeous wife’ Beth (above)

The DJ has described Kerridge as ‘massively talented’ and praised his ‘gorgeous wife’ Beth (above)

However, his stint as lead presenter of Top Gear in 2015 was a flop. He has used his estimated fortune of £50 million to build an impressive property portfolio, including the 17th Century Ascot mansion.

He used to own a £6.5 million manor house in Surrey and sold a property in Chelsea to George Michael for £7.5 million in 2001.

 

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