Divorce has reportedly forced George Clarke to sell the £40k observatory tribute to his late father.
The TV presenter built the 16ft structure in the grounds of his Cotswolds home back in 2020, with the help of his friend Will Hardie, and the special project was documented in Tuesday night’s episode of Channel 4 ’s Amazing Spaces.
The architect, 47, constructed the observatory as a tribute to his late father, who died in a water-skiing accident at the age of 26 when George was just seven years old.
George said he wanted to build something for his father, who was a passionate amateur astronomer, and after an eight month build, the emotional project was completed.
He said his own love of astronomy came directly from his father, and the huge structure, that he said looked like a ”Victorian spaceship” resides in the garden of the stunning home he previously shared with ex-wife Katie Morgan Jones.
“Today my own love of astronomy remains a huge link to him. My dad would have done anything to have even seen an observatory like this. He would have loved it. This is epic,” the presenter said during the show.
When the observatory was unveiled, George struggled to hold back tears, as he said it was the “best thing” he’s ever built.
“When I was a kid growing up, reading my dad's astronomy books, I never imagined in a million light years that I'd have an observatory to honour my dad's love of the moon and the stars,” he explained.
“This wonderful small structure is so much more than a tribute to my dad. It shows that no matter what your small space fantasies are, you should never ever abandon your amazing space design dreams,” the visibly tearful presenter added.
According to MailOnline, George has been forced to sell the observatory after his home in the Cotswolds was put on the market amid his divorce.
The four-bedroom property was put up for sale, priced at £870,000, last month, and while no pictures of the observatory are included in the listing, the outlet said a potential buyer asked if the structure could be added to the sale.
George had previously planned to put the observatory in the garden of his home in Notting Hill, London, but it was too small.
The TV presenter recently split from ex-wife Katie after four years of marriage.
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