I’m standing in the Vegas living room of an Eighties boyband pin-up and wondering which of his belongings I want to take home with me. Can I fit Matt Goss’s 1930s leather armchair into the back of the hire car? Or would I rather grab the leopard print stilettos, which I assume belong to one of the Bros star’s backing singers. But no judgement if not.
Earlier this month Goss sold off the contents of his Las Vegas home ahead of moving back to the UK for the next season of Strictly Come Dancing. The sale just so happened to coincide with the first day of my vacation, so as soon as I landed in Vegas, I knew where my first port of call would be. I arrived at his mini-mansion quite late in the day, so missed the big ticket items – and also the queues – but there was still plenty to keep me occupied, not least the opportunity to wander around the gated community home that once belonged to Goss. Like the house of somebody who had left the country in a hurry, the place was littered with his unwanted possessions. Never-worn suits and seemingly endless white dress shirts were hanging in wardrobes. In the kitchen were branded Loose Women mugs – the fact that he bought them over from the UK fills me with much joy – while the pantry shelves were lined with British foods that are hard to find here, including Heinz baked beans and PG Tips teabags. All was for sale. I ended up leaving with a couple of vintage brooches and, of course, a glossy photo of Goss himself. Those were given out free of charge to every attendee.
