Michael Jackson 's former bodyguard looks set to buy a £7.5m lighthouse-inspired 'saddest ever' Grand Designs home - near where he was evicted for not being able to afford rent worth £35 a week.
Entrepreneur Matt Fiddes, 43, who looked out for pop legend for more than a decade, now runs a martial arts company worth £120 million following the death of MJ.
Matt has now confirmed he has placed a hefty bid for the infamous cliff-top Grand Designs home in Croyde, Devon, which he labelled as an 'achievement stamp' for him.
The multi-millionaire said he left school at 16 with just £100 and no qualifications to live in Croyde and work as a lifeguard for £2.75 an hour.
But he said he was evicted from his bedsit at 17 as he couldn't afford the £35 a week rent.
Since then, he has built a global fitness empire with more than 1,000 schools across the world.
He said: "I've put in a bid for the most expensive house in Croyde. I see this as an achievement stamp for me.
"I had a painful time in Croyde when I was younger because I was evicted. But this property is five minutes away from my first rental when I moved out from my mum and dad's in Swindon.
"I have memories of planning my business and my dreams in Croyde so we've come full circle. People told me I wouldn't make it and it wouldn't work out. But I've been buying houses since I was 18 and it doesn't matter I can't write well because I only have to sign autographs and cheques."
The home, known as Chesil Cliff House, was previously reported to have interested Harry Styles but this rumour was later shut down by the estate agents.
The sprawling home is located on a cliff which featured in two episodes of the popular Channel 4 show and was dubbed the 'saddest ever' project after the owner tried to transform the property.
Costs spiralled out of control for Edward Short and the build plunged the him into £7 million of debt and cost him his marriage.
Chesil Cliff House was listed on Knight Frank's website for £10 million and boasts an infinity pool with three acres of land.
Matt says he didn't know at first that the house was famous as he doesn't often watch TV.
And he said he hopes to add the property to his £45 million portfolio and to convert it into 12 flats to let out.
"My parents are from Old Town (in Swindon) and every year we would go on caravan holidays to Croyde," he added. "My home will always be in Swindon; it's a great place to be and people always tell me they're proud of me."
Property owner Edward, 53, earlier this year revealed he was in a position to sell the extraordinary Chesil Cliff House after spending a decade working on it.
Property consultancy Knight Frank announced the launch of the sale of the main house and its annexe known as The Eye to the open market - with a combined guide price of £10m.
The estate agent described it as 'one of the most impressive waterfront homes on the North Devon coast.'
It comprises of five bedrooms and bathrooms, four reception rooms, a sauna and a cellar. The property will also include the three-bedroom studio annexe known as The Eye and double garage.
The Mirror has reached out to Matt Fiddes' representatives for further comment on this story.
