Rylan Clark has given fans a glimpse inside his extravagant Essex home, which boasts a Big Brother-style “diary room” complete with a chair from the 2013 series he won.
The broadcaster, 33, used to share the five bedroom property with with his ex-husband, Dan Neal. He now lives in the house alone – something he said was once his greatest fear.
In a tell-all interview with The Sunday Times, Clark detailed some other noteworthy features inside the property, such as a gym adorned with glitter wallpaper, a replica train station, and a flagpole that allows him to fly a flag when he’s in residence.
“I built my own Disneyland because I thought if I’m not going to leave then I want my office here. I want a swimming pool. I want this, I want that. Technically, I built my own prison,” he said.
Clark went on to explain that he had suffered from agoraphobia – an extreme fear of entering leaving one’s own home or entering crowded places.
He would rarely leave the house for anything other than work, crippled by his own worry that those close to him would be annoyed by fans approaching him in the streets.
“I got myself into that routine of, I don’t want to upset anyone,” he explained. “I used to think I couldn’t go on a night out for fear of it being ruined for someone else.”
The Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two host also opened up about the breakdown of his marriage to Neal.
He revealed to his now-ex husband in March 2021 that he had cheated on him years earlier, for which the star admitted he had “no excuses”.
The fallout prompted Rylan to suffer a mental breakdown and move back in with his mother. Once there, he refused to leave the house for months.
Elsewhere in the interview, he detailed his attempt to die by suicide and the subsequent time he spent in a psychiatric hospital.
Having moved back into his own home, Clark said he now feels more “relaxed.”
“At home I’m in a tracksuit, no make-up, more relaxed, and my voice is a lot lower. At work [he puts on chirpier voice], I have to be up and Rylan,” he said.
“It’s the biggest help with dealing with fame and sometimes it can be the biggest hindrance, because you have to blur the lines at certain points.”
According to The Sun, Clark’s Essex home tipped the net worth of his property empire over £1.2m and total business assets up to £2.7m.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, the Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
