Man who owns ‘saddest house ever’ hit out at Michael Jackson’s bodyguard for being ‘time waster’

The man who built the 'saddest house ever' from Grand Designs revealed that one of the prospective buyers was none other than Michael Jackson's bodyguard.

Fans of the show might remember the heart-breaking story behind Chesil Cliff House and the toll it took on the life of developer Ed Short.

His plan to build a dream house in North Dorset was to put 18 months and £1.8 million into renovating an old coastal property.

However, it took Ed over 10 years and millions of pounds more than he'd budgeted for to finally finish the home, and when Grand Designs arrived he was having to secure major loans and investment to finish the job.

Beset by debt and divorce he isn't even able to enjoy the house now he's finished it as he's got to sell it off to pay off the costs of development.

Channel 4

The home is listed for sale but finding a buyer for the property is a tall task, with Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud saying that Ed was 'hoping for a bite on the line'.

Last year Short told The Sun that he'd had some famous and fame-adjacent folks interested in buying Chesil Cliff House, including singing star Harry Styles.

With the house still on the market it seems safe to say that Styles ultimately didn't buy the place, though Short explained his brush with the singer.

He said: "We were approached by a buying agent who said they represented Harry’s family.

"His family were interested in it and it was Harry’s money - but that’s been it. That’s the only fact I know.I read that he has said he’s interested in buying a house in North Devon for £10million.

"I don't think there's anything in it. I mean, he would have bought it by now if he was buying it."

Channel 4

The other interested party Short discussed a sale with was a man called Matt Fiddes, who had been bodyguard to Michael Jackson before the singer's death in 2009.

However, Short described Fiddes as a 'time waster' and didn't approve of the former bodyguard's plans to turn the luxury coastal property into flats.

Ed reckoned such a plan would never make it beyond the planning stage and dismissed the former bodyguard as an unserious buyer.

Chesil Cliff House is still listed for sale on Rightmove, with the main house on offer for £6.5 million and the neighbouring annex The Eye available for £2.5 million.

There's even planning permission for a helicopter pad on the house's grounds, as if you can afford to buy the place you can probably afford a helicopter.