Bruce Forsyth's £5.7m mansion 'left to rot' years later
Bruce Forsyth's former Surrey mansion, Straidarran, has reportedly sat largely untouched since Lady Wilnelia sold it for £5.7million in April 2020. Locals say the Wentworth Estate home appears abandoned, with heightened security after break-ins and little sign of residents or renovation.
Key Takeaways
- Straidarran on the Wentworth Estate sold for a reported £5.7million in April 2020.
- Locals say little has changed at Bruce Forsyth's old luxury home in six years.
- Security was stepped up after police-confirmed break-ins by urban explorers.
- Wilnelia downsized to another Wentworth property for around £3million.
- The gates still carry an "F" crest linked to the Forsyth name.
For fans of glamorous celebrity properties, the tale of this luxury real estate landmark is a striking reminder that even seven-figure homes can sit empty.
What happened to Bruce Forsyth's Wentworth mansion?
According to the Daily Mirror, the sprawling home once shared by the TV legend and Lady Wilnelia has been left largely abandoned since the sale.
Bruce lived at Straidarran for decades before his death in 2017, aged 89, after bronchial pneumonia. In April 2020, Wilnelia, then 68, sold the mansion to a Bermuda-based businesswoman for a reported £5.7million.
The property once featured a ten-seat cinema, swimming pool, tennis court, gym, library and wine cellar. Warning signs have reportedly gone up around the grounds, while the gates still bear an "F" crest associated with the Forsyth surname.
Why does the empty mansion matter on Wentworth Estate?
Wentworth is known for celebrity homes and wealthy overseas buyers. Locals told The Sun the lack of activity is unusual because many overseas owners demolish older houses and rebuild.
"Normally overseas owners on the estate knock these old homes down and build a new one. So it is a very strange situation with Bruce's old home, where seemingly nothing has happened since Wilnelia sold it six years ago," one local said.
Estate manager James Perotin said security was increased after urban explorers targeted the house, with a van now permanently on site and monitoring around the clock. He noted some wealthy residents spend much of their time overseas, partly for tax reasons, leaving properties empty for years.
Where did Lady Wilnelia move after the sale?
After selling Straidarran, Wilnelia bought a smaller home on the same estate for around £3million. The former Miss World, crowned in 1975, married Bruce in 1983 and stayed with him until his death.
The couple had one son, Jonathan Joseph, now 40. Bruce's estimated £15million fortune was left to his third wife rather than his six children. He remains best known for The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right and a decade hosting Strictly Come Dancing before stepping down in 2014.
Reports of the empty mansion underscore how even a celebrated entertainer's dream home can fall quiet once new owners stay away—and why neighbours on exclusive estates watch empty properties so closely.