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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Alan Johnson

Ex-Gogglebox star Chris Ashby-Steed relocates to Wales with husband Tony for new life

Former Gogglebox star Chris Ashby-Steed has relocated to rural Wales along with his husband Tony.

The pair were visibly excited as they shared a guided tour of their new property on Instagram three months ago.

Since then Chris - who was part of the show's cast for the very first series back in 2013, before being replaced in 2018 - and Tony have posted regular updates of renovations to both the home and its garden.

When the duo moved from Brighton they didn't just move their belongings, but 400 plants from their beloved garden, which filled four removal vans alone.

Announcing their Welsh arrival at the time, Chris wrote on Instagram: "The gays have arrived in Adpar, Newcastle Emlyn!!!

"We're like two little boys who wrote to Santa and we've just woken up on Christmas morning to find that not only had he granted our wish, but he put a big fat cherry on the top! Very lucky, very happy, (slightly emotional) boys xxx"

Chris Ashby-Steed's appeared alongside his ex-partner Stephen Webb on Gogglebox (Channel 4)

Fans of the reality personality were quick to respond, with one declaring: "Your house is in very good nick. Just need your style and personal touch. You are halfway there. Every room is so different and lovely. I love the kitchen and pantry the most."

Another added: "So joyous to watch you two give us a guided tour. It's beautiful. Sending lots of love, have fun. Xx"

A third responded: "Oh my!! It is so beautiful. I love it. May you have many years of happiness living there. I would definitely rent one of the Airbnb rooms after it's ready xxxx."

The idea behind the move first came about after Tony's mum suffered a stroke.

After she moved in, Chris and Tony soon realised that despite her determination their home was no longer suitable for her needs.

With the post-Brexit housing market stagnant they decided to re-mortgage and build an extension for her.

But on the second day of building, Tony's mum fell into a ditch, which had been dug for the foundations and was hospitalised.

Following treatment she was admitted to a care home to recover, but continued to experience episodes of falling. It later emerged she had a double bleed on the brain, which was impacting her personality.

"She was changing, she was becoming mean and that wasn't my mum," Tony told Wales Online. She spent the next four-and-half months in hospital and three times he was told to go in and say his goodbyes. Incredibly, she pulled through but needed the use of a wheelchair.

"We didn't know if she was going to be able to walk again and thankfully we made sure everything was wheelchair accessible and had a wet room and that kind of thing, and she came home and as well as working full time and being a husband and a daddy to the dogs I had to nurse mum full time as well."

Chris Ashby-Steed said the couple want to stay in their new home for another 20 years (BBC)

Chris added: "Our lives have been put on hold for three years, but also just little things but they were all sacrifices that we made. We sacrificed a lot in that three years."

In late 2020, however, Tony's mum picked up a chest infection forcing her to return to hospital. After being discharged she caught Covid and was readmitted, at which point she was sadly told nothing more could be done and she was placed in palliative care.

After the couple had come to terms with Tony's mum's death, Chris suggested they thought of their next move.

"What it comes down to is that I'm a Gemini and I need new challenges in life. I was getting married and doing the work on the house and then it was like we were trapped," he explained.

"I describe it as being trapped in a gilded cage. You can't go out. There was the financial side of it as well, because I wasn't able to work and it was just one thing after another and I just felt like I was a trapped bird, I needed to get out. I'm 45 and he's 52 and I just felt it was at a point in our lives we needed a new challenge."

Tony added: "We'd put our heart, our soul and every penny we had, and didn't have, into that house and the garden and I couldn't imagine leaving it. Then part-way through the year I completely flipped on my head. It's been 16 months since I lost mum and I haven't really grieved and I was so close to her.

"I have type 2 bipolar disorder and I've done so much cognitive behavioural therapy that my brain automatically blocks triggers. I think that's what's been happening but then I realised staying in that house was toxic because everywhere I went was mum, everywhere in Brighton was mum. It was hard."

Likewise, Chris had memories he wanted to leave behind. "I had the memories of Gogglebox there too (in Brighton) and I wanted to eliminate those".

Chris and Tony 'sacrificed three years' to care for the latter's mother before their move (Instagram)

The couple now plan to let their four guest rooms out through AirBnB and have set aside one of the reception rooms as a guest lounge.

All guests will be given recommendations of where to go in the village and they want to join local committees and groups.

Tony has revealed wants to paint the bus stop and the pair want to join the local Rotary and amateur dramatics groups. The AirBnB earnings will help fund their continued plans for the house, meanwhile.

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