Ellen DeGeneres Reveals Rare Glimpse at Her $18 Million British Farmhouse While Making Disastrous Attempt To Mow the Lawn

Yahoo

10-05-2025

Comedian Ellen DeGeneres found herself the butt of the joke this week when her wife, Portia de Rossi, captured hilarious video footage of the former TV host's first time using a riding mower at their new $18 million U.K. estate.
DeGeneres, 67, gamely shared the clip on her Instagram account, joking in the caption: 'Portia thought it would be fun to film my first time on the mower. She was right.'
The video begins by showing the 'Finding Nemo' star happily cruising across a flat patch of land atop a bright yellow mower. The words 'how it started' flashed on-screen.
But within seconds, the clip cuts to footage of DeGeneres trying (and failing) to ride the mower up a steep hill as a good Samaritan attempts to give her a boost, only for the mower to sputter to a halt.
'How it ended,' DeGeneres joked in the caption.
Though the TV host's mowing struggles take center stage in the video, viewers couldn't help but notice the stunning scenery of DeGeneres' new British home base.
'Beautiful countryside,' one person commented on the video, while another chimed in: 'Beautiful land and views!'
A third added: 'Not a neighbor in sight! Nice.'
The comedian and her wife are understood to have snapped up their $18 million Cotswolds farmhouse in 2024, having fallen in love with the abode during one of their first house hunting trips, according to People magazine.
Since then, the couple—who made a second career out of flipping homes in and around California while they were living in Montecito—have been carrying out extensive renovations to the abode, which have landed them in some hot water with their neighbors.
According to a February report from London-based newspaper the Daily Mail, DeGeneres found herself 'in peril of getting on the wrong side' of a high-profile member of her new neighborhood after she 'committed a 'technical breach'' during the build of a single-story extension at her new abode. The outlet described it as a 'planning clash.'
Several neighbors voiced their objections to the couple's plans.
Despite the protests, a spokesperson for West Oxfordshire Direct Council insisted that the work was 'completed to a high standard,' according to the New York Post.
'The works at the property involved a single-story extension and garden landscaping,' the spokesperson said. 'Although the extension technically breached permitted development rights, it was considered acceptable in planning terms.
'As the works were completed to a high standard with no impact on surrounding amenities or other planning concerns, no further enforcement action was necessary, and the case has been closed.'
Despite the renovation drama, the couple appear committed to their new life in the U.K., even selling off a majority of their remaining properties in the U.S. One Richard Neutra–designed Los Angeles dwelling is still on the market for just under $30 million.
The five-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom abode was originally listed in January, two months after DeGeneres and de Rossi quit the U.S.
'One of the most iconic homes to be built,' the listing notes, '[it] has undergone a meticulous restoration, thoughtfully revering Neutra's pioneering vision while integrating modern luxuries.'
DeGeneres and de Rossi purchased the dwelling for $29 million in 2022, according to property records. They initially listed the home for $33.9 million in May 2024. The listing was removed just three months later.
When it came back on the market in January, the price had been discounted by nearly $4 million.
The couple had more success selling their two-bedroom Montecito dwelling for $200,000 over the asking price, after just 10 days on the market.
They had listed the home, which they purchased for $2.9 million in December 2020, for $4.99 million—and got an offer of $5.2 million.
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