Brit celebs who quit UK for off-grid lives abroad…from soap actress who runs Thai ‘drug bar' to star who lives in a TENT

The Sun

a day ago

THEY had it all - fame, fortune and adoring fans.
But instead of basking in the spotlight, these British stars packed it all in and bid the UK adieu.
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This week fans were left in awe when Noel Edmonds made his big return to showbiz after years away.
The last time many saw him was on I'm A Celebrity in 2018, where he was the first star to be booted out of the camp.
Now he's back with a brand new ITV show set to focus on his life in New Zealand.
The 76-year-old moved there with his wife Liz in 2015.
Speaking to The Sun about his triumphant return, he said: "People still ask, 'Noel Edmonds? Didn't he die? Is he still around?' Yes, I'm still here - and living life to the full."
On his quiet life away from his TV and radio days, he added: "We have a beautiful home, and in the morning, we wake up to a view of the mountains.
"The scenery here is magical. Even after six years, we'll go for a drive and still say: 'Wow'."
But he's not the only one to quit fame for a dramatic lifestyle change.
From the silver screen to sun-drenched solitude, a string of celebs have turned their backs on showbiz to embrace quiet, off-grid lives elsewhere.
Whether it's swapping red carpets for rural cabins or luxury mansions for life among the locals, these former household names are proving there's life after the limelight.
Tent life
From 2006 to 2019, Jason Gardiner was known as the acid-tongued judge on Dancing On Ice who was not afraid to speak his mind.
He infamously left his judging role in the wake of his clash with former contestant Gemma Collins, who he once compared to a "refrigerator".
At the time, he said: "I went through some very dark times after it all played out and I realised I wasn't valued in any way, shape or form by ITV."
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Jason, 53, then quit the UK for a life in Portugal, where he studied a biodiversity and sustainability course and began calling himself a 'Nomadic Permaculture Designer'.
Speaking to the Mirror, he explained how he travelled to different homes to teach families how to be more eco-conscious.
He also opened up about how he was happy to leave the glitz and glamour of his former life behind and live in a tent.
"I have gone on many adventures, met the most amazing people and acquired the most amazing qualification," he said.
"I have found a new life that isn't about the toxic environment of the TV industry.
"My tenure on Dancing on Ice was always marred with controversy and lots of issues, but the problem is, I didn't realise how toxic it was until I left.
"It took me a while to decompress from it, I'll be honest."
Italian job
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When it comes to glamorous showbiz careers, very few can compare to Kelly Brook 's time in the spotlight.
From red carpets to TV and radio shows, the 45-year-old was one of the most in-demand women in the industry.
However, in 2022, Kelly married longtime beau Jeremy Parisi and partially retreated from life in the limelight.
After selling her £1.45million Kent home, she spoke about leaving the UK to enjoy their married life in Italy, her husband's home country.
Discussing their "simplified lives" last year, Kelly, who still maintains her home in London, said: "He's got a little farmhouse in Italy that is in need of renovation.
"It's an olive oil farm, so we will be getting involved and pressing olives and learning how to cook pizza. I'm learning Italian.
"You get to meet the family, and there's some very colourful characters in there."
'High life'
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After a stint on Emmerdale as Ali Spencer from 2011 to 2015, Kelli Hollis' character was killed off-screen in 2018.
But the real shock came last year when fans learned about her surprising career change.
She is now living in Thailand with her partner, Matt Dawson, where she runs her own cannabis bar - with no plans of coming back to the UK.
Speaking about her new enterprise, she said: "I actually don't like the feeling [of being stoned].
"But to be honest, I have become a little partial to the edibles here, obviously, because I have to test the products.
"But that is not to be stoned. I promote ours for rest and for aches and pains for people who don't want to smoke, so I will have mine before bed."
I actually don't like the feeling [of being stoned] But to be honest, I have become a little partial to the edibles here, obviously, because I have to test the products
Kelli Hollis
On TikTok Kelli, 48, proudly shows off her business venture to her 270,000 followers. The bar flogs cannabis and marijuana products and boasts of also selling hash, joints and brownies.
In 2023, she posted on TikTok, celebrating one year in Thailand with the caption: "Came for 4 months, now run a weed bar."
Speaking about the move in an interview, Kelli said: "We'd been to Pattaya a few times on a holiday, we did a bit of island hopping and in June they legalised marijuana and we found this really cute little shop and got really good friends with the owner and decided to basically set up our own weed shop."
She added: "I'll be honest, I've smoked weed since I was about 15, but I'm not a hard-core weed smoker.
"I can't do full joints and edibles and all that, so it probably bodes well, or I'd probably smoke all the profits.
"It's definitely not something I envisaged, but we've definitely made the right choice."
S Club Prepper
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Last month former S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt went public with her new life as a "survivalist and prepper" in the Costa Rican jungle.
She relocated to the central American country with partner Adam Thomas and their daughters, aged three and five, back in January to start afresh after quitting the UK, having fallen in love with it during a trip in 2018.
She'd previously admitted it was her dream to move there and buy some land or a farm and live "the simple life" with her kids.
In her Instagram image caption she describes herself as: "Prepper, survivalist and creator now living the uninhibited jungle life."
LA to Uruguay
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In 2023, British actress Rhona Mitra, 48, opened up about how she quit Hollywood to settle into a quiet life in Uruguay.
The star, who grew up in West London, moved to the States after finding success in the American market.
She was the first ever live-action Lara Croft in 1997, and also appeared in films such as Sweet Home Alabama and TV shows including Boston Legal.
On Channel 5 's Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild in 2023, she explained how she bought a 400-acre farm in Uruguay after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in 2012.
After a two-year recovery period, where she stayed in a cabin, Rhona said she knew she couldn't go back to her Hollywood lifestyle.
In the South American country, she built a home with horse manure, where she lives alone and carries out her passion of rescuing horses and other animals in poor condition.
Explaining the loneliness it brings, she said: "It'd be easier if there were someone to share the burden with.
"I think it's the thing that a lot of people say they want to be part of this life, but I'm not going to give this up.
"There is no backtracking, I have to move forward and have somebody that wants to move forward with this life."
But Rhona also spoke about some of the difficulties she has faced, including being threatened by her neighbours.
"I basically had to babysit the farm and watch it almost 24/7" she said. "I was so exposed and vulnerable in my first years.
"I had people cut fences and let their cows in, intimidating me by coming [on her land] and hunting, it felt like bullying."
She added: "It's very unusual for a single girl to move to this part of Campo by herself and with no partner, no husband, that's really strange."
Off-grid school
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From chart-topping teen to school founder, Charlotte Church, 39, is now teaching kids how to grow veg, care about nature, and be proud of who they are.
The former Voice of an Angel star has swapped the stage for the schoolyard, setting up her own eco-friendly education centre in the annex of her house.
Back in 2019, Charlotte vowed she'd "work night and day" to create a new kind of school in South Wales - and she's stuck to her word.
The result is The Arwen Project, a rural retreat-style set-up where kids learn permaculture, organic gardening, land management and even how to connect with nature.
She spent up to seven years researching education before launching the venture, saying the current school system was doing more harm than good.
"The more I speak to young people and teachers, the more I think the system… is starting to become actively damaging," she wrote in a blog.
"A lot of people leave school thinking they're not good enough, not smart, not capable – and that's heartbreaking."
In her school, pupils learn outdoors whenever they can, make their own rules and focus on real-world issues that matter to them.
During an LGBTQ+ week, the kids were treated to a talk from drag queen Le Gateau Chocolat, who taught them about allyship and the power of knowing when to "pass the mic."
"Especially as white privileged people, we need to know when to step back," Charlotte told the New Statesman.
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