Island where Stormzy wrote album and Olly Murs got married could be yours for £25m
An island where Stormzy wrote an album and Olly Murs is reported to have tied the knot has gone on sale with a guide price of £25m.
Osea Island is a 380-acre stretch of land situated in the Blackwater Estuary some 40 miles east of central London, which becomes cut off from the Essex mainland at high tide when its causeway is submerged.
With a rich history as a secret torpedo boat base during the First World War, and previously as one of England's first addiction rehabilitation centres, the island has since served as inspiration for a host of artists and writers, while setting the scene for numerous films and television series.
Under the ownership of music producer Nigel Frieda, known for his work with Sugababes, Osea Island has been home to a recording studio used by artists such as Rihanna, Stormzy and Charli XCX, at a reported cost in 2019 of £20,000 per day.
Stormzy described his time spent on the island while recording his 2022 album This Is What I Mean as 'a very surreal, spiritual experience'.
It has also served as a wedding venue reportedly used by Olly Murs for his 2023 marriage to bodybuilder Amelia Tank, with a new listing by estate agents describing the island as containing 38 residential properties.
Despite viewings being described as 'strictly by appointment', Simon Pelling, of the estate agency Fine and Country, said: 'We already have several bids on it and some of them are in excess of the guide price.'
'We see it going to operators who will use it in a similar way to how it is used now – as a venue, an event space or high-end letting facility,' he told the BBC.
Prior to its stint as a recording studio, Osea Island briefly hosted a rehabilitation clinic named the Causeway Retreat, which was reportedly used by Amy Winehouse prior to being shut down by a health regulator in 2010.
That period echoed its history in the early 1900s as a rehabilitation centre for alcohol and opiate addiction.
The island has also been used to film both the 1989 television adaptation and the 2012 film of The Woman in Black, as well as HBO's The Third Day starring Jude Law, and served as the setting for New York Times bestseller The Club.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
26 minutes ago
- Wales Online
Great British Bake Off star shares devastating statement as BBC drops shows
Great British Bake Off star shares devastating statement as BBC drops shows after 10 years Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain has issued a sad response after the BBC decided to not renew her cooking show Celebrity chef and former Great British Bake Off champion Nadiya Hussain has opened up about the BBC choosing not to renew her cookery programme, prompting her to ponder over her decade-long career. In an emotional Instagram video, the acclaimed 40-year-old chef expressed: "The BBC have decided that they didn't want to commission my show. And for me, that was a huge turning point because it's something I've done for the past ten years." Looking to the future with optimism, Nadiya elaborated: "I was already on this steady trajectory of change and I was thinking about where I wanted my career to go, and when the BBC decided they didn't want to commission the show anymore, it really did kind of solidify everything for me, and it made me dig my heels in and think 'OK, I know where I want to be.'" Despite the recent development, Nadiya remains excited about what lies ahead, signalling a desire to take command of her own work, articulating, "It's been interesting because there have been lots of changes in my career, that I'm really excited about. "I'm excited about taking back a bit of ownership of what I do, how I do it and who I work with, and that's given me a freedom I haven't had in the last ten years", reports Surrey Live. Nadiya Hussain has reacted to the news on social media (Image: BANG Showbiz ) Article continues below Nadiya has charmed audiences with a variety of BBC series such as Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya's Fast Flavours, and Nadiya's Simple Spices, besides her guest appearances on The One Show. The BBC has conveyed its eagerness to continue its professional relationship with Nadiya going forward. A spokesperson for the broadcaster confirmed: "After several wonderful series we have made the difficult decision not to commission another cookery show with Nadiya Hussain at the moment. "Nadiya remains a much-valued part of the BBC family, and we look forward to working together on future projects." We have approached the BBC for further comment. Ever since her triumph on GBBO over ten years ago, Nadiya has enjoyed a fruitful career. Following her win, she introduced audiences to her celebrated programme, The Chronicles of Nadiya, on BBC One. The BBC has decided to axe Nadiya's cooking show (Image: Getty ) Drawing on her own experiences in TV, she gracefully took on the role of judge on Junior Bake Off. The year succeeding her GBBO success, she embarked on an eight-part series titled Nadiya's British Food Adventure. Beyond her on-screen endeavours, Nadiya has released a range of top-selling cookbooks through the years, such as Nadiya's Kitchen, Nadiya's Every Day Baking, and Cook Once, Eat Twice. Additionally, her talent extends to fiction writing, with novels like The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters, Spreading My Wings, and Today I'm Strong to her credit. Article continues below Nadiya's Fast Flavours, Nadiya's Simple Spices, Nadiya's Everyday Baking, Nadiya Bakes, and Nadiya's Cook Once Eat Twice are all currently available to stream on iPlayer.
Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
Tom Jones reveals tragic message his wife gave to him just before she died
Tom Jones reveals tragic message his wife gave to him just before she died To mark his 85th birthday, Tom Jones has released a statement on his Instagram social media feed as he celebrates the major milestone Tom Jones has spoken about the message his wife gave him just before she died in 2016 (Image: Getty ) Sir Tom Jones shared the tragic message his wife gave him just before she died. The legendary singer was married to Melinda "Linda" Trenchard for 59 years between 1957 and 2016 before she passed away from cancer. Tom, who turns 85 today, once spoke about advice his wife gave him, and how his reaction to her death has also now informed the guidance he gives to contemporary artists too. Speaking on the BBC show Sounds of the 60s with Tony Blackburn, he said: 'When my wife knew that she had terminal cancer, I was with her for the last 10 days in hospital in the room with her. She said, 'Look I gotta leave, but you don't fall with me. I'm going down, I know, there's nothing I can do about it but don't you do that.' 'She told me, 'Don't you fall with me, you've got to keep going, you've got to get on stage. You've still got songs to sing and think of me when you do it'.' Tom lost his dear wife to cancer in 2016 Tom added that Melinda also instructed him to keep laughing when he thought about her as he considered retirement from music after she died. Article continues below He explained: 'She loved jokes and I used to make her laugh a lot so. Now, she gives me strength as when she passed away I thought I was gonna crumble. 'I almost packed it in. I didn't think I could sing anymore because you can't get too emotional sing when you sing because your voice won't come out. 'This is what I say to singers now, you take the emotion and then you work it into the song, get it through, but don't get too involved with it because then you'll cry and you won't be able to sing.' Sir Tom Jones turns 85 this year (Image: Getty ) To mark his 85th birthday, Tom said in a statement on his Instagram: 'I'm celebrating my 85th birthday this Saturday! and am thrilled to be sharing a very special concert performance - 'Live on Soundstage 2017' for the first time on my YouTube channel. 'Join me at 6pm (18:00 BST) for fun, live music and the fantastic Alison Krauss as my musical guest. See you then!' Article continues below Alongside appearing on the BBC with Tony Blackburn, Tom is also due to appear in a BBC Arts show titled In My Own Words, reports GB News. In a statement following the news, the Sex Bomb performer said: 'Taking the time to look back at some of the extraordinary things that have happened in my life for In My Own Words has been really enjoyable and thought-provoking. "Some of the archive I'd not seen before, and watching snippets of those past times, places, styles, and struggles brought home how lucky I am. "Being able to spend the day in the first house I ever owned brought back so many memories… I hope everyone enjoys watching it as much as I did making it!"
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Sugababes admit comeback 'obstacles' as fans deserved 'different ending'
EXCLUSIVE: The Sugababes have opened up about their meteoric comeback and gaining the right to use their band name again, but admit their fans deserved the reunion The Sugababes admit facing "obstacles" during their comeback without having the iconic band name. Original members, Muyua Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy left fans gobsmacked in 2011 when it emerged that they would be reuniting for the first time since Donaghy's departure in 2011. But after Keisha's exit from the group in 2009, the original members joined forces under the name MKS and performed a string of sell-out shows across the country, as well as releasing original music. But it was in 2019 that the band won back the legal rights to use their name, which propelled them to fame. Reflecting on their comeback during an exclusive chat with the Mirror, Siobhán admits that the legacy behind the iconic girl group is "amazing". She said: "On one hand, it makes everything super easy when you're doing a show, everyone sings along to every show. Also, it's a lot to live up to, so it's a bit of good pressure in terms of new music – I think that's a good pressure and it motivates us." Keisha added: "It's always been important to us, and I think that was one of the main things for us getting back together, is that we wanted to pick up where we left off." Mutya added: "And give back to the fans as well, I think we've had such great supporters from then til now." Keisha added: "They deserved a different ending." Speaking about the bombshell MKS reunion, Keisha said: "That was amazing." Mutya added on their reaction from fans: "Like they still cared and we were still relevant because when you haven't done something for so long, you don't know how the tickets are going to sell, you don't even know if people still like you." Keisha added: "That was incredible, we hadn't had the name back yet. And so we were meeting all these different obstacles of 'Can you do it without the name? Can you do this?' We always knew that with us, it was about the music, and our voices were the most recognisable thing, even without the name. "So being able to come back and having all these obstacles and still being able to have sell-out shows and the support we had was really great." But the band admit it has been a "long journey" since they reformed, revealing that the past three to four years have been the most hectic for them. "It was a whole ten-year journey before that," Keisha said, adding: "When it was starting to happen, it was everything that we dreamt of and more." The band are now busier than ever, having recently performed a sell-out arena tour across the UK, as well as appearing at dozens of festivals. Two of those festivals were Glastonbury, which saw an unprecedented demand for the group, with the fields being closed down on both occasions. Siobhan admitted that the band would have loved to shut the fields down but had no idea it would actually happen on both occasions in 2022 and 2024. But how do the band get their heads around the staggering success of the band? "We kind of embrace it," Keisha explained. She went on to add: "Like Siobhán was saying, it's such a big legacy and it's great when we're on stage, the hardest thing when you're performing is trying to reintroduce new stuff. "Even when we were first performing the Round Round's and Overload's, I think really, the goal is what legacy you leave. The fact that we can come back 25 years later, we started so young, and reintroduce things in a different way. Everything is reimagined in the music, and it sounds very current." One thing they have reintroduced is a new version of Too Lost In You, with a garage aspect on the classic ballad, which has since become a fan favourite at Sugababes concerts. Siobhán said: "It's not as mentally daunting being in your mind as when you're a teenager." The band were in their early teens when they were signed by Ron Tom and Sarah Stennet before going on to release their debut single, Overload, in 2000 – which peaked at Number 6. "We're very humble," says Mutya, adding that they count their blessings. Despite their current and rather hectic schedules ahead of festivals, the band admit that there will be new music soon". "More festivals, singles and an album," said Keisha, before Siobhán joked they needed to "hurry up." She added: "The body of work is there, we just need to finish it off, we've gone straight from touring to festival season, we're finding the slots where we can get the opportunity," before confirming the singles are "lined up." Although the band are leading the industry with their top-tier vocals, Keisha admits that there are "so many talented" female vocal groups. She added: "It's so good that we get to be amongst them. Back then, it was really about the harmonies; we did have a unique way of doing our harmonies. Even the boy bands are singing now." "We've got some great British groups and vocalists," said Mutya. One thing Mutya doesn't understand is why the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry, Remember Mondays received no points. "I actually thought they were good, they got zero," she said, adding: "I think people were just being really mean. Vocally, they were really, really good. "They didn't deserve zero." Since finding fame in 1998, what has been their favourite look and fashion highlight? "I really liked my Glastonbury look," said Siobhán, adding: "I used to wear a lot of Vivienne Westwood, I'm a massive fan." Mutya went on to say: "I don't know, I always seem to like a baggy look, cropped jacket, I don't mind where it's from. On the tour, I did Evisu, I kind of brought that back out for myself." Keisha said: "For me, I feel like braids, the chunky ones. "I didn't really do braids throughout the Sugababes. I had one nightmare, I had this bobbed braid in Year 7, and it was done really badly by someone. I walked in, and one of the boys was like, 'Your hair looks like worms.' It was just done terribly. There's a knack to how you do it. "I was obsessed with Brandy [Norwood], so that's why I had it done. Looking back, when I had that moment, I didn't do it again until I we did the video for Round Round – my cousin was really good with braids, so I did it that one time and that was it. I do like the braids." Mutya added: "I love Keisha with braids." The Soundtrack of Style — Celebrating 30 Years at Cheshire Oaks. Sugababes were unveiled as the secret headliner of Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet's 30th anniversary event, providing shoppers and the local community with the ultimate surprise and delight moment to celebrate three decades in fashion and business. The iconic pop group performed at the one-off non-ticketed event, supported by Take That 's Howard Donald and Hits Radio DJ and former Pussycat Dolls star Kimberly Wyatt to honour the outlet's 30-year legacy.
