Latest news with #JamesMercer
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Mystery man who bought Katie Price's Mucky Mansion for £1.1m revealed after star claims house is ‘cursed'
THE mystery man who is now the proud owner of Katie Price's 'cursed' Mucky Mansion has finally been revealed. James Mercer, a leading furniture tycoon and divorced father-of-two, snapped up t he run-down West Sussex home back in January after Katie was booted out as part of her bankruptcy. 5 5 5 The house, which boasts nine bedrooms, became notorious whilst under Katie's ownership due to its run-down and dilapidated state as well as a series of dramatic issues and legal challenges which took place at the residence. 62-year-old James, originally from Northern Ireland, splashed out £1.15million for the former home of the Pricey and is currently putting it through extensive renovations to make it fit for purpose once more. He admitted to the Daily Mail that the home's previous owner had left it "mucky" and in need of work. It is believed that James purchased the home as part of a fresh start with his partner, Leike Qu, who is a co-owner of the house. James has been with Leike since splitting from his wife and the mother of his kids who has remained in Northern Ireland following their break-up. Speaking for the first time about owning one of Britain's most famous houses, Leike told the Mail: "We are just very ordinary and quiet people who fell in love with this country house." The couple are believed to have set aside a substantial amount of money in order to renovate the property with work already underway on turning it into a dream residence once more. Construction work is ongoing with scaffolding surrounding the mansion. Katie made a loss on the home with James paying around £200,000 less than Katie originally paid for the home. This is due to the star failing to find a buyer at the advertised price due to its conditions. Katie Price's BGT star rival reignites bitter feud as she shares video mocking under-fire star's new surgeries The former glamour model had also previously bragged in interviews that the West Sussex mansion was worth a cool £2million. Katie will not see a penny of the proceeds if this sale if it does complete, as she no longer owns it. The mum-of-five was forced out of the dilapidated house in May after failing to meet payments on two mortgages. Katie was served an eviction notice following her second bankruptcy. As a result, any money made against the house will be swallowed up by the debts she ran up against it while living there. In 2022, the star's attempts to renovate the home featured in Channel 4 's Katie Price: Mucky Mansion. The show was eventually axed after two series', shortly before Katie was ordered to move out of the house via an eviction order. After the bank took possession, the Mucky Mansion - which sits in 12 acres of land - was put up for sale with a price tag of £1.5million. However, the asking price was later slashed in a bid to get it sold. The price was cut for a second time in October. The swimming pool was left empty with many of the home's rooms in desperate need of renovation. Katie also faced personal tragedy at the house with a multitude of her animals dying whilst living there. Both her horse and her German Shepherd were killed at the home as well as a dog she bought for Princess. 5 5
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
What happened to Katie Price's Mucky Mansion? Ex-glamour model's 'cursed' former home was bought by furniture tycoon at cut-price of £1.15m
This is the man who was brave enough to buy Katie Price 's notorious nine-bedroom 'mucky mansion' - which she has claimed is cursed. James Mercer, 62, a furniture tycoon and divorced father of two, paid £1.15 million for the run-down West Sussex property, which Katie insisted was jinxed following years of dramatic episodes, including break-ins, numerous pets dying, and even reports of 'seeing ghosts '. Mr Mercer, originally from Northern Ireland, bought Katie's former troubled home in January just months after bailiffs evicted the star and her family when she failed to keep up payments on the monthly mortgage, The Daily Mail can reveal. But while he may not put much credence in the suggestion that it is possessed by evil spirits, Mr Mercer apparently does agree that it was left 'mucky' by its famous previous occupant. To remedy that, he has commissioned extensive remedial work to make it fit once more for human habitation. The home has found itself in the spotlight once again after Katie's daughter Princess Andre branded it a 'very scary place' and confessed she had a lot of bad experiences in the notorious 'mucky mansion'. But none of that put off Mr Mercer, a keen cyclist and known for raising money for charity, who has bought it to seal his new relationship after divorcing the mother of his children. He was previously married to Susan Mercer, who still lives in Northern Ireland, but is now in a long-term relationship with Leike Qu, with whom he now co-owns Katie Price's former home. Today, Leike told The Daily Mail that the couple had 'fallen in love' with Katie's 'mucky mansion' despite its notorious reputation. She said: 'We are just very ordinary and quiet people who fell in love with this country house.' As well as spending over £1m on the freehold, the couple are also understood to have set aside a substantial sum to repair it. The entire facade of the faux-Tudor house is clad in scaffolding with construction materials, including planks of wood scattered in the driveway. A mechanical digger has been left by the side of the house and a builder's van is parked up by the front door. Keep fit enthusiast Mr Mercer raised more than £800 in May 2022 for the Salvation Army for its work to support displaced Ukrainian people who came to the UK by cycling over 100 miles across London and Surrey. He has also regularly posted his cycling exploits on social media after pedalling for hundreds of miles across the UK, along with photos of his travels to exotic locations around the world. His business involves selling household furniture from around the world, but, like the former owner of his lavish home, Mr Mercer also appears to have suffered his fair share of financial challenges, according to Companies House records. One of his companies is listed as being forcibly dissolved in 2011 while another was dissolved after going into voluntary liquidation. Mr Mercer snapped up Katie's former home for less than the £1.35 million it was originally listed for after she struggled to find a buyer because of its dilapidated state. The swimming pool was also empty and there were concerns that the land could be contaminated by waste. Contract cleaners were brought in to clear away piles of rubbish and spruce up the property before it was put on the market by local estate agents HJ Burt. But the star did not see a penny of the money that Mr Mercer paid for it as it was swallowed up by the debts she previously ran up against the Sussex home, which she purchased for £2 million in 2014. After leaving, Katie claimed the home, which she lived in for a decade, was 'hell' and left her battling anxiety and overcome by panic attacks, which forced her into therapy. She warned the new owners: 'I hate that house. Whoever buys it, I warn them, they will get bad luck there.' She continued: 'It is absolutely cursed. My anxiety got worse with that house. There was a point when I couldn't even walk up the driveway without having a panic attack. 'I had therapy about the house. I should never have gone back there. Now I'm out of it, it's the best thing I've ever done.' Katie also spoke in the past about her fears that the home is haunted by the spirit of a small child, while a number of her pets died in the property. In 2024, Katie shared pictures of two men she feared were trying to break into the mansion - just days after she was forced to call police over another gang of strangers outside her home. She posted alarming doorbell footage on Instagram of an intruder approaching the front door before walking away. The 'mucky mansion' also became the subject of a Channel 4 documentary when Katie attempted to bring life back into the property for the last time. During her time living there, Katie's treatment of animals also came under scrutiny after five dogs, a horse, and a chameleon all died while in her care - many of them in traffic accidents near the property. She attributed these tragedies to 'bad luck', with most occurring while she was away. She has since secured the garden of her new home to ensure her pets' safety. Responding to people who say she shouldn't own animals, Katie told The Sun: 'When people say I shouldn't have animals, it's circumstances that were out of my hands. 'It's no lack of me not looking after them or anything like that. I love animals, I love nurturing.' Katie's former home is made up of three reception rooms, nine bedrooms and four bath/shower rooms spread over three floors plus a one-bedroom annexe. It is set in expansive grounds which also have stables. While speaking about living there, Princess did not reveal the exact details of why she found it 'scary' and what her bad experiences were. Discussing contrasts of life at Katie's new home with where her father lives, she went on: 'Dad's house is a lot quieter, a lot more peaceful, a lot more organised. Whereas my mum's house is much more just do what you want.
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Business Standard
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Standard
Envision Energy unveils India's first race car built entirely from e-waste
Envision Energy has unveiled India's first race car made entirely from electronic waste, in collaboration with environmental nonprofit The 'Recover-E' car is the second such vehicle globally, following a similar prototype launched at the London E-Prix in 2023. Constructed using discarded electronics such as mobile phones, laptops, and tablets, the car is designed to demonstrate the potential of circular design and highlight the growing problem of e-waste in India. The country is the third-largest generator of e-waste globally, according to the Global E-waste Monitor 2024. 'The Recover-E car is not just a concept but a movement towards greener solutions for tomorrow,' said R P V Prasad, managing director of Envision Energy India. He added that the project is a conceptual demonstration of how future cars or car parts could be derived from e-waste. James Mercer, commercial director at Envision Racing, said the initiative is a symbolic representation of e-waste issues and aims to prove that innovation and sustainability can coexist. Envision Racing is part of Envision Energy's Formula E team, which won the Formula E Teams' Championship in 2023. said the initiative aligns with the 55th anniversary of Earth Day and this year's global theme, 'Our Power, Our Planet.' Karuna Singh, regional director for Asia at the organisation, said the project aims to promote clean energy and circular economy practices. While the Recover-E car is not intended for commercial production, Envision said it is meant to spark conversations around responsible consumption and reuse of waste. Envision Energy operates in wind energy, battery storage, and green hydrogen. Its India operations are part of a broader strategy to achieve carbon neutrality across its global value chain by 2028. The company also manages a carbon-neutral fund and has engineering centres across Asia, Europe, and North America. founded in 1970, runs environmental advocacy campaigns worldwide and claims to mobilise over one billion people annually. The Recover-E project is among its key awareness initiatives in India for 2025.
