Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud gives update on 'saddest ever' build

When Edward Short's dream to build and sell Chesil Cliff House in Devon was aired on TV, his episode was soon named the "saddest ever", as the decade-long project left him in £7 million worth of debt and destroyed his marriage.

During the show, Short told McCloud: "My vanity and ambition probably collapsed the marriage."

The property was valued at £10 million and earlier this year, it was split into two listings after failing to sell.

Kevin McCloud has since given an update on Short and his property. "Ed and I still communicate by email now and again," he told Metro.

"It's not always the case you keep in contact with people, but in his case, it was such a special project and we had a lot of shared interests in common and we share a mutual friend."

The presenter revealed Short hasn't given up on selling the property and is optimistic that someone will one day buy it.

"He is still battling along with it," he added, continuing: "We went back for the revisit which was great and rather redemptive and now I think it is still on the market. I haven't checked in with him recently, but he is hoping for a bite on the line as it were."

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Talking about the property back in 2022, McCloud told Radio Times magazine the project was "vainglorious".

He added: "The drive to build, to change the world and make in our own image, to improve our environment, all of these things can go too far. And that ambition can destroy the beauty that we strive to find in life."

Grand Designs Live, runs from October 4 to 8 at the Birmingham NEC. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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