Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard bids for Grand Designs’ ‘saddest home ever’

Grand Designs’ ‘saddest home ever’ could finally get a happy ending thanks to the late Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard’s intention to buy it.

The Chesil Cliff House was featured in a 2019 episode of the Channel 4 series, and the circumstances surrounding its renovation led to the harsh title.

Edward Short wanted to transform the 1950s home located in North End, near Croyde on the North Devon coast into a lighthouse-style mansion.

The plan was to complete the renovation in 18 months and spend £1.8million. Instead, when host Kevin McCloud met Edward he’d already been working on it for over a decade.

He ended up £7 million in debt, and his 20-year marriage to his wife Hazel came to an end.

‘The whole project has been a horrendous strain for Hazel, I have sunk our family purse into this and I really feel for her. I never meant to put her through any of this,’ Edward previously told Devon Live.

He finally completed the property in 2022, but he’s not yet successfully sold the listing. However, now Jackson’s previous employee and martial arts millionaire Matt Fiddes would like to take it off the market.

The 45-year-old claims he previously put in an offer of £7.5 million, and wanted to turn the property into luxury apartments. However, he recalls being asked for £10 million, which Matt described as ‘mad’.

He’s making a second attempt to ‘get this deal done’. In an Instagram post, Matt posed in front of the luxurious property, and wrote a lengthy caption about his intention to be the new owner.

He began by criticising Edward, who he said ‘clearly had no idea what he was doing’ while managing the project, and said he now wants ‘the bargain of the century’.

‘It’s now in receivership and is for sale for just over £5 million! The vendor should have took my offer! It needs at least £2 million spent on it to make it liveable and safe!’ Matt continued.

‘Popped past the property today to see how it was looking! What beautiful views and caught it at its full beauty in the sunset!’

‘I think as #blackfriday is approaching I’m going to try yet again to get this property over the line directly with the banks receivers!’ he continued.

‘Can’t think of anything else to buy my wife for #xmas! @moniqefiddes had a new #Ferrari last Xmas(that got crushed in our gates)! Thats hard to top! Although this may do it! 😃’

Moniqe Fiddes is a property developer, so he suggested it could be her next ‘project’.

Matt then went on to describe his love for North Devon, where he intends to run for MP: ‘Myself and @nigel_farage and his best pal and supporter the next president @realdonaldtrump can have some great meetings here for planning North Devons and the UK’s future!’

The entrepreneur, who doesn’t like to brag, continued on the supercar theme, concluding by telling his 184k followers that his Lamborghini suits the property.

‘Time to get this deal finally over the line! New offer going in tomorrow!’ he summarised.

Earlier this year, Edward, who is father to daughters Nicole, now 25, and Lauren, 23, was hopeful he could sell the eight-bedroom, eight-bathroom, six-reception room property for £10 million.

On a previous property listing it was described as ‘one of the UK’s most spectacularly situated coastal homes’ stretching over 6,260 sq ft. The impressive features include an infinity pool, hot tub and extensive outdoor entertaining areas with a detached guest lodge/holiday let with accommodation extending to about 1,270 sq ft.

‘This has been very difficult for the family and that’s something I feel terrible about, but we all have our health and we are all fighters so we get on with our lives,’ Edward told The Sun.

He concluded: ‘This is such an ongoing saga and I really don’t have any idea how this is going to turn out but I’ve got used to that.’

On his website, Matt lists his jobs as being a ‘personal bodyguard to Jackson for over a decade’, and ‘self-defense consultant on the Kim Kardashian robbery in Paris’. The father-of-six has also made his money on the MF franchise brand, which offers fitness, self-defense, and personal safety classes to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.