Castle Man: Everything You Need To Know About Alan Carr’s New Design Show

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That’s Alan Carr-stle, to you

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In his various onscreen adventures tackling tricky home renovations, Alan Carr has seen it all: dilapidated coastal homes, wayward cement mixers and, on one occasion, a resin floor full of flies. But where most of his work has taken him abroad thus far – usually with friend and co-host Amanda Holden – this time, he’s taking on a solo project at home. Tentatively dubbed Castle Man, Alan Carr’s latest DIY challenge is a historic Scottish castle with a grand history (and even grander grounds). Will he come out king of the castle, or will it be one turret too much for the comedian? Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming series.

Castle Man: What We Know So Far

It seems a stint on The Celebrity Traitors was enough for Alan Carr to snap up his very own Scottish castle. Earlier this year, news broke that everyone’s favourite Chatty Man had upped sticks and traded a life in the city for a sprawling country estate in Scotland. But, in true Alan Carr fashion, it was never going to stay a secret – we would be coming along for the ride too.

Cue, Castle Man. Produced by Expectation, the award-winning production company behind Clarkson’s Farm, this brand new series by Disney+ and Hulu will track Carr’s progress with his new home (renovation blunders and DIY successes both) from the very moment he gets the keys.

So, what can we expect from this castle crusade? As mentioned, Castle Man will follow Carr as he works to renovate a castle in Scotland. But, unlike his previous design tasks, this one’s all for him. Once complete, the comedian won’t be handing over the keys to someone else – instead, he plans to make his brand new castle into a family home. The move, reveals Disney+, comes down to Carr’s wish for a change of pace as his 50th birthday approaches.

Alan Carr has tackled castles before, but not like this. Photo from Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (c) BBC/DSP/Georgina Vincent

‘Some men when they have a midlife crisis buy a Lamborghini or grow a ponytail, but me – I want my very own castle,’ said Carr. ‘Since I was a boy in Northampton, I’ve always dreamt big, and have always been enchanted with the history and romance of a stately home and as I turn fifty, I feel it’s my time. All I want is a turret to call my own – get me over that drawbridge!’

It’s going to be a big project – but with Carr’s flair for lightening up any situation (or mishap) he finds himself in, it’s sure to be a good watch. ‘Alan Carr is one of those rare talents who brings instant warmth, wit, and originality to everything he touches,’ commented Sean Doyle, Vice President of Unscripted at Disney+. ‘We’ve watched him turn his hand to stand-up, game shows, podcasts, and presenting, but when we discovered he was looking to purchase a castle to run, we knew this was a journey we had to follow. Expect Alan in new territory, with all the same riotous entertainment you know and love.’

When Will It Air?

No news just yet on a release date. So far, Disney+ has only teased one bit of new about the show – a quick look at the comedian exploring a stone spiral staircase, with the caption: ‘Original series CASTLE MAN (w/t) will follow comedy royalty, Alan Carr, as he searches to purchase and run his very own castle. Coming soon to Disney+.’

Hopefully ‘soon’ is indeed quite soon.

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Look Inside The Castle

Thanks to estate agents Knight Frank, we’ve already been able to take a peek inside Carr’s new (and ginormous) pad. Ayton Castle sits just north of the English-Scottish border, and is regarded as one of Scotland’s finest baronial-style buildings.

Rooted in history, the castle was first built sometime in the 14th century around a medieval tower house – but the original building has changed quite a bit over the years. The structure was at some point replaced by a classical mansion; this, sadly, burnt down in 1834, and was later replaced by a new design in 1854 (which was then expanded in the 1860s).

It seems the owners prior to Carr have also had a go at a few renovation projects – namely, partial rewiring, re-plumbing and the redecoration of several of the principal rooms. Today, the castle stands with 16 bedrooms, eight bathrooms and a five-storey tower.

Outside, meanwhile, 160 acres of land have been converted into gardens, parkland and woodland, stables and 600m of railway (complete with its own platform, ticket office, shed and joiner’s shop).

For a full view of the castle – before Carr gets his hands on it – see our guide here.