DJ and petrolhead Chris Evans has purchased a lavish £14 million waterside mansion in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, featuring a private marina capable of docking 30 boats. The property, located in a Thames-side town, places Evans in proximity to his close friends, chef Tom Kerridge and entrepreneur Peter Jones.
The six-ensuite bedroom eco-friendly mansion, built 15 years ago, also includes a snooker room, bar, study, reading room, and a dedicated dog room. Lifts provide access to its different levels. The grounds feature a swimming pool, pergola, loggia, and a long stretch of water to the north of the property. Evans, who grew up on a council estate in Warrington, now resides in the mansion with his wife Natasha and their four children: Noah, 17, Eli, 14, and twins Walt and Boo, aged seven. The family previously lived in Ascot, Berkshire.
This acquisition is not Evans's first property in Marlow; he bought a smaller residence for £4 million in 2019. He reportedly made the recent purchase quietly at the end of last year through his company Zimple, with a mortgage from Coutts. Evans's considerable wealth, estimated at £70 million, stems in part from the sale of his Ginger Media Group for £30 million in 2000, and includes a car collection valued at £30 million. His son Noah shares his passion for automobiles, and in 2012, Evans bought a road-legal replica of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car for £500,000 for them to share.
Evans continues to host a weekday breakfast show on Virgin Radio and is the creator of Carfest, an event that raises funds for UK children's charities. He also presents TFI Unplugged on YouTube, a show that was picked up for a six-episode run on Channel 4 in April of this year. The show is a lower-budget iteration of his 1990s hit chat show, TFI Friday.
Evans began his broadcasting career as a DJ on Piccadilly Radio in Manchester after leaving school at 16. He later joined Channel 4's The Big Breakfast, hosted the gameshow Don't Forget Your Toothbrush, and achieved peak fame presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 during the Britpop era. His tenure at BBC Radio 1 ended after a dispute with management that reportedly involved an extended pub crawl and issues with punctuality and holiday requests. He eventually departed after demanding every Friday off.
Evans has been married three times. His first marriage was to former Loose Women presenter Carol McGiffin from 1991 to 1993. He then married pop star and actress Billie Piper in 2001 when she was 18; they separated after three years and divorced amicably. He met his current wife, model and professional golfer Natasha Shishmanian, at a celebrity golf tournament, and they married in 2007.