A spacious farmhouse Ellen DeGeneres And Portia de Rossi Bought as their initial home base during their move to the UK which is reportedly surrounded by high flood waters – just five months after the couple listed the property for £30million.
DeGeneres, 67, and De Rossi, 52, bought the 43-acre property in June 2024 for $20 million and undertook an extensive renovation after ditching the US to start a new life in the British countryside.
Initially, the couple planned to split their time between the UK and their home in California, and bought a Cotswolds farmhouse in England as a temporary base. However, after the President Donald Trump Claiming victory in the 2024 election, DeGeneres and De Rossi shelved their plans, opting to make their overseas move permanent.
As a result, they began looking for a more traditionally suitable full-time home at the unusual glass-walled mansion in the same upscale area, which they are understood to have moved into just weeks after work was completed on their first property.
He has since bought his first UK home for a whopping $10 million, despite multiple reports that he bought it.
Now, the house appears to have been reduced to another flood, with reports claiming that the area around the residence was severely affected by the recent storm Claudia, causing the nearby Windrush River to burst its banks.
Pictures obtained by the Daily Mail show fields in front of the historic stone property, known as Kitesbridge Farm, covered in stagnant water as a result of the weather.
It is unclear whether the water reached the residence, which sits on slightly higher ground than the surrounding fields.
Last November, when the area was hit with significant flooding, DeGeneres took to Instagram to hit back at reports that the home had flooded, despite photos showing a similar watery scene around the stone home.
“For those of you concerned,” he wrote, “our UK farmhouse did not flood. ”
The bad weather is reportedly pushing DeGeneres and De Rossi to take even more drastic measures, with the Daily Mail claiming the pair are considering a return to the US after getting tired of the British winter weather.
“Allen was adamant that he and Portia would stay in the UK while Trump was in the White House, but he’s apparently changed his mind somewhat,” an anonymous insider alleged.
“They’re telling friends they’re coming home soon because they miss them and can’t take the winter there, and Portia wants to work again. They’ll be here for the holidays and a long time from the sound of it.”
Certainly, the property list, which he has Andrew Barnes And Marcus O’Brien Sotheby’s International Realty makes no mention of the area’s flood risk, instead focusing on the property’s many positive attributes, including its “43 acres of rolling Cotswold countryside”.
“The main house opens around a central landscaped courtyard, a beautiful focal point that brings light and flow to the interior,” the description continues.
“A series of generous reception rooms overlook the space, creating a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. Designed for both entertaining and relaxing on a grand scale, the layout combines sharp architectural detail with a contemporary eye for volume, proportion and finish.”
However, one key amenity the house didn’t offer was one that DeGeneres and De Rossi realized they valued most when they decided to put down permanent roots in Britain: plenty of space for De Rossi’s horses.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal when he listed the property, DeGenes noted that it was his main reason for moving to a different home nearby.
“When we decided to live here full time, we knew Portia couldn’t live without her horses,” he explained. “We needed a home that had horse facilities and pastures for them.”
In a past listing, the property was described as an “eco-farmhouse with a perfect modern rustic interior”. However, one of DeGeneres and De Rossi’s listing agents noted that the farm was somewhat “tired” when the couple bought it.
But that didn’t stop DeGeneres from falling in love with the house — reportedly paying about $3.3 million with inquiries to secure the residence, then enlisting a team of 70 workers to rush through renovations so it would be ready for her and De Rossi as soon as possible.
These renovations have faced several obstacles, however, with reports that she has faced resistance from area residents over her plans for housing.
In February, it was claimed that DeGeneres and De Rossi were facing objections from neighbors over their proposed development, with three local councilors concerned that an extension would “increase the risk of flooding in the village” and “disturb Roman remains.”
Meanwhile, other residents expressed concern that the hedge and wire fence at the couple’s home could cause flooding if trash “gets stuck in the fence” and restricts “flow into the field.”
Despite the protests, a spokesman for West Oxfordshire Direct Council insisted at the time that Roman sits 200 yards from DeGeneres and De Rossi’s property and that the work was “completed to a high standard.”
“Works to the property included a single-storey extension and garden landscaping,” the spokesperson told the New York Post. “Although the extension technically allowed development rights, it is considered acceptable in planning terms.
“As these works were completed to a high standard with no impact on surrounding amenities or other planning concerns, no further enforcement action was necessary, and the case has been closed.
Regarding concerns about Roman remains on Akeman Street, the site is more than 200 meters from Roman Road, and no intrusions have been identified. “
The listing agent noted that extensive work had been done on the residence before the couple moved in, describing its original condition as “quite tired, with a fairly basic finish.”
The Journal reported that DeGeneres and De Rossi were originally given an 18-month timeline in which contractors believed the renovations could be completed. So they brought in “about 70 workers” who were able to finish the job in about 10 weeks.
Yet DeGeneres and DeRossi will spend a matter of weeks living in the full residence before moving into a new ultramodern home located just 30 minutes away and featuring a much more Malibu-esque aesthetic than the traditional stone abode they first purchased.
Their second home, which DeGeneres has already started showing off on social media, is located on top of a hill in Oxfordshire – making it less prone to flooding – and features entirely glass walls.
The residence boasts five bedrooms and a Japanese-style courtyard. The immaculately landscaped yard leads to rolling fields where de Rossi’s horses can graze and run.
Its incredibly modern design stands in stark contrast to the traditional farmhouses now on the market. The residence dates back to the 1700s and offers six bedrooms, as well as a party barn with its own pub.
The farmhouse also has a pool and a gym, both located in another building on the property.
DeGeneres initially revealed her plans to part ways with Kitesbridge Farm in July, when she appeared at an event in nearby Cheltenham, during which she opened for the British broadcaster.Richard BaconAbout the reasons behind his move to UK
During that chat, he confirmed for the first time that he and De Rossi had decided to move to England after full time. Trump won the election, stating that he initially planned to use his British residence for only a few months a year.
“We got here the day before the election and had tons of texts from my friends with crying emojis, and I was like, ‘He’s in,'” he explained. “And we’re like, ‘We’re living here.'”
DeGeneres then announced her plans to sell her farmhouse, telling the audience at the Eyreman Theatre: “We decided we needed a different house, and now we’re selling this house.
“So if anyone wants a house, this is a beautiful stone farmhouse. To be clear, I’m not selling the new one I live in. I’m selling the old stone farmhouse.”