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When Natasha Kaplinsky quit the bright lights of London for a new life in the countryside, she set out on a mission to create a dream family home.
Over 12 years, the former news anchor transformed a tired 15th-century farmhouse into a magnificent rural retreat that proved the perfect place to bring up her two young children.
After swapping her designer heels for a pair of wellies, Natasha, 54, quickly embraced life on the farm, insisting she had never been happier after moving there and that she 'wouldn't change it for the world'.
Now, after announcing that her 20-year marriage to investment banker Justin Bower has come to an end, the bolthole where they shared so many happy memories has been put up for sale.
Justin, also 54, is said to have already moved out of the sprawling mansion which comes with an eye-watering price tag of £7million.
And as Natasha - the first £1million-a-year newsreader and Strictly Come Dancing winner - also prepares to start a new chapter in her life, the Daily Mail is giving an exclusive insight into what is in store for lucky prospective owners.
The 15th-century farmhouse Natasha Kaplinsky shared with her husband Justin Bower is now on the market after the couple announced that their 20-year marriage has come to an end
The highlight of the vast nine bedroom, eight bathroom property set in 200 acres of land , is the vast open-plan kitchen, breakfast and dining room, described as the 'centrepiece' of the house
On her Instagram account Natasha, 54, who became the first £1million-a-year newsreader when she joined Channel 5, is keen to show off pictures of the Grade II listed property, including this one of her filming in the kitchen
She often shares pictures of her dogs, including this one of them lounging on a leopard-print chair in one of the many rooms of her country-chic manor
Natasha and her financier husband Justin (pictured) had been married for eight years when they moved into the property and saw it as the perfect retreat to raise their two children
The Grade II-listed farmhouse has up to nine bedrooms and eight bathrooms and sits in more than 200 acres of rolling countryside in the heart of East Sussex.
Outside there's a swimming pool and tennis court and two separate smaller houses - a converted stable and granary which each have two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living areas.
Estate agents insist the sale of the 'remarkable' residence, which is also being marketed to wealthy Americans, offers a rare opportunity for buyers to snap up a traditional country home with bespoke modern extensions - all spotless and immaculately presented.
The original Sussex farmhouse - with its inglenook fireplaces, exposed beams and brick surrounds - is described as being 'fully refurbished, beautifully restored and carefully preserved'.
Meanwhile the up-to-date Georgian-style extensions, which provide additional wings to the house, feature a series of 'clever and quirky designs'.
They include a first-floor walkway which links the original house to a new entertainment suite that features a games room complete with a pool table, a dart board and a working jukebox.
The games area leads into a cinema room while across the walkway is a luxurious poker room which includes a floodlit bar displaying high-end malt whiskies and honey-infused spirits.
On the ground floor beneath the entertainment suite is a large gym and garage.
The original house has a large entrance hall on the ground floor along with a living room, drawing room, TV room, dining room and study while there is even a dog room with a separate entrance.
The highlight, described as the 'centrepiece' of the house, is the vast open-plan kitchen, breakfast and dining room.
A view of the living room in Natasha's idyllic rural retreat with her dogs
The kitchen features stylish grey cabinets along with two islands and marble-topped counters, and of course, the middle class staple - an AGA cooker
In 12 years, the former news anchor transformed the 'tired' farmhouse into an incredible home
It features stylish grey cabinets along with two islands and marble-topped counters and there's an AGA for cooking.
Uniquely in one corner of the space there's a traditional-styled sweet shop.
The feature, separated by glass doors, includes stacks of shelves filled with confectionery and an old fashioned till.
On the first floor, the grand principal bedroom has an en suite bathroom while an open-plan dressing area, with views across the gardens, includes a stand-alone metal bath.
There are four further bedrooms upstairs, two of which are en suite, and another bathroom.
Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the estate - made up of fields, parkland, ancient woodland and gardens - includes two streams and seven ponds including one set near the house with its own pontoon.
Another quirky feature is a giant 26ft-tall tree house complete with monkey bars, a swing and rope bridge.
The swimming pool has a large patio with a pool house and al fresco dining area and there are a number of cosy seating areas around the garden along with another stand-alone bath which is in an open-air area hidden behind a wall.
The land is so vast that 106 acres of the estate could be sold off via separate negotiation.
In 2014, Natasha said that the couple had decided to sell their home in Fulham and move to the country as she thought it would be a better place to bring up their children, who are now teenagers.
After casting aside her house-proud self to embrace the mud and chaos of it all, Natasha regularly updated fans with her countryside adventures.
Describing herself on Instagram as 'a happy farmer' at one point she told how she had collected 33 'pets' including a herd of alpacas, pygmy goats, sheep, chickens and a cow called Mabel to go along with a cat and numerous dogs.
Shortly after moving in Natasha said: 'I am amazed by how much pleasure all this is giving us - and I have learned a lot.
'I have learned that it is OK for life to unfold at a slower pace; that something as simple as a sunset can make you happier than you thought possible.'
Natasha and Justin had been married for eight years when they moved there.
They tied the knot in 2005 after a whirlwind romance of less than three months while Natasha was a BBC Breakfast presenter.
The couple exchanged vows at St Margaret's Chapel, in the grounds of hotel and private members' club Babington House, near Frome, Somerset, in front of 100 friends and family members.
The bride had said she would be happy to be married in jeans but wore a white satin gown by Kruszynska Couture.
The original Sussex farmhouse that comes with a swimming pool and vast grounds, is described as being 'fully refurbished, beautifully restored and carefully preserved'
Just three years ago, Natasha told how the couple were considering renewing their wedding vows.
She said: 'I'd love to. We did go to our local church on our tenth wedding anniversary with renewal in mind, but our children were screeching, so we've put it off for a bit.'
But the first hint that things may have changed between them emerged in May when it was revealed the couple had put their ski chalet in the French Alps on the market for £2.7million.
Earlier this month the split was confirmed when the couple told the Daily Mail: 'We can confirm that we have made the joint decision to end our marriage and our focus now is on our children.'
One neighbour of the couple said: 'It's an awful shame. They've been a fixture here for years and were really friendly to everyone. We'll be sad to see them go. It's quite upsetting really.
'He moved out a while back. I've spoken to some of their friends and she's devastated. I don't know the truth of why they split so I'm not going to speculate.
'There's a lot of tattletales who like to discuss people's private lives but I'm not one of them.'
Another local resident added: 'The house went on the market just the other day. It's an incredible place, absolutely astonishing. They've done so much work on it. It seems the split is irreconcilable. It happens, I'm afraid, that's life.'
After leaving school Natasha, who largely grew up in the Sussex countryside, studied English Literature in Oxford, before starting out in TV presenting, a youth chat show for Granada Talk TV in 1996, alongside co-host Sacha Baron Cohen.
She moved to presenting early morning news bulletins at Meridian and within six months was co-presenting its evening news programme Meridian Tonight.
In 1999, Natasha moved on to ITV's regional programme London Tonight, from where she was poached by Sky News in 2000.
Two years later, in 2002, she joined the BBC where she worked as a presenter on Breakfast with a salary of £210,000.
It was in 2004 that Natasha was persuaded to take part in the BBC's new show, Strictly Come Dancing.
However, the sprawling mansion that Natasha 'wouldn't change for the world' comes at a price; £7million to be exact, so it is only suitable for buyers with deep pockets
Partnering Brendan Cole, with whom she reportedly had a romantic relationship, she went on to win the opening series.
Natasha was so popular that she agreed to co-present the first half of the second series with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, when regular presenter Tess Daly went on maternity leave.
Natasha, now an ambassador for Save the Children, went on to present the BBC's Children In Need telethons and anchor the BBC's New Year's Eve show.
She was poached by Channel Five News in 2007 on a reported record salary of £1million per year.
The job coincided with the birth of her two children and Natasha presented her final bulletin for the network on December 23, 2010, before returning to make programmes for ITV.
Natasha - who was awarded an OBE in 2017 for services to Holocaust commemoration and education - moved on to her current role as president of the British Board of Film Classification in 2022.
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