Design guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen has embarked on a bold mission to rescue The Cotswolds from what he calls a creeping invasion of “celebrity gloss” and “airbrushed aesthetics”. In typical flamboyant fashion, Laurence declared war on the “Instagramification” of rural Britain, as he shared his “fight back” against celebrities in the affluent countryside. The star recently unveiled his latest passion project – the beautifully revived Eleven Bibury – which includes historic interiors, quaint tea rooms, a traditional post office, and a carefully curated retail area, all nestled in the postcard-perfect village of Bibury. He shared to GB News: “This isn’t about style over substance,” he insisted. “It’s about bringing back authenticity – the Cotswolds as they were meant to be,” as he went on to discuss famous residents, The Beckhams.

“This is a bit of a fight-back, against what’s going on in other areas of the Cotswolds — things like Soho Farmhouse and the way the Beckhams have engaged with the area.” In contrast, Laurence said his new project is about reconnecting with what the Cotswolds really stand for.

“What we’re doing here is enshrining this concept of the Cotswolds as having a very powerful heritage,” he said. “An incredibly important sense of identity — one that doesn’t need to be rebranded for social media.”

David and Victoria Beckham have owned a home in the Cotswolds since 2016, located near Chipping Norton and close to Soho Farmhouse. The property was featured in the 2023 Netflix documentary Beckham. It blew viewers away with its impressive facilities, which include a swimming pool, a football pitch, and a swimming pool from Estonia.

It comes as Laurence revealed he has handed over his Cotswolds estate to his sons-in-law and invited the entire family to live in “Chateau LLB”. However, the 60-year-old has confessed that his “retirement is going very badly” as a result.

Star of the BBC’s 90s hit show Changing Rooms, the dad-of-two has a net worth of £8 million and now wants to pass his business on to his daughters, Hermione and Cecile. The now-grandad calls this “commonwealth”.

Laurence told Manchester Evening News: “We’ve worked very hard to make the life we want. After thirty years on television, I’ve worked very hard to get here. With things now like us all living together and how we’ve split the house up, which everyone is so intrigued about, that’s a decision.

“And it is a straightforward decision as far as I’m concerned. It’s sharing resources with the next generation – we call it commonwealth – to me, it is a very ordinary thing to do.”He now lives on his sprawling estate with his wife, Jackie, 60, and his daughter Hermione, 27, and her children, Romily, two, and one-year-old Eleanora. Just over their plush green lawn, Cecile, 30, lives with her husband, Dan, and their children, Albion, eight, and three-year-old Demelza.