American television star Kelsey Grammer has been accused by his own neighbours of abandoning his picturesque seaside home in Somerset, with locals claiming the £1million property has been left to fall into a state of disrepair. The acclaimed actor, renowned for his roles in Cheers and Frasier and with an estimated net worth of £60million, purchased the 200-year-old cottage on the outskirts of Portishead four years ago.
A Dream Home with Stunning Views
The property, perfectly perched on a pretty hilltop, offers commanding coastal views across the Bristol Channel. On clear days, vistas stretch as far as the Black Mountains of Wales, with sunsets described as being 'from another world'. Grammer and his wife of 15 years, Kayte, who grew up in Portishead, had ambitious plans to transform the cottage into a grand mansion, doubling its original footprint and adding a games room and gym.
Planning Permission Blocked
However, their elaborate vision was halted when local councillors refused planning permission for the extension, leaving the couple heartbroken. Faced with this stalemate a year ago, Grammer's legal team posted a notice indicating his intention to bulldoze the property to the ground, exploiting a 'permitted development' legal loophole that allowed demolition without specific planning consent.
This move sparked significant backlash from the local community. Residents of the Somerset town branded the 70-year-old actor and father-of-eight as 'arrogant' and 'disrespectful'. The demolition was scheduled to commence in March of last year, but ten months on, the house remains standing, completely unoccupied, and visibly deteriorating.
Neighbours Voice Their Concerns
A neighbour expressed their dismay this week, stating, 'It's a real shame. The house has been empty for four years. I've only seen him once in all that time. It's looking pretty run down. He just seems to have vanished, disappeared and abandoned the place.' They noted the poor state of the property, including a collapsed wooden shed in the back garden and numerous felled trees.
'We were expecting demolishers to move in or knock on our doors last March. But nothing's happened, so maybe he changed his mind after the backlash. So we are left thinking, what is going to happen to it now?' the neighbour continued. 'He seems to have totally vanished. That said, some people might actually be happy about that as they're upset with the plans he had to knock the house down.'
Career Renaissance in the US
The apparent abandonment of the Somerset home coincides with a resurgence in Grammer's television and film career in the United States. He successfully rebooted the beloved series Frasier with two new seasons in 2023 and 2024, and there is ongoing discussion about a potential third series on a different platform after Paramount axed it in early 2025. Grammer has reportedly been in the US this past year seeking a new platform for the show.
Additionally, he starred in the film Turbulence last year and is set to reprise his role as Dr Hank McCoy/Beast in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Doomsday. This busy schedule has led some locals to speculate that his focus has simply been elsewhere.
Personal Connections and Future Plans
Grammer chose the house in 2022 due to his wife Kayte's deep roots in the area; she grew up in and around Portishead and Clevedon, with her parents from Bristol and her brother still residing in Portishead. Her father, Alan Walsh, is a former football legend for Bristol City. In 2022, Grammer remarked, 'It's a good spot – we've actually bought a house there. We bought a little place we're going to be working on. We won't be taking up residence for a while but, yeah, we're pretty excited about it.'
Despite the current neglected appearance, it is suspected that Grammer's plans for the site are not yet concluded. He may still be determined to realise his wife's dream of a home in her childhood area. Grammer understands the importance of marital happiness, having experienced significant financial impacts from multiple divorces, notably a £22million settlement with Camille Grammer in 2011.
Legal and Heritage Objections
Grammer has until 2030 to complete the demolition, for which he first applied in August 2023 and was refused by planning authorities. His lawyers identified that while planning permission was needed for extension, demolition could proceed under permitted development rights. This decision faced strong opposition from Walton-in-Gordano Parish Council, which cited the cottage's 'historical importance and heritage'. Other objections highlighted concerns over the loss of historical significance, lack of justification for demolition, negative environmental impact, and resistance to any modern replacement design.
Grammer has maintained connections to Portishead since marrying Kayte in 2011, even featuring in a promotional video for Portishead Golf Club in 2017. The couple welcomed their fourth child together, Christopher, last year, making Grammer a father of eight. They met on a trans-Atlantic flight in 2009, where Kayte was a flight attendant.
Grammer rose to fame playing Dr Frasier Crane in Cheers and its highly successful spin-off Frasier, which originally ran from 1993 to 2004 before its recent revival. The series finale of Cheers was watched by 90 million viewers, cementing his status as a television icon. As the future of his Somerset cottage remains uncertain, the local community continues to watch for any development regarding the now dilapidated property.
