SHE’S AN UNFLAPPABLE NEWS PRESENTER, BUT KAY BURLEY STILL GETS SPOOKED IN HER COTTAGE

When Sky News presenter Kay Burley bought her north London cottage 10 years ago, she knew she was buying her dream home.

“I used to live nearby and always loved this house,” she recalls. “So when it came on to the market I snapped it up immediately.”

The five-bedroom ’20s property, which she shares with her journalist partner George Pascoe-Watson, 41, her 15-year-old son Alexander, and their three dogs, used to belong to Carry On star Kenneth Connor.

And 47-year-old Kay says she feels the actor – who died of cancer in the property in 1993 – still lives on in her home.

“When I first moved in I was doing paperwork in the dining room and a sudden gust of wind blew it all over the place.

"Every window was closed, and I’m sure it was Kenneth having a laugh. I feel his presence on the stairs, too, like he’s by my shoulder.

"It’s not frightening, it’s as if he’s saying he’s happy we’re here,” she explains.

Another reminder of the house’s previous owner is a stuffed leopard head hanging on the dining room wall.

“It was a gift to Kenneth from his co-star Kenneth Williams,” says Kay.

“Originally it was hidden in another room, but I put it in the dining room and added a tiara as it fitted with our decadent style perfectly.”

Although Kay – who is jetting off to China to cover the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics next month – doesn’t use her dining room every day, it’s her favourite room.

“It’s where we do a lot of entertaining and I’ve made it feel really opulent,” she says.

“I painted the walls deep red and hung a chandelier above the table. Together with the leopard head, they’ve helped me get the look just right!”

1. TABLE “This was my best bargain! It cost £6,000, but I paid £800 for it in a sale at the Harrods Depot.”

2. GLOBE “I bought this for my son when he was a baby to teach him about the world.”

3. CHANDELIER “I’m a big fan of auctions and got this from one in Chelsea a few years ago for £100.”

4. DECANTERS “These were £20 each and look beautiful with candlelight shimmering on them.”

5. CHEST “I used to store all my son Alexander’s baby stuff in here. It’s from John Lewis and still has some of his keepsakes in it.”

6. COCKEREL “We got this from a country fair. It represents the farmhouse feel of our cottage.”

KAY'S STYLE TIPS

* Don’t decorate immediately when you buy a new home. Get a feel for the place first.
* When putting a room together, start with one piece that you love and build from there.
* Visit auctions for bargain furniture –you can get brilliant cut-price pieces.

Words: claie wilson compiled by: sally gillam photography: lancton, allstar hair & Make-up: sadie hewlett at time

 

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