Darcey brings the house down!

Strictly star astounds neighbours by demolishing £5million home – leaving just one wall standing

AS A former prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet, she is used to dramatic set changes.

Now Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell has produced one of her own – by reducing her home to rubble, leaving only the facade standing.

In a radical renovation, the property is to be almost completely rebuilt, providing her with much more space to kick her heels – including a massive living area overlooking the garden.

Once completed, the lavish three-storey, four-bedroom house will also boast a state-of-the-art kitchen and dining area, a separate living room and a large study – and will be worth about £5million.

The property, originally built in 1920, is in a conservation area in South-West London, meaning that Ms Bussell, 48, has to keep the facade to fit in with the well-heeled area.

The dancer, her hedge fund manager husband Angus Forbes, and their two daughters, Phoebe, 17, and Zoe, 14, originally moved into the house in 2014 after spending five years in Australia.

Neighbours said the ‘charming’ family had been careful to consult them widely before beginning the project, so there is little grumbling about the disruption that could last for several months.

But one said: ‘If a neighbour pulls a house down that is in your view then you regret it, but that is the law… I told them I would prefer if it didn’t happen.’ Another neighbour said she had been watching the progress with ‘amazement’, adding: ‘It is so clever. How do you take the whole house down and still leave the front?’ Ms Bussell and her husband are also believed to retain an interest in an imposing chateau in Juillac in central France. It is run by her halfbrother James, an architect, who is helping design her new London home.

Ms Bussell’s 20-year career as a dancer was recognised last year when she received a damehood. She became the Royal Ballet’s youngest ever principal in 1989, when she was just 20, and joined Strictly in 2012 after making guest appearances.