Comedian’s quick property flip fuels speculation of US return despite vows to stay in Britain permanently
Ellen DeGeneres has sparked uproar among Americans after putting her English farmhouse up for sale – with many speculating she will be moving back to the US despite her defiant relocation following Donald Trump’s election victory.
Earlier this week, the 67-year-old comedian and her wife, Portia de Rossi, 52, put their Cotswolds farmhouse on the market for a staggering £22.5 million ($30.5 million) – just 12 months after purchasing the property for £15 million ($20 million).
The pair had moved into the hilltop home in Oxfordshire less than a year after swapping the US for the UK to avoid living under the Donald Trump administration, leading many Americans to react with dismay at the prospect of their return.
Social Media Backlash
After learning about the home going up for sale, many Americans took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express their displeasure at the prospect of the comedian returning to the United States.
“Oh, please say that’s not true!” one user joked on the platform.
“Oh no! Move to London or Paris,” another urged, suggesting alternative destinations for the couple.
“No, we don’t want them back,” one comment bluntly stated.
One person tweeted directly to the president: “Donald Trump, quick revoke their visas.
“Nooooooooo…” a user simply responded.
DeGeneres Clarifies Plans
However, others quickly shot down the rumours, with some users pointing out that DeGeneres and de Rossi have multiple properties in England.
“I think they have two properties in England. They bought this property first, had it renovated, and lived in it for a month before moving to a larger, more modern estate in the same area,” a commenter clarified.
“They are moving to a larger house that will accommodate their horses, not coming back to America,” another affirmed.
In a rare public appearance in the UK this week, DeGeneres addressed the speculation directly, telling an audience at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham: “We decided we needed a different house, and now we are selling that house. So if anyone wants a house, it’s a beautiful stone farmhouse!”
She added: “To clarify, I’m not selling the new one we now live in. I’m selling the old stone farmhouse.”
Commitment to UK Life
The former talk show host recently revealed that she had decided to stay in the UK “for good” because of Trump’s re-election. When asked if she was staying in the UK because of Donald Trump, she confirmed: “Yes. We were hopeful for Kamala. We were very hopeful, and we thought, at least let’s get a place here.”
DeGeneres explained their original plan: “The idea was that we would be here for three or four months of the year – but always when we came here, we loved it and we thought it was beautiful. We thought when I stopped the show [The Ellen DeGeneres Show] one day, that it was so beautiful here that we would get a farm here and then go back there.”
She revealed the timing of their decision: “And we got here the day before the election. We woke up to lots of texts from our friends and crying emojis. And we were like, ‘He [Trump] got in. So we are staying here. We are not going back. We are not leaving.'”
“So we bought a house that we thought was going to be a part-time house,” she concluded.
Property Details
The agent’s marketing material describes the home as “discreetly set at the end of a long private driveway… beautifully reimagined over the past year to an exceptional standard.”
It continues: “The estate blends period character with sleek, modern design across 43 acres of rolling Cotswold countryside. The main house unfolds around a central landscaped courtyard, a lovely focal point that brings light and flow to the interiors.”
“Designed for both grand-scale entertaining and relaxing, the layout combines sharp architectural detail with a contemporary eye for volume, proportion and finish.”
Rapid Renovation
According to reports, DeGeneres and de Rossi hired about 70 contractors to complete what was originally estimated as a 12-18 month renovation in less than five months. The couple lived in the farmhouse for approximately one month before deciding to purchase a larger, more contemporary estate nearby with facilities for de Rossi’s horses, which have been flown in from California.
The property, known as Kitesbridge Farm, is now being marketed as the most expensive home for sale in the Cotswolds. The main house from the 1700s contains six bedrooms, along with a two-bedroom guest house, a party barn above a five-car heated garage, and amenities including an indoor pool, full gym, kitchen garden, and even a helicopter shed.
Pattern of Property Flipping
DeGeneres and de Rossi are known for their property flipping habits, with DeGeneres previously revealing she has bought and sold over 50 homes throughout her career. I don’t really travel a lot. So, house flipping is my version of travel,” she told People magazine. “With house flipping, the scenery changes though I stay in the same general area. Only in a new place and from a new perspective.”
Before leaving the US, the couple had sold multiple properties in California, including their Montecito estate which they sold in August 2024. They also sold a Beverly Crest home off-market for $8.757 million in 2022, less than a year after buying it for $8.5 million.
Permanent UK Residence
Despite the property sale fuelling speculation about a return to America, DeGeneres has been vocal about her appreciation for British life. “It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said in a recent interview. Everything here is just better – the way animals are treated, people are polite. I just love it here.”
The couple’s new home, just 30 minutes away from Kitesbridge Farm, is described as a sprawling, ultramodern compound in Oxfordshire with Japanese-inspired landscaping and all the space needed for their horses.
As the debate continues on social media about whether the couple will eventually return to the US, DeGeneres appears committed to her new life in the English countryside, where she has been spotted at local venues including Jeremy Clarkson’s Farmer’s Dog pub in the Cotswolds.
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