Fame Academy mansion sold for £50 million

Witanhurst, which was used in the popular BBC talent contest Fame Academy, boasts 90 rooms over three floors and has 25 bedrooms, a huge ballroom and a gym.

The grade-II Queen Anne listed mansion in Highgate has been bought by Elena Baturina, the richest woman in Russia worth £1.5 billion, who made her money by setting up Inteco construction company, the largest in Moscow where her husband is mayor.

The building had been owned by Camden Council but in 2007 they were forced to find new owners when they could not afford the work needed to stop deterioration to the  George Hubbard designed building.

The sale of the Highgate home defies the current housing market slump and at £50m is up 56 percent on the £23m price it was sold for just last year.