Reality television star Billie Faiers has become the latest celebrity spotted with a lush green garden at her £1.4 million Essex mansion during a record-breaking UK drought.
Aerial photographs show healthy grass surrounding the property she purchased with husband Greg Shepard in January 2021, contrasting sharply with the monotone brown lawns of neighbouring homes.
The stretch of lawn alongside the house features a trampoline, a children's climbing frame and two football nets, all situated on bright green turf despite months of dry weather.
Their water supplier, Essex and Suffolk Water, announced a temporary hosepipe ban after prolonged dry weather severely depleted water reserves across the region.
The water provider confirmed that combined levels at the Hanningfield and Abberton reservoirs had fallen to around 69 per cent, below normal levels for this time of year, as consumer demand surged during the heatwave.
Under the temporary restrictions, residents are legally prohibited from using hosepipes, sprinklers, pressure washers or automatic irrigation systems to water lawns, wash vehicles, clean patios or fill swimming and paddling pools.
The Environment Agency declared an official drought across almost three-quarters of England, including Essex, following exceptionally dry conditions, depleted groundwater and low river flows. Eight other water companies across the country have enforced similar bans to preserve supplies.
There is no evidence suggesting Faiers or Shepard have breached the ban, as residents can lawfully water gardens using buckets or watering cans, or may hold specific exemptions. Representatives for Faiers were contacted for comment.
Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan lawn
The scrutiny follows similar questions raised over the grounds of former TOWIE star Mark Wright and actress Michelle Keegan at their Essex mansion just last week.
Aerial images of their five-bedroom property, purchased for £1.3 million in 2019 and extensively renovated, showed vibrant landscaped grounds surrounding an outdoor swimming pool with an Ibiza-style feel.
Days after their lush grounds attracted attention, Wright posted an Instagram photo carousel showing his family on a heavily scorched patch of grass, without tagging a location.
Followers commented that the grass looked burnt, prompting Wright to delete several responses. Social media users noted that the final photograph in his post still displayed the lush green lawn of his Essex home, with one comment reading: "Erm look at the last photo, looks a bit green is you ask me!" Representatives for Wright and Keegan were contacted for comment.
Monty Don and Sir Rod Stewart gardens
Other public figures have also maintained green grounds throughout the summer heatwave. Gardeners' World presenter Monty Don has kept green surroundings at Longmeadow, his property outside the market town of Leominster in Herefordshire owned with wife Sarah since 1991.
While parched areas nearby have turned yellow and brown, local supplier Severn Trent Water has not issued a hosepipe ban in Herefordshire, and Welsh Water restrictions apply only within Wales.
In Essex, singer Sir Rod Stewart, 81, maintains lush grounds surrounding his 18th-century Grade II-listed mansion, purchased for £4.65 million in 2013 before moving in with wife Penny Lancaster in 2016.
The ten-bedroom estate includes sprawling gardens, a mini golf course with a fairway, two bunkers and a putting green, alongside an artificial football pitch with a 20-space car park.
Affinity Water introduced a hosepipe ban across its central region, including Essex, on July 17. The company declined to comment, and representatives for Stewart were contacted for comment.
In August 2006, Stewart faced a potential £1,000 fine for using a hosepipe during a ban at Copped Hall, his former £6 million Epping Forest property. His spokesman claimed an underground irrigation system was used, though provider Three Valleys Water confirmed this was prohibited.
Stewart later told the Mirror in November 2006: "This summer has caused a lot of trouble as it didn't rain for months. Every garden was burnt, every flower dried out. Water was rationed, watering was banned. Only my football pitch was a beautiful, lush green. Because, naturally, I continued to water it."
Addressing the threat of legal penalties, Stewart added: "I'll take that on board if it happens. For me there's hardly anything more beautiful than to walk across my tended grass." He subsequently sold Copped Hall for £4 million in 2019.
Boreholes, lakes and artificial grass solutions
Broadcaster Jeremy Clarkson has maintained green lawns at his Cotswolds pub, The Farmer's Dog, despite local hosepipe restrictions.
Writing in his Sun column, the former Top Gear host explained that the pub uses a private borehole drilled 100 metres into the ground with a pump, extracting water free from government restrictions. Clarkson suggested Stewart might rely on a similar system.
Chef Jamie Oliver has kept green grounds at his £6 million Grade I-listed Essex mansion, purchased in 2019, by drawing water from a large private lake on the 70-acre property.
Oliver installed hosepipes connecting the lake directly to his garden. Water drawn from private sources including lakes, ponds, springs and wells is legally exempt from hosepipe bans.
Meanwhile, former TOWIE personality Billie Mucklow and ex-partner Andy Carroll achieved green lawns at their 18th-century Essex mansion because the property features artificial turf.
The six-bedroom home on 25 acres, which includes a football pitch and a lake, was purchased from Sir Rod Stewart for £4.1 million six years ago. Following the couple's split, an £8.5 million sale agreed in June fell through, which would have generated a £4.4 million profit.
The property is now listed with estate agent Savills for £8 million, representing a £500,000 price reduction. Carroll has since entered a relationship with celebrity hair stylist Lou Teasdale.
Water companies note that homeowners can legitimately keep gardens hydrated during drought restrictions by using watering cans, buckets, recycled household water from baths and washing up, private boreholes, natural water features or artificial grass.
