Move over Primrose Hill: The London postcode overtaking all the capital’s celebrity enclaves – where you can bump into Zendaya in Waitrose and Richard Osman has snapped up an £8m townhouse
The ratio of celebrities to mere mortals living in the London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames shifted again recently, when Richard Osman, author of best-selling The Thursday Murder Club series, reportedly snapped up an £8million home there.
The 55-year-old, whose first novel spawned Steven Spielberg’s 2025 movie starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan, has decamped from nearby Chiswick, upgrading to a regal period property on Richmond Hill with wife Ingrid Oliver.
While perennially popular – Richard E Grant, The Rolling Stones and Sir David Attenborough all discovered this pretty South West London riverside town decades ago, Richmond’s popularity with major stars has ratcheted up a notch in recent years.
If homes in the likes of Primrose Hill, Holland Park, Chelsea and Hampstead were once London’s most lusted after addresses, it seems the exodus a little further west has begun in earnest.
One local independent estate agent told the Daily Mail this week that he’s watched his patch transform in the last decade, as high profile high earners flock to a borough that has impressive transport links to both central London and Heathrow, independent shops galore, two theatres and major tourist attractions including Richmond Deer Park and Kew Gardens.
However, the real reason behind so many famous faces moving in comes down to one major celebrity deal-breaker – privacy.
Jonathan Mills, owner of agency Parkgate, says that residents take a laissez-faire approach to stars in their midst, which is hugely appealing to A-listers yearning for a quiet life.
He says: ‘Privacy is respected and I think that’s a large part of the appeal of Richmond. Celebrity is normalised here – residents may give a cursory nod of appreciation but they won’t run up screaming to them requesting photos.’
The riverside at Richmond-upon-Thames in South West London, which has become a magnet for the rich and famous – with novelist Richard Osman the latest to move in
The House of Games presenter and best-selling writer, pictured with his wife Ingrid Oliver at the UK premiere for The Thursday Murder Club in 2025, has reportedly recently decamped from nearby Chiswick to an £8million property on Richmond Hill
Hollywood king and queen! The pair enjoyed a date day at Henry VIII’s former home by the Thames, Hampton Court Palace, in the spring of 2023
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House of Games presenter Osman, who shot to fame as Alex Armstrong’s sidekick on Pointless before turning his hand to writing thrillers, is in fine company in the princely TW10 postcode.
Sir David Attenborough resides quietly just around the corner, where he’s lived in the same pretty, lilac-painted home – with, as you might expect, a beautiful garden, since the early Fifties. His late brother, Richard Attenborough, also owned a home on Richmond Green until his death in 2014 at the age of 90.
The world’s most famous naturalist, who celebrates his 100th birthday in May, may have travelled the globe extensively in pursuit of the planet’s rarest species but he maintains that the corner of London he calls home is his ‘favourite place on earth’.
Across Richmond Park, the 1000-hectare green space once used as a hunting ground for Henry VIII, you’ll find the London home of Spiderman star Tom Holland and fellow A-lister Zendaya.
The couple, who have dramatically renovated the townhouse they bought for £2.5million back in 2017, have been spotted shopping in Waitrose in nearby New Malden, enjoying long walks with their beloved black miniature schnauzer, Noon, in the royal park close to their luxury property and dining out at posh garden centre, Petersham Nurseries.
One local resident recently told the Daily Mail: ‘There are lots of celebrities living in Richmond, but not many of us have spotted Tom and Zendaya yet.
‘Most people don’t bat an eyelid when a famous face strolls through the town – they generally go unnoticed.’
House prices in the town average out at nearly £900,000, compared to around £300,000 for the rest of the UK.
House prices in the Thameside town – just 30 minutes from Waterloo by train – average out at nearly £900,000, compared to around £300,000 for the rest of the UK
Richard E. Grant is a long-term resident of Richmond; the actor still lives in the Georgian property he shared with his late wife Joan Washington
Other residents you might recognise? Richard E. Grant still lives in the Georgian home he shared with his late wife Joan Washington. Sarah Lancashire and TV exec Peter Salmon reside in a luxury development close to the Thames while comedian Rob Brydon has a home in the Strawberry Hill area of Twickenham.
This Morning presenter Ben Shephard and his wife Annie purchased a £3.5million 10-bedroom mansion, a former ecclesiastical residence a stone’s throw from the Thames, last year after selling their previous home in the area.
And actress Jane Horrocks, most famous for her role as Bubbles in Absolutely Fabulous, is regularly seen shopping on bustling George Street in the town.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank, who used to lead nearby West London club Brentford, is also a resident.
Could a certain US soccer coach also have elevated Richmond? The town doubles up as a backdrop for Emmy Award winning Apple TV show Ted Lasso, starring Jason Sudeikis and Hannah Waddingham.
Filming of the fourth series of the hit football comedy recently wrapped and Richmond’s Paved Court, the cobbled alleyway where Lasso resides, now entertains tourists – many from America – year-round, with a two-storey merchandise store now in residence.
Black Doves star Sarah Lancashire and husband Peter Salmon reside by the river too (Pictured at Wimbledon in 2025)
Spurs boss Thomas Frank is yet to be persuaded north after falling in love with Richmond while managing nearby Brentford
While David Attenborough has spent much of his life in the area – he was born up the road in Isleworth, it was The Rolling Stones who arguably properly pinned Richmond on the map as a desirable enclave for the rich and famous.
In the early 90s, the band’s frontman, Mick Jagger, purchased £13million Grade II-listed Downe House, which has a stellar view of the Thames and surrounding rolling Surrey countryside, with then wife Jerry Hall.
When the couple split in 1999, Miss Hall remained in the 26-bedroom home and Sir Mick moved into a flat next door… but later bought a £10 million home in Chelsea.
Ronnie Wood now resides in Hertfordshire but also owned a sprawling £17.95 million private estate on the edge of Richmond Park until two years ago.
Gothic in style, the property was a former hunting lodge for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert but now has a recording studio, wine cellar, cinema and additional cottages and lodges for staff/guests.
Ronnie’s son Jesse Wood has a family home in the borough, once shared with his ex-wife Fearne Cotton and their children.
Estate agent Mills, who went to school with internet inventor Tim Berners-Lee in nearby Sheen, says he’s had plenty of celebrity clients over the years and isn’t surprised that Richmond has become such a hotspot for A-listers.
Creative: Jonathan Mills, who runs independent estate agents Parkgate, says famous people can go about their daily lives without fear of being approached in the town (a street leading up Richmond Hill)
This Morning star Ben Shephard and his wife Annie bought their dream home, a 10-bedroomed riverside property in Twickenham last year
Grand: The former bishop’s residence bought by Shephard is a stone’s throw from the Thames
It started with the Stones: Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall shared Downe House, a 26-bedroom mansion, before their split in 1999
‘We see an awful lots of celebrities going past our office, from Richard Osman to Rob Brydon and plenty of football managers too, including Spurs manager Thomas Frank and Roy Hodgson.’
‘It’s a pretty place to live, with everything you need from Waitrose to open spaces and transport links.’
The Ted Lasso effect is real too, says Mills. ‘A big thing bringing international people to Richmond is the success of Ted Lasso. The number of US buyers has spiked hugely since that aired.’
Which parts of town are the plum spots? ‘Richmond Hill, which has the views but is also away from the flight path; it’s quieter than other parts of town. And towards Sheen Gate in Richmond Park is where you’ll find an awful lot of celebrities.’
It’s also worth bearing in mind that cost-conscious celebrities get more for their money a little further out west, he adds.
The Ted Lasso effect: The Apple TV series uses Richmond as its backdrop and local estate agent Mills says the number of US buyers moving to the area has risen since the show first aired in 2020
The tiny alleyway where the character of Ted Lasso resides in the show has become a year-round tourist attraction, with a merchandise store dedicated to the show now open across two floors
Past residents: Inception star Tom Hardy (left) also raised his young family in Richmond with his wife Charlotte Riley – before escaping to the country. And Amanda Holden (right) was regularly spotted in the St Margarets area of Richmond before buying her current home in Surrey
WHERE TO SPOT A CELEBRITY IN RICHMOND
Zendaya and Tom Holland pictured walking in Richmond Deer Park in 2024, with their black miniature schnauzer, Noon
Richmond Deer Park: The historic park, once a hunting ground for Henry VIII, is the largest of London’s Royal Parks at around 1,000 hectares, making it the perfect green space to get lost in.
Petersham Nurseries: This ‘rustic chic’ garden centre with a cafe and fancy restaurant in Petersham Meadows has been a favourite with residents since it opened in 1997 – and is the perfect spot to have a quiet cup of English tea while avoiding prying eyes.
The Open Book: Chains don’t thrive in the riverside town, with locals preferring independents. Richard Osman recently shared on his social media that he’d signed copies of his novels at ‘gorgeous independent bookshop’, The Open Book, on King Street.
A pint at The Roebuck: With river views to die for, this 300-year-old pub, is a popular haunt with famous faces in Richmond Hill
The Roebuck: A Richmond Hill pub with the same spectacular vista that Mick Jagger once admired at Downe House, The Roebuck sees plenty of famous faces propping up the bar – although not on the weekends, when its inundated with tourists.
The Teddington Cheese: An indie cheese shop on Hill Rise that enjoyed a starring role in Peter Rabbit 2. Discerning celebrities might stop by to pick up one of 130 artisan cheeses.
‘Compared to say Chelsea, you certainly get more for your money in Richmond. It’s still very expensive but you can get somewhere with a bit of land – that property stock exists here.
‘And there’s really good transport links into the centre of London…and if you’re jetting off, you’re close to Heathrow too.’
Creatives want to reside in creative areas too, he adds. ‘You’ve got local film studios, in Teddington and St Margarets. There’s Richmond Theatre and the Orange Tree theatre, there’s a culture of arts and crafts, there’s independent shops.
‘It’s not a classic, corporate town brimming with high end brands. It’s more unique and characterful.’
