Escape to the Chateau: Current Status and Strawbridge Updates

For nine seasons, Dick and Angel Strawbridge turned a crumbling French ruin into one of Channel 4’s most beloved reality shows. Cameras stopped rolling in 2022 — and what followed was a broadcaster split, a leaked audio scandal, and a closed company, leaving fans without answers about the fate of Escape to the Chateau.

Series Network: Channel 4 · Main Subjects: Dick Strawbridge and Angel Adoree · Location: Château de la Motte-Husson · Top Result Domain: thechateau.tv · Wikipedia Coverage: Escape to the Chateau page

The following table summarises key identifying and reference details about the series and its subjects.

Does the Strawbridges still own the Chateau?

The Strawbridges purchased Château de la Motte-Husson in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France, and it became the centrepiece of their renovation journey across nine seasons. In 2024, they closed Château-de-la-Motte-Husson Limited, the corporate entity tied to the property (The Independent).

What remains unclear is whether personal ownership transferred or whether the couple retains the chateau outright after the company dissolved. Sources note “no specific 2024 ownership transfer details beyond company closure; they retain personal ownership implied” — but no outlet has confirmed the current status directly (The Independent).

Ownership history

The Strawbridges first appeared on British television screens in 2016 when Channel 4 premiered Escape to the Chateau. Their mission: transform a neglected French castle into a family home and event venue. Over nine seasons, viewers watched Dick and Angel tackle crumbling walls, install underfloor heating, and navigate French bureaucracy — all while building the Strawbridge brand.

Current status

The closure of Château-de-la-Motte-Husson Limited in 2024 marks a formal end to the corporate structure behind the property. Whether the couple continues to reside there or has relocated remains a gap in confirmed reporting.

The implication: fans seeking closure on whether the dream persisted beyond the cameras are left without verified confirmation.

Why did Escape to Chateau end?

The official narrative splits sharply depending on which side you ask. Channel 4 severed ties with the Strawbridges in May 2023 after production company Two Rivers Media raised concerns, prompting an independent HR investigation (The Independent).

The trigger: a leaked audio recording from May 2023 in which Angel Strawbridge used foul language against a producer, calling him a “f***ed up little c***” (The Independent). Channel 4 stated it would no longer collaborate with the Strawbridges following a review and is challenging unacceptable behaviour in the industry (Evening Standard).

Official reasons

The Strawbridges paint a different picture. They claim they decided to stop filming in 2021 and informed Channel 4 by email in January 2022 — a full year and a half before the leaked audio surfaced (The Independent).

Family statements

“There are two sides to every story,” the couple said in a May 2023 statement, thanking Channel 4 (The Independent). Angel later appeared on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast and addressed the incident, while also refusing to apologise, stating the producer was disrespectful in their house (Evening Standard).

“I was the one in the wrong for losing my temper, but do you know what, I will not apologise — he was so disrespectful in our house.”

— Angel Strawbridge, speaking on How To Fail podcast (Evening Standard)

The pattern: two conflicting timelines, one public rupture, and no resolution in sight from either party.

Where are the Strawbridges living now?

Neither confirmed reports nor the couple’s own statements have definitively established where Dick and Angel Strawbridge currently reside. Their social media presence continues through Instagram and their official site, thechateau.tv, but physical location details remain scarce.

Post-show residence

What is confirmed: the Strawbridges continue operating businesses including wallpaper, bedding, scented candles, cushions, and gin after closing the castle company (The Independent). Their brand persists; their address does not.

Chateau updates

Without current confirmed reporting on whether the Strawbridges still occupy Château de la Motte-Husson, the most reliable sources remain their own channels. Updates via thechateau.tv and Instagram occasionally surface, but none have publicly confirmed or denied continued residence.

What this means: readers hoping for concrete location information will find more confirmed silence than evidence.

Is Escape to the Chateau still in business?

The TV series itself concluded after nine seasons, with the final episode airing in December 2022 (The Independent). The spin-off, Château DIY — originally Escape to the Château DIY — continued with different families after the Strawbridges withdrew in 2020 (Wikipedia).

TV production status

Channel 4 ordered 60 new episodes of Château DIY from Spark Media Partners for 2021–2022 (Wikipedia), but the Strawbridges were no longer involved. The original series ended with them.

Related ventures

While the TV chapter appears closed, the Strawbridge brand survives through e-commerce. Wallpaper, homeware, gin, and scented candles all carry the Escape to the Chateau aesthetic — a business model decoupled from the property itself (The Independent).

The implication: the show may be over, but the Strawbridges’ commercial enterprise continues without the chateau as its anchor.

Why are the Strawbridges being investigated?

The investigation referenced in 2023 sources was an HR review initiated by Channel 4 after production company Two Rivers Media raised concerns about the Strawbridges’ conduct (The Independent). This was not a regulatory or legal investigation — it was an internal broadcaster review triggered by workplace behaviour allegations.

Investigation details

The catalyst was the leaked audio recording from May 2023 in which Angel Strawbridge verbally attacked a producer. The Strawbridges claim the incident occurred around 2018 — approximately six years before it became public — during a “small timeframe with a disrespectful producer” (Evening Standard).

Public response

Channel 4 confirmed in May 2023 that they had “parted ways” with the Strawbridges after seven years of collaboration (Evening Standard). The broadcaster stated it would challenge unacceptable behaviour in the industry.

The Strawbridges responded in kind: “We don’t compromise,” they emphasised in a public statement (The Independent).

The trade-off: the investigation ended a television partnership but did not resolve the underlying dispute over what actually happened.

Confirmed vs Unclear

What people are saying

“There are two sides to every story.”

— Dick and Angel Strawbridge, May 2023 statement (The Independent)

“We don’t compromise.”

— Dick and Angel Strawbridge, public statement (The Independent)

Escape to the Chateau: Full Timeline

The timeline below maps key events in the show’s run and the subsequent fallout, drawn from news reports and verified sources.

For viewers hoping for closure, the timeline reveals a chasm between the Strawbridges’ account (a voluntary exit in 2021) and the broadcaster’s timeline (a split in May 2023 triggered by leaked audio). Neither side has provided documentation to resolve the discrepancy.

Related reading: Strawbridges Ownership, End & Updates

While tracking the Strawbridges’ chateau ownership, fans often follow Ilja’s chateau in B&B Vol Liefde for comparable Dutch reality TV insights.

Frequently asked questions

For fans still invested in the Strawbridge story, the picture is fragmented: the show is over, the company is closed, and the official channels offer commercial products rather than personal updates. The gap between what viewers want to know and what verified sources confirm remains wide.