Adele, one of the world’s most celebrated singers, has found herself in hot water with locals in a quiet English village over comments she made about a house she rented over a decade ago. The controversy has erupted after it was revealed that her remarks about Lock House, a grand ten-bedroom former convent, may have influenced local authorities to grant planning permission for its division into three separate dwellings.
The singer, known for her powerful ballads and soulful voice, has spent millions remodeling her lavish Los Angeles mansion, which she purchased from Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone for £45 million. But years before her move to the U.S., Adele briefly lived in Lock House, a historic estate in England.
Despite its luxurious upgrades—including a pool, sauna, and a modern glass staircase—the singer could only bear to stay there for six months.
In an interview with CNN, Adele admitted that she found the house "quite scary" and that it "gave her the creeps." While she never explicitly claimed that the house was haunted, her words carried weight.
Now, years later, her remarks have resurfaced in an unexpected way, leading to a heated dispute between the property’s owner, Nicholas Sutton, and the local community.
Sutton, who has owned Lock House for years, struggled to sell the property despite listing it with top estate agents for over 14 years. With an asking price of £6 million, the grand estate should have attracted buyers easily.
However, only one offer ever materialized, and that deal ultimately fell through. Sutton believes Adele’s comments played a role in the property’s failure to sell, claiming that her words had effectively "blighted the property."
Faced with mounting difficulties in offloading the estate, Sutton sought and successfully obtained planning permission from Horsham District Council to split Lock House into three separate residences. He argued that this was a necessary step given the property’s lack of interest on the market.
News of the approval has enraged local residents, many of whom believe that Adele’s comments were unfairly used as a justification for the drastic changes to the historic home. The villagers argue that the real issue is not Adele’s feelings about the property but rather its deteriorating condition and high price.
A number of locals pointed out that Lock House was never described as "haunted" by Adele, despite Sutton’s suggestion that her remarks had created that impression. Instead, they believe the home’s failure to sell was due to its poor upkeep, not any supernatural associations.
Some have even suggested that the property’s £6 million price tag was unrealistic, considering its need for restoration.
One frustrated villager summed up the community’s sentiment, stating that the property "should have been priced to reflect its poor condition and upkeep" rather than blaming a passing remark from a former tenant.
The situation has taken on a life of its own, with Adele’s words from 2012 now being scrutinized in an entirely new context. While she may have simply been expressing a personal feeling about the house, her global influence has seemingly had unintended consequences for its owner and the surrounding community.
For Sutton, Adele’s brief stay in Lock House has become a source of frustration rather than a selling point. A celebrity endorsement, or in this case, a negative impression, can sometimes carry more weight than anticipated. Whether Adele truly influenced the market value of Lock House is up for debate, but the controversy has certainly fueled local resentment.
As the property undergoes its transformation into three separate residences, tensions remain high. Villagers who opposed the redevelopment feel that history is being erased due to an exaggerated narrative.
Meanwhile, Sutton maintains that his only goal was to find a viable solution for a property that had long struggled to attract buyers.
While Adele has yet to comment on the backlash, it’s unlikely that she expected such a response from a fleeting comment made over a decade ago. Nonetheless, her words have left a mark on Lock House, not just in the minds of potential buyers but also in the emotions of a community that feels their local heritage is being altered for the wrong reasons.
This unusual clash between a global superstar and a small English village highlights the power of celebrity influence—even when unintended.
