Blue Paint, Big Trouble

BBC comedy star Daisy May Cooper is at the center of a legal dispute after allegedly painting a room in her rented Cotswolds mansion an unapproved shade of bright blue. The owner of the Grade II-listed property, Rebecca Ferry, claims the alteration violates heritage regulations and has demanded the actress restore it to its original color.

Cooper, 38, best known for her BAFTA-winning performance in This Country, moved into the £17,000-a-month Gloucestershire estate in December 2023 with her boyfriend, DJ Anthony Huggins. The luxury home boasts a heated swimming pool, gym, sauna, cinema, riding arena, and stables.

However, tensions quickly arose when Ms. Ferry discovered the room had been repainted a vibrant “dentist-chair blue” and decorated with dinosaur stickers. “I was lost for words initially and I just had to leave because I didn't expect them to do that to a house that's newly renovated,” she said.

Ms. Ferry, who has owned the property for 20 years, insists the original paint was carefully chosen to comply with listed building rules. Under Historic England’s guidelines, using modern paints on such properties requires special permission, as certain materials can cause long-term damage. She has now launched legal proceedings, seeking £30,000 for restoration costs and expert assessments.

Beyond the paint dispute, their landlord-tenant relationship has further soured. Ms. Ferry accuses Cooper of sneaking in cats despite a strict no-pet clause in the lease, imposed due to her daughter’s allergies. While Cooper has refused to remove them, she has offered to pay for professional cleaning upon moving out.

The situation escalated when neighbors filed a noise complaint after Cooper allegedly used quad bikes from the garage without permission. The actress has since apologized, explaining she believed she had clearance from the letting agent.

As legal negotiations continue, Cooper remains focused on her rising career. Fresh off the success of This Country, she currently stars in the second season of BBC One’s Am I Being Unreasonable?