Back in California she had surf, sunshine and wineries – not to mention Harry and Meghan as neighbours – only to sell her home for £25.6million and start a new life in the UK after Donald Trump's election victory last year. But might Ellen DeGeneres now regret her decision? I can disclose that, just a couple of weeks after she made a trip back to Montecito, the retired chat show host is in peril of getting on the wrong side of heiress Rosie Pearson, the youngest of the late Viscount Cowdray's six offspring.

It transpires that Ellen, 67, committed a 'technical breach' when building a single-storey extension to the Cotswolds farmhouse she and her wife, Ally McBeal star Portia de Rossi, who yesterday celebrated her 52nd birthday, now call home. Ellen snapped up the property in June for £15million – some £2.5million over the asking price. The proposed work might sound unexceptional. But three parish councillors – including Rosie, 65 – feared that it could disturb Roman remains, which prompted them to contact local planning enforcement officers.

'The onus is on the owner to report any historic remains uncovered,' records a note from the parish council minutes. It adds: 'Concern was expressed by residents that the hedge and wire fence could increase flood risk in the village' if rubbish was swept down and 'caught on the fence', thereby 'limiting flow across the field'. Ellen, who retired last year after a challenging period in which she was accused of creating a 'toxic' on-set atmosphere, might have hoped for a gentler embrace in the Cotswolds, where residents include Kate Moss, Jeremy Clarkson and, from time to time, the Beckhams.

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2020. Ellen DeGeneres walks onstage during the Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry Tour at Warner Theatre on November 15, 2022. The comedienne, who reportedly sold another of her many properties in California for a staggering £77million, should be consoled by the verdict of the district council, whose spokesman tells me the Roman remains are, in fact, more than 200 yards from their property, and that Ellen's work was 'completed to a high standard'.

Perhaps, in time, she and Portia will bond with Rosie, who has her own experiences of trying to create a new life far from home. She moved to Jamaica, marrying Palma Taylor, a Rastafarian known as Dr Dread, in 1988. The couple had two daughters before parting – after which Rosie fell in love again, this time with the Cotswolds. The royals are often in a conundrum of where to send their children to school, and I hear the Princess of Wales's sister Pippa Middleton, 41, and her husband James Matthews are planning a way to get such tots off to a flying start.

The couple have opened discussions with locals in Berkshire about creating a childcare centre on their 77-acre farm, which hedgefund boss Matthews, 49, bought for £1.5million in 2020. Pippa Middleton and James Matthews attend The Miles Frost Fund party at Bunga Bunga Covent Garden on June 27, 2017 in London. 'Bucklebury Farm is considering opening a nursery for children aged nine months to five years,' they wrote online, adding: 'We'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions – let us know what you think.'.

Any takers?. These days Sir Mark Thatcher leads a discreet life, far from the attention that accompanied his every move during the eleven years his mother was prime minister. Drag Race star Michelle Visage hopes Johnny Depp, who played Edward Scissorhands in Tim Burton's cult classic, will acknowledge her new musical Scissorhandz. But next Thursday he'll edge back towards the spotlight when some of his parents' most cherished possessions go under the hammer.

The glare of publicity may, though, be the least of his worries – judging by the yelp of horror from his twin sister, the redoubtable Carol. 'This is the first I have heard of this auction,' she assures me. 'May I say emphatically that it is absolutely nothing to do with me.'. Dan Hunt, of Sloane Street Auctions, declines to comment, beyond saying that the 29 lots include a 'very beautiful opal brooch', bearing an estimate of between £5,000 and £8,000, and a portrait of the Iron Lady – which graced the sitting room in Chester Square when she and Sir Denis retired to Belgravia – is expected to go for £15,000.

Perhaps Carol, who munched kangaroo testicles on her way to I'm A Celebrity victory in 2005, will bid for another lot – a cartoon by my esteemed Mail On Sunday colleague Mac. It was inspired by the dramatic time in early 1982 when Mark competed in the Paris-Dakar rally and went missing for six days – not quite long enough, Carol might playfully reflect... Rolling Stones fans can't get any satisfaction now the band have reportedly scrapped their 2025 European tour, but the show goes on for Sir Mick Jagger's enterprising daughter Georgia May.