My reality TV star neighbour’s noisy home keeps me up at night – there’s ‘constant growling and droning’

REALITY TV star Dr Ann Kaplan Mulholland has been accused of "destroying the peace" at her castle home in Kent by furious neighbours. The complaints began after the Real Housewives of Toronto favourite and her husband Dr. Stephen Mulholland installed a "constant growling generator". Ian Brown, 80, who lives near Lymphne Castle in Hythe, said the multimillionaire owners have "ruined his peaceful garden" with the noise.

The couple purchased the stunning £5.5million property in 2023 and now rent it out for luxury weddings. In August 2024 they re-opened the castle's bistro they renamed The Naughty Dog. They installed a diesel generator behind a stone wall at the property, which a spokesperson has said will be replaced by a new electrical substation this spring. Despite claims that it is a "silent generator", Mr. Brown says he has to keep his windows closed to avoid the "constant droning".

He argued that there was "no notice" about the generator installation, which he added was "incredibly irritating". Folkstone and Hythe District Council approved a retrospective application works for The Naughty Dog, which included modernising the site for a new professional kitchen. However, another resident, Lynn Frank, was frustrated that the planning permission had not been secured before the work started.

She wrote on the council's planning portal: "This is one of many applications that should have been put in for the extensive works. “The owner of the castle was well aware of planning permission rules. This work was done in blatant disregard for the council planning permissions,” she added. Council officers responded to the objections and replied: “While it is regrettable that planning permission wasn’t secure pre-commencement, the fact the application is retrospective is not a material planning consideration.

“The immediate neighbour has objected because of noise and disturbance from a generator. The objection is understood, but this is not part of the current application. “Officers have informed the agent that permission will be required if the generator is to remain and that noise and acoustic shielding will need to be considered.”. Defending the couple, a spokesperson for Lympne Castle said: "In terms of the alleged ‘noise’: From the resident’s home, the generator measures just 38 decibels.

"To put this into context, humans speak above 55 decibels and birds chirp at 66 decibels, so the level is minimal. "Furthermore, the silent generator is switched off at 6pm every day so would not disturb residents sleeping at night. "Lympne castle continues to appreciate the community and the support that is provided. "We hope that Mr Brown, as a valued member of the community, can embrace the spirit and we welcome him to our public events and venues. ".

Ann, 63, and her plastic surgeon husband, 63, also invited a film crew to document their huge castle renovations. First erected in the 1080s, Lympne Castle was the residence of the Archdeacon of Canterbury until 1860, and it has stunning views looking out over the Kent countryside, and as far out as Calais, France. The 139-acre castle is just one of 11 properties Ann and her plastic surgeon husband Stephen own all over the world, including three homes in Hawaii, five in Canada and a 17,000 sq ft penthouse in Las Vegas, which cost $18 million, and has a 360-degree view of the Las Vegas Strip.

She says: “Some people collect things. We collect pieces of art and the pieces of art are our houses. So every property is unique and beautiful.”. Ann's life hasn't always been 23-carat engagement rings and Schiaparelli shoes worth almost £4,000 - she was once a broke, single mum-of-two. She and their two young children were abandoned in Toronto by her first husband when she was 30 years old. She then single-handedly built up her medical loans business iFinance, which grew to become one of the biggest of its kind – and today she is worth a cool £500 million after selling it in 2022.