British comedian Marcus Brigstocke has opened up about a deeply sentimental yet financially reckless decision: buying back his own stolen motorhome for a price he admits was 'wildly stupid'.
The Costly Buyback of a Stolen Home on Wheels
The 52-year-old comic, famed for appearances in Love Actually and Have I Got News for You, detailed the saga on the Spent! podcast. His touring motorhome was stolen in broad daylight from outside his South London home. After believing it was gone for good, Brigstocke received an insurance payout.
However, two years later, Norfolk Police contacted him to say the vehicle had been recovered. There was a catch: to regain possession, he had to buy it at an auction from the insurance company. Driven by heart over head, he did exactly that.
'I bought it back for much more than it was worth,' Brigstocke confessed to host Matt Edmondson. 'My heart was so attached to it. My kids had grown up in it.'
Emotional Discovery and Marital Strain
A poignant moment confirmed his emotional connection. A small, stubborn storage compartment, which only he could open, still contained his children's buckets and spades from beach trips. 'The scumbag who’d stolen it hadn’t managed to open it,' he noted.
Despite this sentimental victory, the purchase created friction with his now-wife, comedian Rachel Parris. At the time, their relationship was new, and she was not yet in a position to question his decision to buy a vehicle filled with memories from his first marriage to Sophie Prideaux.
'She wasn’t at the stage... where she felt able to go: "What are you doing? Please don’t buy the motorhome you used with your first wife",' Brigstocke explained. 'I was obtuse and didn’t really think of that.'
Moving On From the Past
The motorhome, which needed significant repairs and cleaning, never felt like his again. After holding onto it for four or five more years, he finally sold it this year. 'It was really sad to see it go,' he admitted.
Brigstocke's reflection on the incident is part of his broader narrative of recovery. He has spoken publicly about battling addictions, including a porn addiction that contributed to his affair with Spamalot co-star Hayley Tamaddon, which ended his first marriage in 2013.
He has been in a relationship with Parris since 2018, and the couple share a son, born in 2021. The comedian continues to be 'in recovery for various addictions all my adult life', a journey that began with an eating disorder at age 10, followed by drug and alcohol dependency.
