A STUNNING £48million palace on the French Riviera which once starred in the X Factor is to be demolished – because it was built illegally.
Chateau Diter is an incredible Tuscan-style property located between the playboy playgrounds of Monaco and Cannes in the South of France.
Simon Cowell and Cheryl Tweedy famously checked into the massive luxury mansion on the to film the judges houses stage of their hit talent show.
The pair took over the stunning chateau in the south of France for filming on the ITV show in the summer of 2017.
Chateau Diter may also seem familiar to other viewers as it previously featured in Sky Atlantic drama Riviera, starring Julia Stiles.
The show, which featured steamy orgies, followed a woman desperate to uncover the truth behind the death of her billionaire husband in a boating accident.
However, the courts have now ordered it is torn down because the owner, Patrick Diter, failed to get planning permission before it was constructed.
The magnificent mansion is situated in a protected wooded area in the Aix-en-Provence, a court of appeal ruled on Monday.
The 14-year legal battle had been launched by British millionaires Stephen and Caroline Butt – along with other disgruntled neighbours of Mr Diter.
The British couple, who are hedge fund managers in London, were appalled when the millionaire started hosting disruptive mega parties for the rich and famous.
Speaking to the Telegraph on Tuesday, Mrs Butt said she was ‘delighted’ with the ruling and hoped it would end Diter’s ‘construction frenzy’.
She and her husband – reported to have a fortune worth up to half a billion pounds – were each awarded £15,000 in damages.
French businessman Diter now has 18 months to demolish the estate, which was often used by oligarchs and their loved ones for weddings and film production companies for more than £40,000 per day.
Diter has been fined more than £350,000 although he has escaped the three-month suspended prison sentence, he initially received according to The Local France.
If the palatial property is not knocked down in 18 months, he will face fines of up to £500 a day, French media reported.
