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Businesswoman and TV star Dr Ann Kaplan Mulholland hopes to film 'reality documentary' series at Lympne Castle

By: Liane Castle lcastle@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 05:00, 26 February 2023

The new owners of a historic castle hope to film a reality documentary series in the Grade-I listed building in a bid to bring "attention to the history and beauty of Kent".

Businesswoman and TV star Dr Ann Kaplan Mulholland snapped up Lympne Castle, near Hythe with her husband Dr Steven Mulholland after it was put on the market for £11 million.

Dr Ann Kaplan Mulholland and husband Stephen are the new owners of Lympne Castle. Picture: Scott Collier

The pair have a whole host of plans for the venue including filming a new series in the near future which they hope will bring "positive attention" to the county.

Speaking to KentOnline, Dr Kaplan Mulholland, who formerly starred in The Real Housewives of Toronto, said: "We will be doing a reality documentary show, at the castle.

"The castle has always been used for filming, and performers including Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones have been there.

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"The castle has been used by many types of celebs and historical people so I would like to bring attention to the history and beauty of Kent, that’s the reason for the documentary.

"Because we are very respectful people, it will bring a lot of positive attention to the area."

On February 2 the couple posed in front of the castle saying "House hunting in England". Picture: Instagram

But before anything else, the county estate will reopen for weddings immediately alongside the restaurant and four cottages.

It comes after the venue hit the headlines last week when dozens of heartbroken couples were told their big day had been cancelled.

It happened when the firm which previously ran weddings at the site emailed those set to marry to say their bookings had been scrapped following the sale, and they would be receiving a full refund.

But the 62-year-old new owner says she intends to honour "each and every wedding contract".

She added: "It was very difficult when I saw the weddings cancelled because we had an agreement that they would send out an announcement to the brides and grooms that they could contact us.

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"I do think that it wasn’t a malicious move, but perhaps it could have been dealt with differently.

Dr Kaplan Mulholland hopes to film a reality TV show at Lympne Castle. Picture: Scott Collier

"We didn’t have possession of the castle so we scrambled to try to make it right.

"We contacted to the best of our abilities each bride and groom we could, and let them know they could still have the castle on their date and that we would give them 20% off the price they were quoted without changing what they were getting.

"We will give them a gift basket too because we want to find a way to heal the wound.

"Couples were over the moon to actually speak with someone rather than getting emails."

While there are no changes to current weddings, the Mulholland's hope to take their time with future booking to carefully put their stamp on the wedding business while carrying out renovations and upgrades to the 700-year-old castle.

Ann Kaplan Mulholland, former star of the Real Housewives of Toronto, is pictured with Richard Branson. Picture: Ann Kaplan Mulholland/Instagram

"It's about creating an experience and embracing the area and its history," Dr Kaplan Mulholland added.

"Picture that full fairytale wedding experience where the bride becomes a princess, and the groom becomes a prince, that’s what we envision.

"Why buy a castle if you’re not going to integrate the history or the castle experience?

"We are working with the history and architectural society and I’m hoping to hire someone from there to help us with the history of Lympne and the castle so we can integrate those stories."

Dr Kaplan Mulholland will live at the site part-time while running the business full-time along with a management team which she will hire locally.

The entrepreneur is the founder of iFinance, author of four books, and a television host.

The great room at Lympne Castle, near Hythe. Picture: Scott Collier

She also formerly starred in The Real Housewives of Toronto, having been married to her plastic surgeon husband for 22 years.

Between them they have eight children, and live in the affluent Bridle Path neighbourhood in the city.

She has received more than 40 international and national awards for business, and has hosted television shows including Global’s NYtv, The Ultimate Makeover, and CosmedicTv.

She holds a Doctor of Business Administration, Masters In Business, Master in Science and a Corporate Governance Designation.

It's this wealth of knowledge and experience she hopes to bring to Lympne Castle when work starts to bring it back to life within the next month.

"I have changed careers, I worked in finance for 25 years so I’m a business woman, but also I love art and challenges and creating experiences," she added.

"I love parties and this project embraces everything that I love doing, especially the business aspect of it.

Dr Kaplan Mulholland holds a Doctor of Business Administration, Masters In Business, Master in Science and a Corporate Governance Designation. Picture: Ann Kaplan Mulholland/Instagram

"Buying a castle isn’t just buying a castle, it's buying a lot of work.

"This is a Grade I-Listed property that will need a lot of upkeep.

"It will take a lot of money to bring it up the way we envision it and I’m going to be on top of it, almost like the chief vision officer, but not hands-on management.

"Immediately we will be putting new furnishings in and sorting things you don’t need to apply for."

The high end taste of The Dorchester hotel in London could be featured in the castle as Dr Kaplan Mulholland bought more than 800 items of furniture the five star hotel was set to auction off after undergoing renovations.

In the future, there is the possibility 20 rooms on the second floor of the castle could be converted into hotel rooms.

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