TOWIE star Mick Norcross ‘leaves £42,000 of his £6million estate and no will’ after fortune is swallowed up by debt… 11 months after taking his own life at sprawling Essex home
- The businessman – a regular cast member in the long running reality show – took his own life on January 21 aged 57
- Taxes, settlement of debts and various other fiscal matters has reduced the original £5.93million fortune to just £42,381
- Norcross, a one-time owner of Essex nightclub The Sugar Hut, did not leave a last will and testament prior to his death
- The businessman first appeared on TOWIE in 2011 during the show’s second series. His son Kirk, was part of the original cast
Former The Only Way Is Essex star Mick Norcross left just £42,000 of his £6million estate after losing his self-made fortune to spiraling debts.
The businessman – a regular cast member in the long running reality show – took his own life on January 21 aged 57, leaving behind assets including a luxurious seven-bedroom Essex mansion.
But taxes, settlement of debts and various other fiscal matters has reduced the original £5.93million fortune to just £42,381, according to probate files.
Tragic: Former The Only Way Is Essex star Mick Norcross left just £42,000 of his £6million estate after losing his self-made fortune to spiraling debts
Norcross, the father of former TOWIE co-star Kirk Norcross and one-time owner of Essex nightclub The Sugar Hut, did not leave a will prior to his death – meaning the remaining sum will go to his ex-wife Kerry.
It’s understood that the businessman also owed £554,503 to nine separate lending agencies, including more than £22,000 in tax.
His Willow restaurant and bar closed in December 2020, weeks before his death, with the business owing four loans to Barclays Bank.
Norcross was also believed to be unsuccessful in a £1.5million property deal in Bulphan, Essex, while a separate endeavour to restore the Grand Hotel in Leigh-On-Sea had also hit a financial stumbling block.
Former home: Mick owned a luxurious seven-bedroom Essex mansion (pictured)
Devastated: The businessman – a regular cast member in the long running reality show and the father of ex TOWIE co-star Kirk (pictured) – took his own life on January 21 aged 57
He was building five luxury houses in Bulphan, called the Bonham Grange Estate, where the asking price for a five-bedroom property is £1.75million.
But some of the properties had been on the market since November 2019 and remained unsold at he time of his death.
Norcross lived in a mansion in the same village, which he designed and built himself. He also had an antiques shop in nearby Brentwood.
Millionaire: Norcross was known as the businessman of Essex on the hit show, but eventually sold the Brentwood nightclub in 2019 (pictured)
Sources told MailOnline he was set to make £5million on the Bonham Grange project but due to drainage issues and the financial cost of repairing damage, his payout was expected to be slashed to £3.5million.
It is believed the financial loss was the latest in a long line of money issues Mick had suffered over the a two year period, made worse by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The source said: ‘Mick was struggling. A few of his businesses had become problematic financially and they were seriously worrying him.
Starring role: The ex Sugar Hut owner and reality star, who rose to fame as the man behind the nightclub on the hit ITV2 series, was discovered at his home in Bulphan, Essex, by emergency services
‘He was hoping to receive £5million from the Bonham Grange estate which would have provided a timely boost, but drainage issues and the subsequent effect on the development saw his big pay-day slashed by around 1.5million. It was a huge blow to him.’
His firm said in April last year that they hoped to finish the project in ‘circa 18 months’.
Accounts for 460 Leisure filed in November, showed that the firm was £984,908 in the red and the books said bank loans stood at £5,216,666 for 2019 – up from £2.6m the previous year. The outfit had just £3,600 in its coffers at the time the figures were compiled.
Project: He was building five luxury houses in Bulphan, called the Bonham Grange Estate (pictured), close to his home. But it is said to have had drainage problems and he was looking at making £1.5million less than expected, an insider told MailOnline
Lavish: The executive properties (pictured) have an asking price for a five-bedroom property is on the market for £1.75million. Some have been on the market since 2019
Norcross said of the project a year ago: ‘There is still work to be done with the building of the five storeys and we have had a lot of steelwork to do on the foundations’.
He also noted that the hotel chimneys had been deemed to be not safe enough to keep and new ones would be built.
‘Nevertheless, we are getting on with the work, but it will cost us over £1million above our original estimate,’ he explained.
Work in progress: Before his death he was developing the famous Grand Hotel in Leigh-on-Sea into 18 luxury flats (pictured today) but owed £5.2m in loans and it was already £1m over budget
In July an inquest heard how Norcross took his own life amid financial concerns and deteriorating mood through COVID-19 lockdowns.
He had been found dead by his son Kirk, who smashed a window with a hammer to gain access to the property after he was unable to contact him, the hearing was told.
Norcross first appeared on Towie in 2011 during the show’s second series. His son Kirk, was part of the original cast.
Mick Norcross’ TOWIE moments
MARCH 2011: Mick makes his TOWIE entrance, when Kirk attempts to set Gemma Collins up with his dad. After Gemma voiced her desire to find a ‘Danny Dyer-Tony Soprano’ style older man, Kirk insisted Mick would be ‘perfect’. Despite his best efforts, the businessman seemed more enticed by fellow newcomer Chloe Sims.
APRIL 2011: Despite his attentions continuing to point to Chloe, Gemma continued in her quest for Mick as she famously left an apple pie on his doorstep however he does not realise it is a gift from the boutique owner.
Gemma continued in her quest for Mick as she famously left an apple pie on his doorstep
MAY 2011: In one of the show’s most iconic scenes, Gemma is left heartbroken when she believes Mick is approaching her with a bottle of champagne at Mark Wright’s pool party however he is in fact heading toward Lauren Goodger’s sister Nicola. He later said of the scene: ‘I had no idea that Gemma was so upset. I think someone may have told her I was going to come over to her rather than Nicola. But I never meant to hurt her. I hate the thought of upsetting anyone.’
SEPTEMBER 2011: Mick sparks up a romance with Maria Fowler – an enemy to Kirk – however the following month he ends the relationship over rumours flying around Essex about their relationship.
In one of the show’s most iconic scenes, Gemma is left heartbroken when she believes Mick is approaching her with a bottle of champagne
OCTOBER 2011: Mick confesses to Kirk that he feels lonely and would like some company ‘Maybe there’s bits of my life where I haven’t been there for you so it’s hard for me to see where I’m going wrong…
‘I wasn’t there enough for you growing up but I want you to know I’m here for you now. I want to do the things we didn’t do and still can do. I’m quite a hard person and it’s difficult for me to show my emotions and that’s not me making an excuses and it doesn’t mean I don’t love you and I don’t want you around me and I just put this hard exterior up sometimes…
‘Any time you get upset let’s not end up having a shouting match over it. Talk to me. With women, that’s where I push buttons. Unfortunately in what I do, I am surrounded by women from 20 years of age to 35 years of age.’ When Kirk voiced concerns over women taking advantage of Mick, he went on: ‘Really Kirk it’s not your decision, with me you might think I’m having a great time and that but every night I come to this house on my own, I live on my own, it’s empty, it’s nothing.’
APRIL 2012: Mick is left in shock when a blaze breaks out at his Essex mansion after which he was treated for smoke inhalation while Kirk suffered minor cuts after attempting to put out the fire that broke out an upstairs rooms around 2.30pm. He spoke of the fire on the show and showed Mario Falcone the damage on-screen.
MAY 2012: Mick invites a number of the TOWIE boys around for a poker night to christen his new man cave since his home renovation
MARCH 2013: Mick announced his departure from the show after five series and banned filming in his club after becoming displeased with the reputation of fighting and fury among castmembers within the luxury establishment. He said: ‘My club is an upmarket venue where people come to drink champagne and feel spoiled. All these rows they keep filming don’t show the club in a good light and I’m worried it’s putting people off coming, which is the last thing I want.’
Mick announced his departure from the show after five series and banned filming in his club
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