London Home Freddie Mercury Bought in 1980 Is for Sale, Minus His ‘Exquisite Clutter’ 

This undated handout image shows the house known as the Garden Lodge in London, where rock star Freddie Mercury's lived the final decade of his life. (AP)
This undated handout image shows the house known as the Garden Lodge in London, where rock star Freddie Mercury's lived the final decade of his life. (AP)
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London Home Freddie Mercury Bought in 1980 Is for Sale, Minus His ‘Exquisite Clutter’ 

This undated handout image shows the house known as the Garden Lodge in London, where rock star Freddie Mercury's lived the final decade of his life. (AP)
This undated handout image shows the house known as the Garden Lodge in London, where rock star Freddie Mercury's lived the final decade of his life. (AP)

Freddie Mercury ’s sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century — minus his "exquisite clutter."

Garden Lodge, as the neo-Georgian brick home in the posh Kensington neighborhood is known, is for sale by Knight Frank for offers exceeding 30 million pounds ($38 million). It is not publicly listed.

Mercury, the frontman for Queen, bought the house in 1980 — the year the band's album "The Game," with hits "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," topped the charts. He reportedly paid cash for the property, which was listed for more than 500,000 pounds, according to "Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury."

"I saw the house, fell in love with it, and within a half an hour it was mine," Mercury boasted, according to the book.

Mercury had extensive renovations done to the house and loaded it with precious artwork, including pieces by Picasso, Dalí and Matisse.

"I like to be surrounded by splendid things," Mercury said. "I want to lead the Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter."

Mercury died in the house in 1991 of AIDS-related pneumonia at 45.

He left the eight-bedroom villa and all his possessions to his close friend and ex-girlfriend, Mary Austin, who lived there. She has been raking in millions selling his collection of stage costumes, fine art and song lyrics over the past year. The home was put up for sale late last month.

"This house has been the most glorious memory box, because it has such love and warmth in every room," Austin said in a statement. "It has been a joy to live in and I have many wonderful memories here. Now that it is empty, I’m transported back to the first time we viewed it. Ever since Freddie and I stepped through the fabled green door, it has been a place of peace, a true artist’s house, and now is the time to entrust that sense of peace to the next person."

The famous gate to the garden, which was inscribed with graffiti and love notes from fans, was one of 59 of Mercury’s most prized possessions that sold for 12.2 million pounds ($15.4 million) in September. The door brought in 412,750 pounds ($521,000), including a buyer's premium.



Fans Celebrate ‘Squid Game’ Finale with Seoul Parade

Performers dressed as "Squid Game" soldiers march in a parade through central Seoul, followed by a fan event with cast to celebrate the release of the third season of Netflix's hit series, in Seoul, South Korea, June 28, 2025. (Reuters)
Performers dressed as "Squid Game" soldiers march in a parade through central Seoul, followed by a fan event with cast to celebrate the release of the third season of Netflix's hit series, in Seoul, South Korea, June 28, 2025. (Reuters)
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Fans Celebrate ‘Squid Game’ Finale with Seoul Parade

Performers dressed as "Squid Game" soldiers march in a parade through central Seoul, followed by a fan event with cast to celebrate the release of the third season of Netflix's hit series, in Seoul, South Korea, June 28, 2025. (Reuters)
Performers dressed as "Squid Game" soldiers march in a parade through central Seoul, followed by a fan event with cast to celebrate the release of the third season of Netflix's hit series, in Seoul, South Korea, June 28, 2025. (Reuters)

Thousands of fans gathered in Seoul on Saturday to celebrate the final "Squid Game" season, ending a global Netflix hit that is seen as a symbol of South Korea's cultural clout.

The third and final season was released Friday, concluding the series that sees desperate people compete in deadly versions of traditional children's games for a massive cash prize.

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk said he had "poured everything" into the series, which launched nearly four years ago.

"So while it's sentimental to see it end," he said, "there's also a sense of relief".

Fans gathered near Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace, led by marchers dressed in the bright pink uniforms worn by the show's mysterious masked agents.

They were followed by others carrying oversize toys from one of the games featured in the series, along with the show's flag.

Park Sang-gyu, a fan who stayed up all night watching the final season, said the dystopian drama was "ultimately a story about people".

"As you watch, you realize it's not just about the games -- it reflects many aspects of real life."

The walls of the Seoul Metropolitan Library were lit up with key scenes, including Young-hee -- the giant motion-sensing animatronic doll featured in one of its brutal games.

Lee Byung-hun, who played the masked Front Man overseeing the competition, said the show had become "something of a cultural phenomenon".

"One that has drawn one of the boldest lines in the history of Korean content," he said.

The first two seasons of the series are among Netflix's most-watched shows, and in 2022, Hwang and the show's leading actor, Lee Jung-jae, became the first Asian men to win Emmy Awards.

The final season follows its hero Gi-hun, played by Lee, as he returns to the ultra-violent games to dismantle them from within after surviving the first round.

Along with filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning 2019 thriller "Parasite" and K-pop sensation BTS, "Squid Game" is considered one of the most powerful examples of South Korea's rise as a global cultural force.