People News

Ryan Seacrest buys Ellen DeGeneres' 49m home

May 16, 2012, 8:01 GMT

Ryan Seacrest with girlfriend Julianne Hough

Ryan Seacrest has bought Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi's $49 million Beverly Hills mansion.

The 'American Idol' host - who is dating 'Rock of Ages' star Julianne Hough - is thought to have paid within a few million dollars of the massive asking price with the deal agreed and set to close this week, according to gossip website TMZ.com.

Ellen - who spent one season on the judging panel of 'American Idol' - and Portia have sold the property at a loss after spending $48 million assembling the huge estate.

They bought the $30 million 9,500-square-foot single-story house and spent millions more on the surrounding properties, before beginning extensive renovation work.

The home sits on 2.87 acres just off Coldwater Canyon - near the Santa Monica Mountains - behind gates on its own street and also includes two guesthouses totaling 15,000 square feet, a three bedroom house, and according to official listings 'every conceivable amenity and state-of the-art security'.

Portia previously revealed the pair fell in love with the property - which previously belonged at different times to Laurence Harvey, Joan Collins and 'Will & Grace' co-creator Max Mutchnick - when they went to watch a screening of Ryan's show 'American Idol'.

She told Architectural Digest: 'We'd heard how beautiful it was and then we came over to watch 'American Idol'. We pulled into the driveway and we just knew before we even walked through the gate.'