SPY Celebrities and their mansions

It appears when it comes to splurging big bucks on property, comedy is no laughing matter.

Former soldier-turned-funny man Rhys Darby and his wife Rosie are the proud owners of a multi-million-dollar holiday home in Million Bay on the Matakana Coast.

The five-bedroom, three-level pad, complete with recording studio and turret, was built by musicians Allanah Currie and Thom Bailey (aka The Thompson Twins) about 1993. They sold the house on the 6.8ha site for about $2m in 1997.

It was bought by an ex-pat interior designer based in London who sold it nine years later for $4m. Now property records show the Darby's have purchased the property, with thanks from Westpac, for $4.5 million.

To paraphrase Joan Rivers: How'd ya get so rich, Rhys?

The father of two has capitalised on his fame as Murray Hewitt, the nerdy manager in the hit HBO series Flight of the Conchords. The Nike advertisement with Roger Federer followed, and the Hewlett Packard TV ads alongside Dr Dre and Annie Leibovitz, which were reportedly worth over $80 million.

It's not clear how much he was paid for the award-winning 2degrees mobile phone ad campaign, but insiders tell me it would have been "considerable".

Then there's Conchords. "Rhys would have earned huge residuals," a television producer told Spy. "Flight of the Conchords sold into many countries around the world and that would have netted the stars a tidy sum."

Meanwhile, Marc Ellis isn't letting the lull in his television career affect his plans to upscale to a pricey family home. His TVNZ show How The Other Half Lives was bumped from its primetime slot because of low ratings and mixed reviews, nevertheless Ellis has his eye on a multi-million-dollar mansion.

The reality TV star plans to relocate his pregnant wife Agustina Mon and their daughter from their St Mary's Bay pile to a sought-after heritage-house in Westmere.

The Edwardian villa is currently occupied by Auckland raconteur Murray Rose and his family who told Spy: "We are looking at moving.... [but] we haven't sold it at this stage." It is understood negotiations are being finalised.

Ellis would not comment on the property deal. He has his St Mary's Bay home on the market.

The Westmere estate, with a government valuation of $2.6 million, is lined with mistletoe hedging and yellow roses in full bloom. A manicured lawn extends to a pool and patio area.

The TV star is excited about becoming a father again. "When you have a young daughter and pregnant wife that's where your priorities firmly sit," he told Spy.

-Herald On Sunday / View