Escape to the Country star Nicki Chapman’s home life with music star husband

Nicki Chapman is known and loved for presenting Escape to the Country, but away from the cameras, the 57-year-old is all about city living. Based in West London, Nicki resides with her husband – music producer and Sony BMG executive Dave ‘Shacky’ Shackleton – in the leafy borough of Chiswick. 

The couple – who married in 1999 – have invested a great deal of time into creating the home of their dreams. 

© DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGES

Asked what makes her happiest about being at home, in 2022 Nicki told House & Beautiful: “This might sound weird, but just being at home. Over the past two years, my home and garden have been my sanctuary. 

“Our home was originally two flats, but we bought it just as the developer was putting it back into one house. We put a lot of time and effort into completely redoing the house. Then, last year, I had the garden re-landscaped by Mark Gregory.” 

Nicki has also referred to her property as an “oasis” and we can see why. Boasting an open-plan kitchen with huge bifold windows and a spacious dining area, the TV star’s home is filled with her most prized possessions, including personalised paintings of herself and her husband by artist, Pete McKee. 

Surprisingly, Nicki has also opened up about her private “panic room” which is essentially a wooden chest with storage space. “We’ve got bird food, cushions and blankets inside. I call it the panic room because if anything ever happened, we would dive into it.”

Nicki and her husband, Shacky have built a beautiful life together and recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Marking the milestone, the BBC presenter penned a sweet post to her husband. 

“This day 25 years ago, was one of the hottest of the year. Not quite the same today me thinks but still in love with my boy as much now as I was then. Punching above my weight? Definitely @shacky01,” she captioned a carousel of photos. 

Nicki and Shacky tied the knot on 9 July 1999. The ceremony took place at Syon House, a Grade I listed building that serves as the west London residence of the Duke of Northumberland. Nicki chose a satin ballgown complete with a lace bodice for her big day. She added elbow-length gloves and a tiara. 

Following their nuptials, Nicki and Shacky decided not to have children. “It was not career driven,” she told The Times. “I would’ve had the same life choice if I had worked in Barclays bank.”

“It was just our choice,” she added. 

Nicki and Shacky have been through a lot together, and he was a major source of support when the presenter was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2019. “My symptoms were very sudden, over 24 hours,” she told the Brain Tumours Charity in 2020. “Initially doctors thought I’d had a stroke but scans revealed a golf-ball-sized meningioma.

© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

“It’s the initial shock of diagnosis and then the shock when you tell people that’s even more distressing. It’s like a slap. When you have to ring people – your family – and tell them; it’s just hideous,” she explained. 

Sharing her gratitude for Shacky, she said: “He’s been amazing. He’s much stronger than I thought he was going to be. In a way, it’s harder for those close to you.”

Nicki has since recovered, after undergoing surgery. She and Shacky have continued to post the sweetest updates from their truly stunning home.