She may have found stardom as a singer but Charlotte Church is embarking on an altogether more daunting project.

The singer-songwriter, 36, who rose to fame as an operatic singer in 1997 at the age of 11 before later finding success as a pop star, is taking a derelict country house, Rhydoldog, near Rhayader, once owned by Laura Ashley, and turning it into a business venture.

Church is hoping to renovate the seven-bedroom property and transform it into a healing retreat, but is her path from singer to property renovator going to be a smooth one?

It’s the second series of the programme, Charlotte Church’s Dream Build, which airs on Really and streams on discovery+, so we’ll get an update on how far she is along with the project after witnessing the early stages in the first series.

TELL US ABOUT THE PROPERTY AND WHERE WE FIND YOU IN THE SECOND SERIES?

I bought it two years ago and have been engaged in a massive renovation project ever since.

My hope, if I get planning permission, is to make it a retreat centre, which is focused on nature connections, sound healing and ceremony.

One of my big plans for it is that it’s affordable, or at least to have some options which are very affordable for people.

WAS THE RETREAT ON THE CARDS AND WHAT YOU’D PLANNED FROM THE BEGINNING?

It was never in my plan to buy something like Rhydoldog. I was looking for a field so I could start a glamping business!

SO WHAT CHANGED?

As soon as I saw Rhydoldog, I fell madly in love – it was an obsessional relationship for a while. It didn’t then take long to build the vision – literally every second I spent away from the place, I was just thinking about it constantly.

It was something about the waterfalls that just felt so deeply peaceful and cleansing. That’s when I started thinking about a retreat centre and then everything just started falling into place from there.

County Times: Undated Handout Photo from Charlotte Church’s Dream Build. Pictured: Charlotte Church. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Church. PA Photo/Really/Rekha Garton.Undated Handout Photo from Charlotte Church’s Dream Build. Pictured: Charlotte Church. See PA Feature SHOWBIZ TV Quickfire Church. PA Photo/Really/Rekha Garton. (Image: PA Photo/Really/Rekha Garton.)

IN THE FIRST SERIES WE’VE SEEN YOU BEING VERY HANDS ON WITH THE PROJECT…

I’ve had to turn my hand to a million different things and I’ve also had to keep it all in my mind, which has almost broken my mind at different points.

Especially having a young baby, trying to balance my family life and my other work commitments – it’s really been a lot.

One of the things that it has really taught me is that we all need to figure out how to have a much healthier work-life balance!

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YOU’VE HAD YOUR FAMILY WITH YOU FOR THIS JOURNEY, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN VERY SPECIAL.

It has been such a journey. I’ve been on such a wild learning curve.

I know it sounds really cheesy and everybody says it, but I honestly couldn’t have done it without my family by my side.

They really helped me keep the faith and dream. But also keep me in line, if I’ve gone away to somewhere that was unreasonable or somewhere beyond the realms of possibilities.

Particularly with my dad, if it didn’t make financial sense then he would question me more and ask me to reflect. He really was that sounding board and kept me honest, I suppose.

THE SHOW REVEALS YOU’RE TO NEARLY DOUBLE YOUR ORIGINAL £500,000 RENOVATION BUDGET. HAS THE FINANCE SIDE OF THINGS BEEN STRESSFUL?

Yeah it’s been quite stressful. But in a way, I’m only experiencing what everybody else experiences.

I’ve always been in an incredibly privileged position, where I’ve not had to worry about money. And so now I have to worry about money!

What I suppose I’m saying is that it’s all about perspective.

Whilst it has been risky, really nerve-racking and very stressful in making myself so vulnerable financially, I also know now that it’s going to work, because we’ve had thousands of people getting in touch who really want to come and stay.

HAVE YOU LEARNED ANY NEW SKILLS DURING THIS PROCESS?

To be a leader. I think I’ve always been really strong in my convictions about what I want, but I’ve not always taken full responsibility.

As a leader, I am really learning how to navigate lots of different worlds, whilst staying true to myself and my personality and who I am and what I think is important about myself.

But also when it’s required, putting my foot down and saying ‘this is my project, I am putting a lot into this, I am risking a lot and so, therefore, this is what I need from you’. That has been a really interesting process.

WHAT BECKONS WHEN THE BUILD IS FINISHED?

I will be concentrating on getting all of the systems up and running.

Keeping a really close eye on what’s happening at Rhydoldog and the people that we’ve hired, how everything is running and if it’s as harmonious and reciprocal as it can be.

I want to develop my work as a practitioner at ‘The Dreaming’.

ANY MORE MUSIC?

I also really want to record an album. I haven’t recorded an album for a long time, and I’m ready now!

  • Charlotte Church’s Dream Build airs from 9pm on Wednesday, October 5 on Really and discovery+