What do Paddington 2, The Crown, and Sexy Beasts all have in common? They've all filmed major moments in England's Knebworth House, A.K.A. Sexy Beasts Manor. In each episode, the historic locale plays host to the Netflix show's answer to The Bachelor's rose ceremony. Midway through each installment of the reality show, three people covered in truly terrifying prosthetics patiently wait to see if they've been chosen for a second date by a fourth mask-wearing individual in the house's Great Hall (you know, just like in the days of old).
After the first episode, the elimination round becomes repetitive, but at least it does give viewers a chance to soak in the Gothic architecture of the so-called Sexy Beasts Manor. In reality, Knebworth House has been around in one form or another since at least the 1300s. Even more impressively, it's been owned by a member of the Lytton family since it was purchased by Sir Robert Lytton in 1492.
Over the years, various Lyttons have made improvements to the house with Lady Elizabeth Bulwer-Lytton transforming the house into the stately, Gothic manor it is today. But while Knebworth House has always been stunning, it didn't become cool until David Antony Fromanteel Lytton-Cobbold turned his ancestral home into one of the hottest rock venues around in the 1970s. Since then, the house has played host to bands like Pink Floyd, Oasis, and Queen.
Luckily for movie and TV fans, the current Lytton in charge is Henry Lytton-Cobbold, who previously worked as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. Under his stewardship, the house has become a go-to filming location for Hollywood and British productions alike. In the movie world alone, Knebworth House has served as a prominent location in Paddington 2, The King's Speech, Eurovision Song Contest: Fire Saga, and Nanny McPhee.
However, if you're a devoted Netflix viewer, the stunning locale likely looks familiar because it has been used in multiple seasons of The Crown. According to Sceen It, the interior of Knebworth House is used as a stand-in for the Queen's beloved Balmoral Castle on the show (in case you're curious, the drama's exterior shots of Balmoral are filmed at Ardverikie House since even Peter Morgan can't convince the royal family to let him film on the grounds of the real estate). In fact, the room where the beasts get ditched is the same room where Prince Philip (Matt Smith) is petulant about being sent to Australia in the Season 1 finale of The Crown.
If you look closely during the finale's dance scene, you'll notice the same painting the royals and their friends dance by is on the wall of Sexy Beasts Manor, and the chandelier and flooring match as well. Just imagine how annoyed the fictional version of Philip would be to know a reality show where a demon dismisses a mouse was being filmed in such a stately home. The very idea is so shocking he would probably spit out his tea.
While Sexy Beasts might be the last show on Netflix you would expect to have such a tangible connection to The Crown, it's weirdly fitting. After all, The Crown is all about how antiquated the idea of a monarchy is in modern society, while Sexy Beasts' very existence mounts a pretty strong case for the futility of participating in the modern dating scene. See? They're not so different after all — and not just because both shows have made excellent use of Knebworth House's stunning interiors.
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Images: Netflix