Monday, 6 November 2006

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Helena Bonham Carter: My man lives next door

The actress and partner Tim Burton hate each other's taste

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton live in separate houses - because they cannot agree on decor.

The couple - who have a three-year-old son Billy - have neighbouring homes in north London, linked by a single corridor.

Helena, 40, insists the couple's unusual arrangement is necessary so they don't bicker over interior design.

She says: 'His side is messier. My side is cutesy, like Beatrix Potter, which is fine for him to visit but there's no way he could live in it. He thinks his side is James Bond.'

Billy's bedroom is in 48-year-old Tim's house but Helena reckons he prefers to spend most of his time in her home because of her roaring fire.

'I have the kitchen and a fire so we'll watch telly in my place,' she explains. 'There is no normality in life. Having two houses means that we can get out of each other's hair - which, let's face it, we've both got a lot of.'