Emma Ridley starts château restoration in France

Emma Ridley, best known for playing Princess Ozma in Disney’s Return to Oz, and her husband Michael Carter have begun restoring a 15th century château in Dordogne. The project is being documented on a new YouTube channel as the couple aim to turn the estate into a weddings-and-events destination with hospitality plans.

Why it matters: - The restoration could turn Château de Labatut into a destination venue in one of France’s most castle-rich regions. - The project blends heritage preservation with a commercial plan for weddings, events and hospitality. - The work is being shared publicly from the start, which could build an audience before the château is fully restored.

What happened: - Emma Ridley and Michael Carter bought Château de Labatut in 2024. - The couple have started restoring the 15th century château in the Périgord Noir region of the Dordogne. - Ridley and Carter launched a new YouTube channel, Château Dreams and Chaos, to document the restoration. - The channel is live and follows the project from the beginning.

The details: - The château restoration is still in an early stage. - Permits are still in process. - Ridley and Carter are living on the estate while they plan the work. - Ridley said the couple want to create a castle experience for weddings, birthdays, celebrations, festivals and concerts. - Ridley also described plans for a farm-to-table café, a British pub, an Italian spa and an equestrian centre. - The longer-term plan is to open the château as a venue for weddings and events, with equestrian and hospitality plans for the wider grounds. - The YouTube channel will show the paperwork, the surprises behind the walls and the challenge of bringing an old building back into use. - Château Dreams and Chaos is available here.

Between the lines: - Ridley’s public profile gives the project built-in visibility beyond the usual château-restoration audience. - The mix of heritage, lifestyle and hospitality suggests the couple are aiming for a business model, not just a private renovation. - The Périgord Noir location adds tourist appeal because the region is known for medieval villages, prehistoric cave art at Lascaux and a high concentration of castles.

What's next: - The couple will continue handling permits and planning before major restoration work advances. - The YouTube channel will likely become the main source of updates on the estate’s progress. - Ridley and Carter are expected to keep developing their longer-term hospitality and events concept as the restoration moves forward.

The bottom line: - A former child star is turning a 15th century French château into a public-facing restoration project with big hospitality ambitions and a digital audience from day one.