Inside Ryan Reynolds' luxury retreat as Welcome to Wrexham filming starts

Hollywood A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have truly put the North Wales town of Wrexham on the global stage with their award-winning docuseries. The show follows their journey as they grapple with the challenges of owning Wrexham A.F.C.

The duo took over the club, which holds the distinction of being the third-oldest football club in Europe, in 2021. Since then, it has seen a remarkable rise, achieving three consecutive promotions. Ryan and Rob have poured considerable time and resources into the cherished club, and the heartwarming series, Welcome to Wrexham, has helped it garner international attention.

Reports suggest that the once modest club is now worth an impressive £100 million, a significant leap from the initial investment of roughly £2 million made by Rob and Ryan. Wrexham has emerged as a celebrity magnet in recent years, attracting stars like Will Ferrell, Channing Tatum, and Paul Rudd to the historic mining town to see the team play and enjoy the local restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Rob and Ryan's famous spouses, Kaitlin Olson and Blake Lively, have also made several trips to Wrexham, choosing to stay at the Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire during their visits. The luxury hotel boasts an incredible spa, sweeping golf course and vineyard views, as well as The Vines restaurant, where Blake and Ryan have dined.

The sprawling 1,000-acre estate offers guided Welcome to Wrexham tours, and we had the opportunity to participate in one while the fifth series is being filmed, getting to meet some cast members along the way.

One of them was guide Bryan Still, who was born and raised in Wrexham and is a diehard Wrexham A.F.C. fan. He picked us up and took us around the town, sharing tales about its history, deep-rooted connections with Yale University, and all the spots where Welcome to Wrexham has been filmed.

He has such pride in his town and belief in Ryan and Rob's vision - explaining how much their investments have paid off and how "down to earth" they are.

As he looked toward the future of the football club, Bryan shared with excitement: "You realise the height we are going to get to - and I don't think we have scaled the height yet."

We also paid a visit to The Turf, which is owned and run by landlord Wayne Jones, who Brian said has become well-known in America thanks to the series.

Stars, including Ryan and his Hollywood actress wife, Blake, have their signatures on red bricks inside the fan pub located just metres from the football stadium.

Welcome to Wrexham is available to watch on Disney+, and the fifth series is due to be released next May. To find out more about Carden Park and its Welcome to Wrexham tours, visit www.cardenpark.co.uk.