London's second largest home after Buckingham Palace, the Highgate base of Fame Academy, is going on the market next month for a cool £32 million.

Witanhurst, a Grade II-listed, neo-Georgian landmark at the top of Highgate West Hill, is a mansion of 40,000 square feet amid five-and-a-half acres of picturesque gardens.

The property has 25 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, three kitchens, four tennis courts, a billiards room, a library, a sauna, and a gym.

Long before r 'n' b singer Lemar cut his musical teeth there during BBC's Fame Academy, Witanhurst was the dream home of Sir Arthur Crosfield, a soap manufacturer, who built the house in the 1920s at a cost of £1million.

The ornate ballroom has been graced by The Queen, and current neighbours include Sting, Boy George and George Michael.

The property was leased to the BBC for the music reality TV show by an overseas owner who had bought it in 1985. That owner has now decided to sell up. Estate agent Simon Power, of Knight Frank, which is responsible for the sale, said: "The house is stunning each of the 25 bedrooms is extravagant.

"We may have some potential commercial buyers, but I think this spectacular property is more likely to sell as a residential sale to someone who has a lot of money and will use it as a home to live in."

The most lavish room is undoubtedly the ballroom, according to Mr Power, which is 70ft long, with carved cornices embellished with gold leaf. "I suspect the new owners will do a lot of entertaining for large numbers of people as there are several reception and lounge areas which are all massive," he added.

It has been suggested that the mansion will need restorative work. Costs of a refurbishment may be as high as £10m, but the property's value could rise by more than that amount.