Celebrity couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones are making Bermuda their new permanent home, in a bid to secure their privacy.

Zeta-Jones is Welsh and Douglas is American, but the OSCAR-winning pair are forsaking Hollywood for a life on the Atlantic island with their two children DYLAN and CARYS.

Douglas explains, "It's a joy that my wife doesn't have to worry that if she wants to run out and go down to the beach, some pictures aren't going to pop up across the world.

"It's such a relief knowing that you don't have to be in tip-top shape every time you have to go out of the door."

Catherine adds, "Bermuda occupies a special place in our hearts. And now we are going to make it our home.

"Michael's mother is Bermudian, so we have instant family and friends there. There's a great feeling of solidarity when you have so many relatives, perhaps 70 in one spot.

"We feel it's very important for our children to grow up with lots of cousins so our son Dylan will enrol in a local school, possibly SALTUS GRAMMAR and wear a uniform."

However, the movie couple won't be completely marooned on the English-styled island - they still own properties in Los Angeles, New York, Colorado, Majorca and Wales.

14/10/2003 14:00