‘Refugee’ Luisa Zissman swaps ‘Dubai war bunker’ to hunker down and dodge missiles in her £8million ten bedroom UK country pile

He spent days telling his hundreds of thousands of followers that Dubai was the ‘safest country in the world’ and that ‘everything was fine’ even as Iranian missiles and suicide drones rained down on the Gulf.

But Luisa Zissman has returned to Britain, swapping the ‘bunker’ basement of her UAE home for the spacious comforts of an £8million countryside mansion, after dutifully repeating the official narrative that the war-torn Emirate is open for business.

Just three months after relocating his family to a tax-free haven in search of greater security, the former Apprentice star is now back at his ten-bedroom country home in Hertfordshire – but insists the return has nothing to do with the war.

Located on a land of 2.8 acres, II. The stately Grade-listed mansion is where Zissman lives in Britain with her Irish millionaire husband Andrew Collins and their daughters Indigo, nine, and Clementine, seven.

Her eldest daughter Dixie, 15, remains in the UK while attending boarding school.

The site features extensive gardens and enough space to accommodate family staff including gardeners, cleaners and nannies.

Ironically, it was here last year that Zissman found himself under attack from a very different kind of drone; a drone flown by a YouTube ‘moderator’.

The outspoken 38-year-old got into a dramatic argument with a content creator who tried to pull his property from the skies.

Located on 2.8 acres of land, II. The stately, Grade-listed mansion is where Zissman lives with her husband, Irish millionaire Andrew Collins, and their daughters.

Zissman has been one of the UAE’s online cheerleaders since the move, showing steadfast support despite 12 days of Iranian missile attacks.

The surprising speech saw the podcaster threaten to ‘shoot’ the drone from the air before embarking on a more than two-hour journey to find the YouTuber’s home.

The altercation, which led to both parties claiming a joint assault, is believed to be one of the factors behind the influencer’s decision to move to Dubai in December.

Zissman has been one of the UAE’s online cheerleaders since his move, showing steadfast support despite 12 days of Iranian missile strikes that left six dead and more than 120 injured.

At the start of the conflict, he insisted that the Emirate was still the ‘safest country in the world’, despite explosions that echoed across the city and a drone strike that forced the temporary closure of Dubai International Airport.

He told his followers that although he had prepared his basement for emergencies, he still had ‘confidence’ that the country’s defense systems would keep residents safe, later adding: ‘All is largely well. It’s okay while you’re here.’

In another post, she added: ‘We had a lovely, normal day. We had breakfast – good breakfast/lunch – with some friends. . .

‘One of my friends is stranded in England, her husband and kids have come to ours for the last few days to see how things are going.

‘It was pretty noisy last night but it’s still fine in here now. Just not knowing what will happen next or when it will end.’

The site features extensive gardens and enough space to accommodate family staff including gardeners, cleaners and nannies. Image: Interior of the house

Zissman expressed disappointment about returning to England after leaving his home in Dubai with his children on Monday

The star showed off her gorgeous backyard on Instagram, which features expansive lawns and an indoor swimming pool with a built-in jacuzzi.

But on Monday the entrepreneur returned to Britain; He was flying from neighboring Oman after crossing the border by land.

Even then, Zissman targeted thousands of ordinary British holidaymakers struggling to escape the war zone, sharing a sarcastic social media post suggesting frightened tourists were behaving as if they had ‘just returned from the front line’.

Many travelers described chaotic scenes where passengers were ordered off planes and flights abruptly cancelled, with the UK government forced to charter planes to bring back stranded citizens.

But Zissman insisted his arrival in the UK had nothing to do with the relentless bombardment of Iranian munitions in the UAE, which has reportedly been tracked by more than 1,500 drones and almost 300 ballistic missiles.

Instead, she claimed that the trip was always planned so she could record episodes of her popular LuAnna podcast.

He said he brought his daughters with him because he feared flight disruption might prevent him from quickly returning to Dubai.

A few hours after landing, Zissman was broadcasting videos from London while walking through Chinatown.

Stating that she entered the ‘refugee period’ after ‘being removed from my home’, the woman insisted: ‘I had to go back to work anyway, so I came back with the children, they are currently on school holiday and I wanted to bring them with me.’

The star has been one of the Dubai-based influencers to support the UAE government, even declaring it the “safest country in the world”.

Today Luisa also took to Instagram to share a photo of herself with three female friends, including Carrie Johnson, with the caption: ‘Okay so being in the UK drinking margaritas with my best girls isn’t so bad…’

The reality star went on to paint Dubai in glowing terms, comparing it to central London and telling her followers she was ‘really paranoid that someone was going to steal my phone’.

So what could be behind Zissman’s staunch defense of a tax-free haven?

The Daily Mail has previously revealed how social media figures are afraid to speak out for fear of being deported, arrested or losing their homes.

In the UAE, criticizing the government, spreading rumors or damaging the country’s reputation can result in a fine of up to £200,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, followed by deportation.

Many of those who choose to flee Dubai are said to fear that saying anything negative will prevent them from returning.

It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 influencers in Dubai, driven there not only by its weather and tax-free status, but also by a coordinated government campaign under the name Creators HQ, which offers generous help and advice on starting their own businesses.

For now, Zissman finds himself back at his Hertfordshire mansion; she and Andrew bought it shortly after their wedding in 2015, and it was likened to a luxury spa hotel in ‘Champneys’ by LuAnna’s host Anna Williamson.

That’s where Zissman confronted a YouTuber who tried to fly a drone over the property last year because he “found it online” and admired its “beauty.”

He later publicly named the man as Harry Holton on Instagram and offered £500 to anyone who could provide his address; He claimed it would ‘be cheaper for me to do this than to pay lawyers’.

Shortly afterwards she told followers she had ‘gone to Harry’s house’ and warned: ‘Oh this poor Polly won’t let the sleeping dogs lie down.’

Warwickshire Rugby’s Holton was cautioned by police following the clash.

The Daily Mail revealed he was part of a growing online trend known as ‘surveillance’, in which creators deliberately film private property or security personnel to provoke confrontations and create viral videos.

Zissman divorced her first husband, Oliver Zissman, in 2014 after five years of marriage and after learning he was unfaithful.

She soon began dating Mr. Collins, and he proposed to her during a romantic trip to Paris in October 2014, presenting her with an eight-carat diamond ring. The couple got married in a secret ceremony in Dublin in July 2015.

Mr Collins was listed as worth £72 million on the Sunday Times Rich List in 2020 after making his fortune by selling a string of online businesses, a Dublin-based insurance company and a large stake in an Irish energy firm.

Last year, the family announced big plans to move to Dubai for what Zissman described as warmer weather and greater personal security, while also revealing that five of their horses were preparing to fly.

Zissman told his followers in December: ‘It’s so sad, I’ve always loved the UK but I’m looking forward to not being cold and being able to walk safely alone at night.’