THE multi-millionaire showbiz legend credited with discovering the Bee Gees is selling his £9 million Isle of Wight mansion.

Robert Stigwood, 70, has put 500-acre Barton Manor in East Cowes on the market after living there for 14 years.

Mr Stigwood, who produced the musical Grease, bought the seven-bedroomed manor house in the early 90s for £1.5 million and spent more than a decade restoring it.

Barton Manor is mentioned in the Domesday Book and used to house Queen Victoria's guests when she holidayed at neighbouring Osborne House.

Improvement efforts at the estate have included replacing the panelled rooms and restoring the gardens to the original designs laid out by Prince Albert, planting thousands of trees, building pergolas and digging lakes.

Barton Manor is also home to a vineyard which supplied Buckingham Palace and Harrods.

Mr Stigwood gave Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice their first break, produced Jesus Christ Superstar, Saturday Night Fever and Evita and saved Eric Clapton from heroin addiction. Widely known as the first Mr Showbiz, he is thought to be considering a move to Florida or Spain.