ITV1: Britain's Rich List Give It Away

April 24, 2008

ITV1: Britain's Rich List Give It Away

ITV claims to be giving us a peak of this year’s publication of The Sunday Times Rich List, tonight with Britain’s Rich List Give It Away (ITV1 9.00pm). It will apparently 'exclusively reveal' the riches of some of the wealthiest individuals in Britain.

As well as a rundown of the wealthiest celebs, the highest earning rock stars and the mega rich self-made entrepreneurs, this year's sneak preview of the famous list has an added twist as Britain’s super rich are asked if they are giving away as much as they should.

Aided by Dr Philip Beresford, who has worked on the authoritative Sunday Times guide for 20 years, the programme counts down the bank balances of some of the UK’s most intriguing celebrities, from the guaranteed wealth of the Royal Family to individuals from the worlds of pop music, publishing and business.

While the key results will apparently remain a closely guarded secret the show will exclusively reveal some of the winners…and losers:

Going up

- David Beckham is raking in the cash in Los Angeles. He and his wife Victoria are up three places with a fortune of £125 million.
- Outstripping more famous businessmen is the man who owns ICAP, the world’s largest inter-dealer money broker. Michael Spencer’s leapt up 26 places to number 62 this year. He’s now officially a billionaire, with £1.15 billion.
- Andrew Lloyd Webber’s £750 million fortune has clinched him number 101= this year while fellow music mogul Simon Cowell sits at number 717= on the list.
- Sir Paul McCartney has won something this year - he’s top of the rockers list yet again with his £500 million fortune. The Sunday Times Rich List believes that McCartney is £100 million richer than was suggested in his recent divorce hearing because the court estimates of his wealth didn't appear to take account of the proceeds of Linda McCartney's will and undervalued his back catalogue of songs, image rights and recordings.
- By far the richest female rock star is the Goddess of Pop herself - Madonna. This year she and husband Guy Ritchie are worth £300 million, which makes them 270= on the Rich List.

Going down

- Maybe Sir Richard Branson should have pushed for Northern Rock - he’s down nine places but still sitting pretty on a £2.7 billion fortune.
- easyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has slipped down to 94=, but he's still got a massive £812m to play with.
- Heading up the creatively wealthy is JK Rowling. The seventh and final Harry Potter book had its usual impact and increased her fortune to £560 million, but she’s still fallen back a few places to number 144.

Presented by entrepreneur and fitness club supremo Duncan Bannatyne (who’s on the Rich List himself with a £310million fortune), Britain’s Rich List also shows how:

- Britain’s super rich are getting richer: you now have to have a cool £80 million to even make the list of 1,000 (£70 million in 2007).
- There are seven more billionaires on the list this year, taking the total to 75.
Sex is relevant.
- There's a disappointing total of 96 women among Britain’s Richest 1,000.

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