Channel 4 is stepping deeper into the unscripted arms race with The Inheritance, a new reality competition series fronted—posthumously—by Elizabeth Hurley. The 12-part game, set to air in Autumn 2025, drops a baker’s dozen of strangers into a high-stakes strategy contest to claim the fortune of a fictional socialite known only as “The Deceased.”
Hurley, playing against type and from beyond the grave, sets the tone as the glamorous, enigmatic benefactor whose last wishes are anything but simple. Contestants must collaborate to complete her final requests—but with a catch: only one of them can walk away with the payout attached to each challenge. Expect alliances, betrayal, and a constant recalibration of trust as the players jockey for position under velvet gloves.
Presiding over the will is Robert Rinder MBE, cast as “The Executor,” who serves up legal realness and sharp commentary as the game’s moral compass—or lack thereof.
The series comes out of Studio Lambert, the outfit behind unscripted hits like The Traitors, and is co-produced with GroupM Motion Entertainment. Commissioning for Channel 4 was led by Steve Handley, Tom Beck, and Genna Gibson. All3Media International is repping the show globally, handling both format and tape sales.
The Inheritance is designed to push beyond the traditional reality competition mould, infusing classic British camp with modern Machiavellian mechanics. Think Knives Out meets The Apprentice, with a dash of Cluedo.
Hurley called the role “a thrill”—and judging by the format, audiences can expect the same.
