Britain’s richest TV presenter revealed with fortune of £18.6million – and it isn’t Ant or Dec
BRADLEY Walsh has made a career out of making game show contestants wealthier – and he’s not too bad off himself, either.
The Chase presenter has seen his bank balance increase to £18.6million, making the comedian and actor the UK’s wealthiest solo TV host.
After seeing his assets boosted by £3.5million over the past 12 months, according to new figures from his WingIt Productions firm, his fortune is only beaten by Ant and Dec’s combined wealth,
A TV insider said: “Bradley really is at the top of his game right now and is raking it in. He’s firmly established himself at the top of his profession and is the go-to man for both the BBC and ITV.
“And that shows no signs of slowing down either, as viewers can’t get enough of him.”
Bradley, who also used to present classic game show Wheel Of Fortune, is one of TV’s most versatile entertainers, equally comfortable acting or presenting.
Over the past year, he has continued to host game shows The Chase, spin-off Beat The Chasers and Blankety Blank, as well as starring in ITV’s Darling Buds Of May adaptation The Larkins.
He has also appeared in Breaking Dad alongside his son Barney, which has been so successful the BBC has tried to rip it off with A Wright Family Holiday, with Mark Wright, his brother Josh and their dad Mark Snr.
And this year he is fronting another huge series with BBC One’s Gladiators reboot, alongside Barney.
But one show that fans of Bradley — who has also been in Coronation Street and Doctor Who — won’t be seeing him on, is Strictly.
Bosses have made multiple attempts to sign him but he gives a solid no each time.
He explained: “Here’s the trick of doing stuff you can get away with — you’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself. If you don’t get it, you can’t sell it.
“If you can’t dance, you can’t sell it, no matter how big a showman you are.”
He certainly doesn’t need to do it for the money.
STACEY'S NEW U.S. SLEEP
STACEY Dooley is plumping up her pillows in preparation for more Stateside sleepovers.
The 2018 Strictly winner has got a new series of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over USA, where she stays the night with families and learns about their unusual lifestyles.
A fresh three-part run has been commissioned and will air on W and UKTV Play next year.
Her first series, in February, included a visit to a family of gun enthusiasts in Oklahoma that had a nine-year-old “GunTuber”, and a transgender mum and dad in Virginia.
She has been making a one-off special called Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over: Family And Me, which will be screened this summer and feature her partner, ex-Strictly pro Kevin Clifton and their baby daughter Minnie.
DENISE OUTEN THE RAZZ
IT’S just as well Denise Van Outen isn’t still hosting The Big Breakfast, as she has another late night on the town.
The former host of the Channel 4 show was joined by actress Laura Pradelska and telly presenter Zoe Hardman.
The launch for her Disco Liscious club night in East London also drew Strictly’s Kai Widdrington and Nadiya Bychkova, Louise Redknapp and ex- rugby star James Haskell.
But after Denise patched things up with her Big Breakfast co-host Johnny Vaughan, surely he should have been there too?
C4 DISNEY FREE HITS
CLASSIC series including The X Files and The Americans are coming to Channel 4 – after the broadcaster struck a deal with Disney to air ten hit shows on its streaming platform.
Others include Empire, Scandal, Bones, The Killing, Star and Abbott Elementary.
They will be available for free from this month. Nick Lee, head of acquisitions at Channel 4, said: “We’re so pleased to have agreed such an extensive content deal with Disney, ranging from their most iconic series like The X Files to fresh hits such as Abbott Elementary and Star.”
CROUCHY SNUB BY MADONNA
MEETING Madonna is a tall order, even for former England footballer Peter Crouch.
The ex-striker turned-podcaster dined in the same Miami restaurant as the singer, sitting back to back as they tucked into their meals.
And after posing for selfies with Madge’s British security team, who made a beeline for Crouchy as he headed to the gents, he thought he’d earned a selfie with the superstar at least.
Peter explained: “I spent loads of time with them, and then I said, ‘Can I have a picture with Madonna?’. They said, ‘No, she doesn’t like to be disturbed’.”
On Alan Carr’s Life’s A Beach podcast, he added. “I’d spent f***ing half an hour with them and I don’t like to be disturbed either!
“So I didn’t meet her, but she seemed nice.”
He got a lot closer than most.
BILL FANS TUNED IN
BILL Bailey has revealed the one downside of being a Strictly Come Dancing champion.
Ever since lifting the Glitterball trophy in 2020 alongside professional partner Oti Mabuse, the comedian says people on the street hum the show’s theme tune at him.
Bill told Radio Times: “I’m walking past and someone goes, ‘Da da-da da-da-da-da,’ and I have to go, ‘Da da-da da-da!’
“It’s not the worst thing that could happen. It could be a lot worse.”
True, it could be The One Show theme tune.