Britain's Rich List Revealed Tonight On ITV1

ITV1’s Britain’s Rich List (Thursday 19 April at 9.00pm) exclusively reveals who the wealthiest individuals in Britain are and the extraordinary riches they have achieved.

Based on the work of Dr Philip Beresford who has compiled the authoritative Sunday Times guide for 19 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 remain a closely guarded secret until the transmission of the show (and the full results until the publication of the Sunday Times Rich List 2007) the ITV programme reveals that:

Simon Cowell is this year’s star riser in the world of pop music with an estimated wealth of £100 million, up £40 million on last year’s results. No other individual from the world of pop has risen up the ranks as much. Now ranked at 700 (from last year’s 944), Cowell has overtaken Robbie Williams at number 755 who has only increased his wealth by £5 million to £95 million over the year

The richest footballer in the world, David Beckham, has increased his wealth by £25 million to £112 million this year – and is ranked at 619

EasyJet’s Stelios Haji-Ioannou is closing the gap with Richard Branson, having broken the billionaire barrier. Stelios is now worth a cool £1.29 billion and has moved up from number 80 on the list to number 49. Branson on the other hand has dropped out of the Top Ten and is down from number nine to number 11 with his £3.1 billion assets

Roman Abramovich’s divorce settlement with Irina has no impact on his Rich List position: he remains number two on the list with an estimated £10.8 billion. It remains to be seen exactly how Sir Paul McCartney’s settlement with Heather Mills will affect his position, currently ranked at number 102 with £725 million

The wealthiest man in Britain at number one, steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, has increased his staggering fortune to more than £19 billion – up from last year’s £14.9 billion

Presented by entrepreneur and TV business guru Peter Jones (who’s on the Rich List himself with a £160 million fortune), Britain’s Rich List also shows how:

Britain’s super rich are getting richer: you now have to have a cool £70 million to even make the list of 1,000 (*£60 million in 2006).

The number of billionaires in the list will be up by more than 20% against last year’s total of 54

There are 37 music industry professionals on the list but there are no pop stars under the age of 30 – thanks to astute record company contractors. Robbie Williams, aged 33, is one of the youngest to make it onto the list

Sex is relevant. Fewer than 10% of Britain’s richest 1,000 are women

Inheritance is no longer key. When the Sunday Times Rich List first started in 1989, 75% had inherited their money. Today, 78% have made it themselves

Britain is a magnet for multi-millionaires and billionaires from all over the world. Of the five wealthiest individuals on the list, only one – The Duke of Westminster - was born in the UK.

Britain’s Rich List can be seen on ITV1 on Thursday 19 April at 9.00pm and features interviews with The Sunday Times Rich List compiler Dr Philip Beresford, David Sullivan, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Jeffrey Archer, Felix Dennis, Duncan Bannatyne, Anita Roddick, John Caudwell, Jacqueline Gold and John Madejski.

There are also contributions from financial journalist Judi Bevan, cultural commentator Peter York, Editor of Majesty Magazine Ingrid Seward, Director of Christies Meredith Etherington-Smith, music industry accountant Cliff Dane and divorce lawyer Vanessa Lloyd Platt.

Britain’s Rich List, ITV1, Thursday 19 April at 9.00pm.