John GreenChannel 5's new psychological thriller The Fortune premiered on 2 June 2026, with Eleanor Tomlinson playing Amanda Blakefield, a married mother whose life is upended when she learns she has inherited £2 million and a large house in the North East from a wealthy entrepreneur named Martin Worrall, a man she has never met.
Martin's wife and son immediately threaten legal action. Viewers across the UK have been asking the same question since Episode 1 aired: could this happen in real life, and if it did, what would you actually owe?
The short answer is yes — it is entirely legal. But the financial consequences are far larger than most people expect, and the legal process far more complex than a TV thriller has time to show.
Is a will naming a stranger legally valid in the UK?
Under English and Welsh law, a testator — the person making a will — can leave their estate to anyone they choose, whether a lifelong friend, a charity, or a complete stranger. There is no legal requirement to include family members, and no relationship test applies.
What gives a will legal force is the Grant of Probate: the court document, issued by the Probate Registry, that confirms the will is valid and authorises the executor to access and distribute the estate. According to Gov.uk's probate guidance, the executor must submit the original will, the death certificate, and an inheritance tax return to apply for probate. Without this document, no bank, solicitor, or estate agent can release a single asset — no matter what the will says.
If Amanda were to receive such a call in real life, her first legal obligation would not be to spend or invest the money. It would be to instruct a probate solicitor.
The tax bill Amanda did not see coming
Here is where The Fortune gets financially complicated. The UK's Inheritance Tax (IHT) nil-rate band — the amount that can pass tax-free — has been frozen at £325,000 since 2009. Every pound above that threshold is taxed at 40%.
For a £2 million estate, the arithmetic is stark. After the nil-rate band, £1,675,000 is subject to IHT. The tax owed: £670,000. That is more than a third of Amanda's windfall, due to HMRC before she can spend or invest anything.
From April 2026, the rules tightened further. Pension pots now count toward the taxable value of an estate for the first time, meaning HMRC expects around 10,500 additional estates to face IHT charges this year, with affected families paying an average of £34,000 more. Across the UK, HMRC collected £7.1 billion in inheritance tax in 2022–23 alone — up £1 billion year-on-year, according to official government statistics.
If Martin Worrall had significant pension savings, Amanda's bill could be substantially higher than the headline £670,000 figure suggests.
Can Martin's family challenge the will?
The central tension of The Fortune is a real legal mechanism. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, a surviving spouse, child, or financial dependant can apply to court arguing the will fails to make "reasonable financial provision" for them. A judge can then redistribute part or all of the estate.
This is not a rare edge case. Applications to enter a caveat — the legal step to challenge a will or halt probate proceedings — rose from 7,268 in 2019 to 11,362 in 2024, a 56% increase over five years, according to Probate Registry data. Cases taking more than one year to resolve increased by 518% over the same period.
Martin's wife would hold a particularly strong legal position. A surviving spouse is entitled to the highest level of "reasonable financial provision" under the 1975 Act. Any wealth manager or solicitor advising Amanda would recommend she avoid spending or transferring any assets until either the six-month challenge window closes after probate is granted, or a legal settlement is reached with the family.
For context on how UK courts handle complex estate disputes involving large inheritances and unexpected beneficiaries, our analysis of Grace Kelly's Monaco legacy and estate planning lessons explores how high-value estates are structured to withstand legal challenge.
The five steps UK law requires before you can touch the money
Whether the inheritance is £200,000 or £2 million, English and Welsh law sets a clear sequence before any money can be accessed:
- Register the death at the local register office within five days of the date of death.
- Apply for a Grant of Probate from the Probate Registry, including the completed inheritance tax return — required for most estates above £5,000, even if no IHT is owed.
- Value the entire estate in full — every property, savings account, investment portfolio, and (from April 2026) pension must be formally valued at the precise date of death.
- Pay any IHT within six months. HMRC charges 8.25% annual interest on overdue inheritance tax. Late payment is expensive and generates its own enforcement risks.
- Wait for the challenge window to close. Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975, claims must generally be brought within six months of probate being granted. Distributing or spending the inheritance before this window closes creates personal legal liability for the executor.
When an unexpected inheritance needs a wealth manager, not just a solicitor
Once the legal process is complete, the second challenge begins: what to do with the money. According to ONS data, 11.6 million UK people have received an inheritance in the past ten years — but the median value is just £11,000. A windfall of £2 million sits in a different category entirely, where the financial decisions made in the first year affect tax planning for the rest of the beneficiary's life.
Should the inheritance be placed in ISAs to shelter future growth from tax? Used to offset a mortgage and reduce debt costs? Invested in a diversified portfolio? Directed into pension contributions to rebuild the deceased's pension exemptions? With the IHT nil-rate band still frozen at 2009 levels and the April 2026 pension rule changes now in force, the window to structure an unexpected inheritance tax-efficiently is narrower than it used to be.
Only 37% of UK adults have made a will, according to recent data — meaning many families face exactly the kind of unplanned distribution that drives the drama in The Fortune. And only 4.62% of UK deaths trigger an inheritance tax charge at all, meaning most beneficiaries are unaware of the thresholds until they are suddenly above them.
An ExpertZoom wealth manager can help UK individuals who receive unexpected inheritances understand their current IHT exposure, structure assets to reduce future liability, and plan for long-term financial security. The solicitor's call may come out of nowhere. The wealth plan should not.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. For guidance on your specific circumstances, consult a qualified professional.
