21-05-2025
The Inheritance's Elizabeth Hurley plays dead woman in Traitors-style show
Get ready for your new TV addiction this autumn with The Inheritance as the Traitors-style show debuts a first-look trailer, starring Elizabeth Hurley and Rob Rinder.
Pulling in the star power for the new launch, it features Hurley in a dramatic role as "The Deceased" as she poses in front of a white frilly coffin while wearing a glamorous sequinned gown.
She gives a flavour of what's to come in the Channel 4 series and explains what the game of alliances and betrayal will involve, as viewers also get a glimpse of her co-star Rob Rinder.
A first-look trailer and image has been released for the new immersive reality show, with Hurley posing in a coffin as The Deceased.
She plays the character of a recently-deceased wealthy woman whose will is being handled by executor and trusted legal counsel Rinder. A first image from the series features Rinder standing alongside glamorous benefactor Hurley, sitting up in her coffin.
In a first trailer for The Inheritance, Hurley explains more about what to expect from the series, as well as what her role will be. Standing in front of the coffin, she says: "I play a glamorous and mysterious benefactor, known only as The Deceased."
Cutting to a shot of a grand country estate, she continues: "The Deceased lived here, in this beautiful house on a vast country estate, and following her untimely death has left behind a fortune to be claimed."
Hurley explains a little more about what players will be aiming to do and as Rinder appears on the front steps of the house, she adds: "The wonderful Robert Rinder is executor of the will and he'll be keeping a watchful eye on the would-be heirs and heiresses. I can't wait for you all to see it when it comes to Channel 4 this autumn."
If the forthcoming Channel 4 series appears to have vibes of The Traitors about it, that may be because it comes from the same production company, Studio Lambert. Like the hit BBC One series, it is set in a luxurious country estate and requires players to work as a team on challenges, but ultimately betray each other to bag the prize money.
Across 12 episodes, 13 players will have to complete the tricky assignments The Deceased has included in her will and use their cunning and wit to secure the money attached to each final request.
But there's a twist - only one player can claim the money from each request, so they must manage to convince the rest of the group that they alone deserve to get the cash that they all earned.
A Channel 4 description of the show reads: "The Inheritance is a game of wit, willpower, persuasion and betrayal, where it's not about who deserves the money, but who is willing to outplay, out-charm and out-scheme the competition to claim it. It is camp, cut-throat and completely gripping."
Hurley said: "It's a thrill to be part of this clever game, playing The Deceased; it all takes place on her huge estate in the English countryside and she dresses to the nines in every scene. Tune in this autumn to catch The Inheritance on Channel 4."
Rinder added: "This is a high-stakes strategy game served with a side of scheming and sabotage. As The Executor I enforce the rules, keep the chaos in check - more or less - and make sure our players are deserving of every glittering penny left by our dearly departed deceased, played by the iconic Elizabeth Hurley."
Since the runaway success of The Traitors, it's no surprise that plenty of other shows have tried to emulate its popularity. Studio Lambert are trying their luck at Channel 4 this time, but The Inheritance is just the latest in a long list of immersive reality TV series.
The cast for the long-awaited Celebrity Traitors has recently been announced, which is set to welcome the likes of Stephen Fry, Kate Garraway, Paloma Faith and Alan Carr to the castle later this year.
Over on ITV, Stephen Mangan will host The Fortune Hotel again for a second season which sends pairs of contestants to a luxury Caribbean resort for its game of alliances and persuasion.
In March, Netflix launched its own Traitors-esque show Million Dollar Secret as Peter Serafinowicz hosted scheming and backstabbing players hoping to win big at a Canadian lakeside estate.
Studio Lambert has previously tried out another similar style of series at Channel 4 - 2023's Rise and Fall hosted by Greg James saw contestants divided into Rulers and Grafters who had to make their way from the servant basement of a luxury tower block to the penthouse suite. However, it was dropped after just one series.
The Inheritance is expected to air on Channel 4 in autumn 2025.
