Channel 4 Commissions Doc on Britain’s Most Expensive Home

RDF has been commissioned by Channel 4 to make a prime-time documentary following the building of billionaire businessman John Caudwell’s lavish new home in London.

In Britain’s Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire, RDF has exclusive access to the building site of one of the most epic homes ever to be built in the U.K. The documentary will tell the story of this complex project, covering almost 50,000 square feet, that must be carried out in the narrow confines of London’s historic Mayfair district.

Over budget and behind schedule, the build is far from plain sailing. Self-made billionaire and philanthropist Caudwell, who sold Phones 4u in 2006 for just under £1.5 billion ($2 billion), is at the heart of the film, cajoling builders and designers alike to deliver on his vision for his new home. With access to the tradespeople and interior designers who must answer to one exacting client, the film follows their work as they try to meet the new deadline for completion.

Unique engineering tasks and challenges on the build include a vast subterranean basement that joins two mansions together, housing a mechanical car stacker that can store eight cars at the click of a button, and a second-floor dining room featuring a river with live fish.

All worldwide rights to Britain’s Most Expensive Home: Building for a Billionaire are owned by Banijay Rights.

Dan Barraclough, executive producer for RDF, said: “This incredible access gives us a glimpse into the world of the truly mega-wealthy, where every whim can be realized, but where things can still go wrong, as on any building site. At the heart of the program is the intriguing character of Caudwell himself: a tough taskmaster but also a committed philanthropist. He is a man with huge wealth, but one who still counts the pennies, the boy from Stoke who has set his heart on a home in the ‘old money’ world of Mayfair. It makes for a fascinating character portrayal.”