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Fake or Fortune?

Fake or Fortune? is a BBC TV show presented by art dealer Philip Mould and journalist Fiona Bruce. It first airing in 2011.

The idea of the programme is to investigate paintings and objects as to whether they may be important undiscovered works.


Portrait

Fake or Fortune? investigates if this a rediscovered Angelica Kauffman

12 August 2025

The latest in the new series of Fake or Fortune? featured a work possibly by 18th-century artist Angelica Kauffman.

Fake or Fortune mystery

Fake or Fortune? Does this artwork have the hand of artist Frances Hodgkins?

05 August 2025

The latest in the new 'Fake or Fortune?' series featured a work possibly by Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947).

Portrait of a girl

Fake or Fortune?: Two Renoirs - or are they?

29 July 2025

The latest episode of Fake or Fortune? featured two separate artworks belonging to different owners purporting to be by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919).

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Churchill or not: Fake or Fortune first episode verdict not clear cut 

21 July 2025

The first of six new episodes of the BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' had an ambiguous outcome.

Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce

Fake or fortune: your chance to decide

07 July 2025

Can you spot a fake from the real deal just from glancing at a photo?

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Is Ardingly ‘Churchill’ Fake or Fortune?

07 July 2025

The first of six new episodes of the BBC’s Fake or Fortune? airing on Monday, July 21 features a picture of a summer garden bought for £130 at Ardingly Antiques Fair.

Fake or Fortune? presenters

Canadian painter’s harvest scene valued at £300,000 on Fake or Fortune?

10 October 2024

A painting acquired at a regional auction has been identified as a rediscovered work by the Canadian painter Helen McNicoll (1879–1915) and valued at £300,000 on the TV show ‘Fake or Fortune?’

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Vendor left ‘speechless’ after ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural withdrawn from Lay’s auction

03 June 2024

A row over the attribution of a ‘Ben Nicholson’ mural painting that appeared on the BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' led to the work being withdrawn at the last minute from an auction in Penzance.

Nicholson mural

Wall mural from a Surrey cottage featured on BBC’s Fake or Fortune? comes to auction in Cornwall

06 March 2024

A mural painted on a wall inside a Surrey cottage which starred in an episode of BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' is to be offered with a £40,000-80,000 estimate.

Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould

BBC’s Fake or Fortune? expands into memorabilia

01 November 2023

The BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' is known for discovering artworks – from paintings to sculpture. But for its next series it is expanding into memorabilia.

Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce

BBC show Fake or Fortune? proves Elisabeth Frink sculpture found at a car boot sale is the real deal

27 September 2023

With the help from the team of BBC show Fake or Fortune?, a lump of metal found at a car boot sale has been proved to be by sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink valued at around £60,000.

Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce

Fake or Fortune? returns with Elisabeth Frink mystery

12 September 2023

The BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' TV show returns this month for its 11th series.

Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce

Fake or Fortune to return to TV screens this autumn

05 July 2023

The BBC’s 'Fake or Fortune?' TV show will return for its 11th series this autumn.

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Fake or Fortune team investigate whether Sitwell sketch is a Modigliani

24 August 2022

In the second episode of the new Fake or Fortune? series, Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould investigate whether an artwork inherited from writer, critic and art collector Sacheverell Sitwell is a real Amedeo Modigliani sketch.

Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce

Art sleuth show Fake or Fortune? returns to screens this month

10 August 2022

BBC TV series 'Fake or Fortune?' is back for its 10th series later this month.

Jean-Léon Gérôme picture

Orientalist painting authenticated on BBC show 'Fake or Fortune?' heads to auction at Sotheby’s

13 October 2021

A picture bought for around £4000 and eventually authenticated on the BBC programme 'Fake or Fortune?' as by 19th-century French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme is to be offered at Sotheby’s with an estimate of £80,000-120,000.

Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould

Fake or Fortune? returns to screens for its ninth season this month

17 July 2021

BBC TV show Fake or Fortune? is returning later this month after filming progressed in between lockdowns.

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Viewers of BBC show Fake or Fortune? wait a year to discover Giacometti sculpture knocked over by a cat is the real thing at £500,000

22 August 2019

The verification of a Giacometti sculpture once knocked over by a cat was delayed by months leaving viewers of BBC art show ‘Fake or Fortune?’ waiting a year to find out if it was worth £500,000.

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Truth behind mystery Venetian view investigated by Fake or Fortune? revealed by art dealer Charles Beddington

15 August 2019

A painting thought to be by well-known Venetian painters Francesco Guardi (1712-93) or Michele Marieschi (1710-43) has emerged as an English copy, worth a fraction of its supposed value.

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Fake or Fortune? investigation reveals possible Giorgio de Chirico painting is “worthless”

08 August 2019

A painting thought to be by Surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) has been rejected by experts after an investigation by art dealer Philip Mould, Fiona Bruce and the Fake or Fortune? team.