Ray Brooks, the British actor best known for narrating the children's series Mr Benn and for roles in EastEnders and Coronation Street, died at age 86 in August 2023. Probate documents released in June 2024 show he left a net estate of £1.57 million to his two surviving sons, Will and Tom. The will, drafted in 2012, predates the dementia that afflicted his final years.

A £1 .57 million estate and a will from 2012

According to the probate document, Brooks's gross estate was valued at £1,583,531, with net value £1,571,855 after deductions. The will was signed on May 5, 2012, over a decade before his death. His sons Will and Tom, named executors, inherited the bulk of the estate. The document lists Brooks as residing at a care home in Twickenham at the time of his death, reflcting the long-term care he required.

From Mr Benn's magic to soap opera murder

Brooks's career spanned more than five decades, making him one of the few actors to appear in both of Britain's major soaps. He first appeared on Coronation Street in 1964 as Norman Phillips, and later joined EastEnders in 2005 as Joe Macer, a character who confessed to murdering his wife Pauline before falling to his death. But perhaps his most enduring legacy is the narration of Mr Benn, a 13-episode children's series that was repeated twice a year for 21 years. As his sons told the BBC, fans often asked him to say the catchphrase "as if by magic."

The three tragedies behind the fortune

The will's beneficiaries are Brooks's two surviving sons, reflecting a family history marked by loss. His daughter Emma died in 2003, and his wife Sadie passed away in 2021, nine years after the will was written. Brooks himself married Sadie in 1963, and the couple had three children. In his final years, Brooks lived with dementia and was cared for in a Twickenham care home. His sons confirmed he died peacefully with family at his bedside.

The actor who called himself 'never that good'

Despite a career that included primetime drama (Big Deal) and a groundbreaking BBC play (Cathy Come Home), Brooks was characteristically modest about his abilities. In an interview with Sussex Life, he said, "I don't think I was ever that good an actor. I was more an image of a young man." He also downplayed his looks compareed to contemporaries like David Hemmings or Terence Stamp. According to his sons, Brooks's true loves were family, Fulham Football Club, and his hoetown of Brighton.

What the probate documents don't reveal

While the Grant of Probate confirms the £1.5 million distribution, several questions remain.. The 2012 will was written before Brooks developed dementia and before the death of his wife and daughter — did he ever update it? The source reports no mention of charitable bequests or gifts to grandchildren.. Also absent is any explanation for the size of the estate: was it accumulated through careful savings, property, or residuals from his long TV career? The document lists his residence as a care home, but does not detail the care costs that may have reduced the net value.