Dale Winton
Dale Winton was a much-loved celebrity whose untimely death in 2018 saddened his many fans.
Now the TV presenter’s will has been made public. According to reports in Birmingham Live and several national newspapers, Dale Winton left his entire estate to one person.
A gift for Linsey
He gifted his estate, worth £2.1m, to Mark Linsey, Chief Creative Officer of BBC Studios. Dale Winton was a longtime friend of Linsey and his wife, and was godfather to their three children.
How do we know?
All wills become public documents after death – the details of Dale Winton’s will came from Brighton’s probate registry. It was revealed that the £2.1m estate also included a holiday home in Sarasota, Florida.
The presenter had reportedly sold his home in Regent’s Park, London, a month before he died unexpectedly of natural causes at the age of 62. He was living in a rented home at the time of his death.
Dale Winton’s will also contained instructions. He reportedly requested that Mr Linsey give gifts to three other friends and that his ashes be placed alongside his mother Sheree, who died in 1976, in Golders Green cemetery.
A humanist ceremony for the Supermarket Sweep star took place in May 2018, with close friends in attendance to celebrate his life and achievements.
Leaving no will
Dale Winton had no children and, if he hadn’t written a will, his estate may have gone to distant family members instead of his closest friends.
Under the rules of intestacy, the estate of someone who dies without a will automatically goes to blood relatives. Even distant relatives like half-aunts, half-uncles and half-cousins can inherit if there are no surviving close relatives.
If someone has no surviving relatives at all, or they cannot be traced, the estate goes to the Crown if it remains unclaimed after 30 years.
Maplebrook Wills have will writers based all over the UK. To set up an appointment, call 0117 440 1555 today.