I was round at my dad’s house last Sunday, watching repeats of The Royle Family on BBC Two. Dad was laughing his head off at Jim Royle’s latest outburst when he nudged me and said, ‘I’ll bet that Ricky Tomlinson’s made a right few bob off of this show. How much is Ricky Tomlinson worth these days?
Proper good question, actually. The man has been on our televisions since forever, from Brookside to The Royle Family to every film and TV show under the sun. Must have made a bob or two, eh? So naturally, I did what any self-respecting son would do: spent the week finding out.
How Much is Ricky Tomlinson Worth – The Numbers Game
Let’s cut to the chase. Ricky Tomlinson net worth is approximately £15-20 million according to most reports. That’s proper money, isn’t it? Some sites claim it to be as much as $20 million (around £16 million), while others claim it’s more in the £1-5 million range.
The fact is that we do not know how much is Ricky Tomlinson worth except for his accountant or the taxman. The financial details of celebrities are private, and the numbers floating around on the internet are for the most part educated estimates based on what we know about how much he has earned in his career.
And I tell you this: the guy’s never been unemployed. For the past nearly four decades, he’s never stopped being on TV, in films, or doing anything else to make sure the bills get paid. That accumulates over the course of forty years.
The Brookside Years
Let’s start where it all began for most of us. Ricky Tomlinson is best known for playing Bobby Grant in Brookside from 1982 to 1988. He spent six years on one of the biggest soaps on British telly. That would have set him up nicely.
My mate Tony worked in television in the 1980s. He says soap actors were doing all right moneywise even in those days, perhaps £1,000-£2,000 an episode for lead characters. In six-plus years, that’s some serious cash, especially when you consider what money was worth in the 1980s.
Ricky Tomlinson became a household name by featuring in Brookside. It was the open door that never closed for the length of his career. Sometimes the intrinsic value is not just in the immediate salary; it is in the opportunities that it will lead to.
The Royle Family Goldmine
This is probably where Ricky Tomlinson made his real money. The Royle Family was massive. Popular in the sense of culturally huge. It was watched, quoted, and loved by everyone.
The show, which ran from 1998 to 2012, brought in huge numbers of viewers for specials. The Christmas specials alone were drawing 10-12 million viewers. BBC would have paid handsomely for those kinds of numbers.
Plus, there are the repeats. You can’t escape The Royle Family; it’s on all the time on every channel. Ricky Tomlinson has an opportunity to get paid repeat fees every time it’s broadcast. That’s money every year flowing in for work he did decades ago.
I’ve heard BBC stars can be paid between £50,000 and £500,000 per series for hit shows. With The Royle Family’s success, Ricky was likely closer to that top end.
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Film Work And Other Projects
But people forget about all the films Ricky Tomlinson has starred in. Mike Bassett: England Manager, The 51st State with Samuel L. Jackson, and just numerous British films over the years. It’s a different kind of pay for film work: sometimes a flat fee, sometimes a share of the profits.
And then there’s Cracker, in which he portrayed DCI Charlie Wise. That was another great hit show that lasted years. More regular income, more of those repeat fees.
He’s also done theatre, written books, and been on chat shows and in adverts. All of this adds up. It’s not a single, huge payday; it’s dozens of smaller ones for decades.
Modern Money Makers
Here’s something crazy. I unearthed that Ricky Tomlinson’s making money on Cameo. You know, that site where famous people record personal messages for fans? He offers all his famous Royle Family catchphrases for £60 a video.
Not much, but consider: Without wishing to count his money for him, if he does ten videos a week (and with his reach and influence online he probably does more), that’s £600. £30,000+ each for a few minutes of work over the year. Not bad for a man in his 80s.
The repeats keep coming too. The Royle Family is on somewhere virtually every day. Gold, BBC iPlayer, streaming services. Every time someone watches, Ricky gets paid.
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Property And Investments
Ricky Tomlinson’s lived in Liverpool most of his life. Property prices there have gone mental over the past twenty years. If he bought his house decades ago, it’s probably worth a fortune now.
Smart celebrities invest their earnings. Property, stocks, bonds, maybe some business ventures. Ricky strikes me as a sensible bloke who wouldn’t blow his money on flash cars and champagne.
He’s also written books, including his autobiography. Authors get royalties every time someone buys a copy. Another little income stream that keeps paying.
Still A Proper Scouser At Heart
You know what I love about Ricky Tomlinson? He’s got all this money but he’s still the same bloke. Lives in Liverpool, talks like he always has, and doesn’t put on airs and graces.
I remember seeing him on some chat show years ago. The host was going on about his success, and Ricky just said something like, “I’m still the same daft plasterer from Liverpool, me.” That’s brilliant, that is.
And he’s never stopped caring about ordinary people, has he? Always campaigning for this cause or that cause. The Hillsborough families, trade unions, all sorts. Could easily have taken his money and buggered off to some mansion somewhere, but he stayed local and stayed involved.
My dad always says money doesn’t change you; it just shows who you really were all along. Ricky Tomlinson’s proof of that. Rich as anything now, but still fighting the same battles he was fighting when he was skint.
The man is 85 years old and still working. Still appearing on TV, still doing Cameo videos, still making people laugh. That’s proper work ethic right there.
My Honest Take
Based on everything I’ve looked into, I reckon Ricky Tomlinson’s worth somewhere between £10 and £20 million. Could be more, could be less, but that feels about right for someone with his career.
The Royle Family alone would have set him up for life. Add in forty years of other work, property investments, repeat fees, and modern ventures like Cameo, and you’re talking serious money.
But here’s the thing: he’s earned every penny. The man’s entertained millions of people for decades. He’s made us laugh, made us think, and created characters we’ll never forget. If that’s not worth a few million quid, what is?
When people ask how much is Ricky Tomlinson worth, I think they’re missing the point. His real worth isn’t measured in pounds and pence; rather, it’s measured in the joy he’s brought to British television.
Though I bet he’s not complaining about the money either. Good on him, I say.
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