Tempting Fortune is a British reality competition television series where a group of people try to win the biggest cash prize they can by avoiding temptations to spend money from the prize fund.
The show was originally hosted by Paddy McGuinness with Rob Beckett taking over as host from the third series. The first series was filmed in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa during 2022, and premiered on Channel 4 on 26 March 2023. It was commissioned, as a co-production, in partnership with streaming platform Roku and was released by its programming brand Roku Originals. The show was renewed by Channel 4 in April 2024 but Roku was no longer a partner. The second series, set in Langkawi, Malaysia, began airing on 16 March 2025. A third series was announced in 2025, with McGuinness stepping down as host due to other commitments.
Format Tempting Fortune is a show where 12 strangers hope to win a share of a prize pot of £300,000. They are left in a remote location where they embark on a gruelling trek to reach their destination. All the participants are provided with only the basic survival gear and they have to spend many days without any creature comforts. Along the way they are tested with temptations, such as good food, luxurious accommodation, various home comfort or opportunity to skip a difficult part of the trek to see if they have the willpower to resist spending their money on these luxuries. Every temptation chosen by the participants will be subtracted from the final prize pool. The more they spend and the less money they will win at the end.
Series overview Series Episodes Presenter Location Premiere Finale 1 6Paddy McGuinness South Africa 30 March 2023 10 April 2023 2 8Malaysia 16 March 2025 7 April 2025 3 colspan="1" Rob Beckett 22 September 2026 TBC
Series 1 (2023)
Contestants Name Age Occupation Temptation spending WinningsAshton28Event singer£600£22,008Carolynn65Retired Trauma Nurse£4,283.33£20,608Charlie25Fish and Chip Shop Worker£1,600£21,008Dan31Social Worker£7,083.33£19,608Dee44Event Caterer£7,983.33£19,608Jack22Content Creator£5,516.66£20,475James50Ex-professional Basketball Player£3,000£22,608Lani33Graphic Designer£7,016.66£20,475Luke39Meditation Coach£0£22,608Michelle37Works in Sales£6,183.33£20,508Tahira39Field Organiser£0£22,608Trewley-Precious22Social Media Influencer£2,433.33£20,175
Temptations Temptation Cost Tempted contestants Total spent NotesEasy route to next camp£3,000 per personNone£0Winnebago for the night£8,000 per personNone£0This is available every night and was never usedCoffee£200 per drinkNone£0Diner serving fast foodVarious pricesLani£500One milkshakeLuxury Safari Lodge Getaway£4,000 for 2 peopleNone£0Shortcut to next camp£4,000 per personNone£0Canoes instead of rafts£4,000 for the whole groupNone£0Hot Chocolate£400 per drinkLani£400This was a temptation done in private. Lani only drinks half the drink.Luxury Spa£1,000 or £1,500 per person depending on packageDan, Jack, Lani, and Michelle.£4,500Lani opted for the 'indulgence' package costing £1,500.Vending machineVarious pricesDan and Jack£400This was a temptation done in private as a pair and not given to any other contestants. They bought a bar of chocolate and shared it with everyone else.EquipmentVarious pricesDee£2,000Dee needed new walking boots as she had misshapen them after leaving them too close to the fire. This wasn't a temptation per se.Home Comforts package£1,500 per personNone£0It included food and drinks, a mock living room with a chance to watch TV for the evening.The teams are now split in two, those that have spent in one team, those that haven't in anotherAlcoholVarious pricesCarolyn, Dan, Dee, Jack, and Michelle£800Carolynn, Dan, Jack, and Michelle shared a bottle of wine (£400 in total) and Dee had 2 beers (£400)Phone call home£100 per minuteDan (7 minutes) and Dee (3 minutes)£1,000This temptation was done in privateCoffee and pastry£200 for a coffee with a pastryCarolynn and Lani£200Carolynn had the coffee and Lani had the pastryA party£3,500 per groupCarolynn, Dan, Dee, Jack, Lani, and Michelle£3,500Included food, drink, and a silent discoGlamping Hotel£3,000 per double bedCarolynn, Dan, Dee, Jack, James, Lani, and Michelle£12,000Included food and drinks and breakfast the next morning. James stole some teabags despite not taking the full temptation but was charged as if he had.Two groups are reunited as one team againDonuts£200 per donutNone£0Bag taken directly to next camp£500 per personMichelle£500Cocktail Bar£300 for a cocktail, £200 for any other drinkDee, Lani, Michelle£900Dee had wine, Lani had a cocktail and Michelle had 2 winesSpending is now taken from your own personal funds left rather than the whole groupSafari£1,500 per personCarolynn, Dan, and Dee£4,500Cocktail Bar£300 for a cocktail, £200 for any other drinkAshton, Charlie, Jack, Lani, Michelle, Trelwey-Precious£3,900Bubble Bath and a car ride halfway through trek£100 per bathJack, Lani and Trelwey-Precious£100Shared the bathLast supper£1,000 per personCharlie, Dan, Dee, Jack, Lani, Michelle, Trelwey-Precious£7,000A slap up meal and unlimited drinksShortcut to the finish line£500 per personCarolynn, Dan, Dee, Jack, Lani, Michelle, Trelwey-Precious£3,500A car taking them directly to the finish line instead of trekking
Together the contestants spent £26,700 on temptations shown. However, the show jumps the amount between temptations and has the total spent as £28,700.
Series 2 (2025) Contestants Name Age Occupation Temptations and spendings WinningsDavid Peterson38Vicar£3,975 and £14,000 banked£28,835Henry Bowe23Amateur Footballer£1,750 and £4,000 banked£18,835Hugo20University Student£1,500*£14,835Imani Evans32Fashion Blogger£9,250 and £1,500 banked£16,335Martha Armitage24Yacht Stewardess£4,050 and £4,000 banked£18,835Nathaniel29Personal trainer£12,925 and £10,000 banked£24,835Samantha "Sam" Willett40Ex restaurant owner£3,075 and £4,000 banked£18,835Ted58Retired Prison Officer£25,000 cost to fly home£0Thom33Hospitality Sales Manager£2,850 and £4,000 banked£18,835Tomasz Wisniewski39Firefighter£7,300£14,835Trish Tippett59Paramedic£4,425£14,835Vicky38Greeting Cards Business owner£4,425 and £30,000 to fly home£0 Hugo technically never chose to spend any money, this was a temptation where if enough people chose to do it (6 out of 10) it was offered to everyone. Hugo did not take the offer of the temptation despite it being paid for.
Temptations Temptation Cost Tempted contestants Total spent NotesGlamping beds£1,200 per double bedImani£1,200Only started using it at 2amAir conditioning cubicle£200 per minuteImani£1,000Taxi to next campsite£1,500 per personTrish and Vicky£3,000Pool Club£2,000 per personImani and Tomasz£4,000Flight home£25,000Ted£25,000Ted left on medical grounds so didn't have the additional £5,000 taken from the prize fund.Glamping£750 per personVicky£750The team was split into small groups for this task and offered it in smaller groupsTaxi to next camp£1,000 per personImani and Vicky£2,000The Nag's Head PubVarious pricesImani, Tomasz, and Vicky£1,400Imani had a Fanta, Tomasz had a pint of Guinness, Vicky had a portion of cheesy chips.Home comforts£300David, Imani and Tomasz£900David had a packet of Haribo, Imani had a haircare kit and Tomasz had a donut. The temptation was done in secret without other teams members knowing of it was taken or not.Hotel£2,000 per double bedMartha and Tomasz£2,000They shared a bedFlight home£25,000 + £5,000Vicky£30,000Coffee Shop£250 for a coffee and pastry for two peopleDavid, Nathaniel, Sam and Trish£500Sam gave her pastry to TrishChinese Buffet£4,500 per groupImani, Martha, Nathaniel, Thom and Trish£4,5003 or more members had to say yes to have it. They are split in two groups at this point.The RetreatBlind auction bidNathaniel£10,000The next highest bid was only £3,698. There was an option to take a second person which wasn't used.Pick n MixVarious pricesNone£0Only temptation the group turned downATMVarious prices + £250 transaction feeDavid, Henry, Imani, Martha, Sam and Thom£23,000Of those tempted everyone chose to take £4,000 except Imani who opted for £1,500.Disco£400 per personDavid, Imani, Martha, Nathaniel, Tomasz and Trish£2,400Video call home£100 per minuteDavid, Imani, Sam, Thom and Tomasz£3,000The SpaVarious pricesDavid and Tomasz£2,000Both spent £1,000 each.Super Yacht£10,000 for 5 people or £15,000 for 10 peopleAll£15,000Trish, Tomasz, Imani, Martha, David, Nathaniel all wanted to do it, unlocking the temptation for everyone. Hugo and Henry decide not to take temptation even though they technically paid for it.£20,000 cash in a rucksack£20,000David and Nathaniel£20,000In pairs, couples went and could open the bag and take £20,000 between them or reject it. If everyone rejects the bag the funds stayed with the group as a whole. No other pair even looked in the bag.
Together the contestants spent £60,150 on temptations shown. The contestants took £41,500 from the prize fund and banked it for themselves.
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Result 2024 Venice TV Awards Reality TV 2023 TBI Content Innovation Awards Reality Show of the Year Rose d’Or Awards Competition Reality C21 International Format Awards Best Competition Reality Format
International versions Color key
CountryLocal nameNetworkPresenterWinnersOriginally airedGreece Tempting Fortune Greece Skai TV Series 1, 2024: Roula 17 September 2024Italy Money Road – Ogni tentazione ha un prezzo Sky UnoTV8 Fabio Caressa Series 1, 2025: Yaser Qurum and Grazia Amas Series 2, 2026: Marilina Nardozza 29 May 2025Mexico Tentados por la fortuna TV Azteca Sergio MayerItatí Cantoral Series 1, 2024: Freddy Bautista Series 2, 2025: Jey Bazán, Julieta García, Verónica Santiago and Max Ramírez 27 May 2024Norway Ville fristelser NRK1 Series 1, 2025: Rebecca Teclemariam Series 2, 2026: Upcoming series 6 September 2025Romania Tempting Fortune România Kanal D Series 1, 2025: Gabriel Muntianu 11 May 2025United Kingdom(original format) Tempting Fortune Channel 4 Paddy McGuinness Series 1, 2023: James Series 2, 2025: David Peterson Series 3, 2026: Upcoming series 26 March 2023
See also Stranded with a Million Dollars
References
External links