John Elliott

62-year-old John Elliott from Bishop Auckland - a life-long supporter of the Conservative Party and one of the richest people in England. He employs more than three hundred people at his factory making water coolers. John’s now one of the largest suppliers in the world, but life did not begin this way. He grew up in poverty two miles from where he lives now. His father died when he was a small child and his mother raised three children single-handedly. This upbringing has left John with a real sense of what it is like to have nothing and he never takes his wealth for granted. “I did at one point”, says John, “think it may be good to get rid of it and start all over again, then there would be the real pressure of doing it again. A bit like getting to the end of the fish and chip queue and then going to the end and starting again. That would take some strength wouldn’t it?” John is incredibly charitable, giving away thousands each year to different causes. But now he wants a more hands on approach to giving and feels he wants to get as close as possible to the people who really need it. “It’s very easy to write cheques out for organisations… but it is important to get out there and identify people with real needs”. This is why he has agreed to live undercover for ten days - leaving his lifestyle and even his identity behind to live in a small rented flat on the equivalent of state benefits in Kensington, Liverpool, one of the poorest parts of Britain. According to a Government report, the social and economic deprivation there is severe and deep rooted. Its residents have a 50% greater chance of dying earlier than the average person in England. But John does not believe in spending or giving away money for the sake of it. He is very careful not to be wasteful or casual with his giving. So how easy will he find it to identify individuals who he feels are really deserving of his assistance? And, when faced with the realisation that he may hav