EastEnders and Coronation Street actor Ray Brooks left HUGE £1.5M fortune to his two sons following his death aged 86
Former EastEnders and Coronation Street actor Ray Brooks left a huge £ 1.5 million fortune to his two surviving sons when he died.
The popular TV star, who narrated the classic 1970s children’s show Mr Benn, died on August 9 last year, aged 86, after a short illness.
In his Grant of Probate document released on Tuesday, it revealed the gross value of his estate was £1,583,531. The net value after deductions was £1,571,855.
Ray married his wife Sadie in 1963, but she died in 2021. The couple had three children, Will, Tom and Emma – who sadly passed away in 2023.
The majority of the value of the estate was left to his two surviving children – his two sons, it is understood.
He wrote his will on May 5, 2012. His wife and sons were named as executors and trustees.
Former EastEnders and Coronation Street actor Ray Brooks left a huge £ 1.5 million fortune to his two surviving sons when he died (pictured in November 2006)
The popular TV star, who narrated the classic 1970s children’s show Mr Benn, died on August 9 last year, aged 86, after a short illness (pictured with his sons Tom and Will in 1987)
However, Sadie passed away nine years after it was written.
His Grant of Probate, dated June 4, said he resided at a care home in Twickenham at the time of his death.
It reads: ‘Raymond Michael Brooks, died on August 9, 2025.
‘The Last Will and Testament of Raymond Michael Brooks was proved and registered before the High Court of Justice.
‘The Administration of Raymond Michael Brooks’ estate is granted by this court to the following Executors.
‘William Brooks, of Richmond and Thomas Brooks of Twickenham.’
Ray, who became one of just a few actors to star in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, had a career spanning five decades.
As well as his work in soap and children’s TV, Ray also starred in primetime 1980s programme Big Deal, where he starred as gambler Robbie Box, and 1960s BBC drama Cathy Come Home.
Ray shared his sons with wife Sadie, who he married in 2916. The couple also had a daughter Emma, who died in 2003 (Seen in The World of Eddie Weary in 1990)
In a statement to the BBC, Ray’s sons Will and Tom confirmed that he had passed away after a short illness.
Will and Tom said that Ray died peacefully with his family at his bedside, and they revealed he had been living with dementia in his final years.
The brothers said that their dad thought he was best known as an actor for narrating the 1970s TV show Mr Benn.
They added that Ray would have ‘people continually asking him to say the catchphrase “as if by magic!”‘
They added: ‘Although only 13 episodes were made, they were repeated twice a year for 21 years.’
Ray appeared in ITV soap Coronation Street in 1964 as Norman Phillips as a recurring character.
Almost fifty years later, Ray joined the cast of BBC’s rival soap EastEnders as Joe Macer in 2005.
Ray’s final appearance on the show was in January 2007 when his character confessed to killing his wife Pauline at Christmas.
Joe later fell from a window to his death.
Ray’s sons said, however, that their dad was not a fan of the limelight, adding: ‘His three true loves were family, Fulham Football Club, and spending time in Brighton, where he was born.’
Speaking about his career to Sussex Life, Ray previously said: ‘I was naive, […] I thought casting directors would come to me.
‘But although people did offer me work, very often the films didn’t materialise because they couldn’t get the money together.
‘And, actually, I don’t think I was ever that good an actor. I was more an image of a young man.’
He added: ‘I was never as good looking as, say, my contemporary, David Hemmings.
‘And don’t forget this was the period of Terence Stamp. So there was a lot of competition.’