Rise And Fall contestant shocks fellow players by revealing aristocratic roots

Rise And Fall contestant Eddy has warned others to not “judge a book by its cover” as he revealed he grew up on a large private estate but admitted his family “never had any money”.

In Tuesday’s episode of Channel 4’s reality series, the 27-year-old from Devon told his fellow players that his family own 3,500 acres of land and a house with 15 or 20 bedrooms.

Despite coming from one of Britain’s oldest aristocratic families, he is said to lead an ordinary life and works in software sales.

The new game show aims to reflect real-life power dynamics as it sees 16 members of the public, from all walks of life and ages, begin the game as equals but soon find themselves either in a position of power as a “ruler” or as part of the powerless as a “grafter”.

The grafters must survive in a cramped basement without natural light and with repetitive, bland food while having to complete physically demanding challenges to build a cash prize fund only the rulers can win.

Rulers will live it up in a luxurious penthouse as they encourage the grafters to work harder, but if they push too hard they might find themselves toppled from power.

Anyone can rise to a position of power and anyone can fall, which will be decided by the other players.

At the end of the game, only one ruler will have the chance of winning a cash prize of up to £100,000.

In the show’s latest instalment, the contestants quizzed fellow grafter Eddy on his upbringing.

Asked what his father does for a living, he told them the family have an estate with 3,500 acres of land.

Questioned on the number of bedrooms it has, he added: “I don’t know, maybe 15 or 20. I guess the drive is maybe about half a mile.”

However, in a private piece to camera, he said: “If you just took me for face value, ‘Oh you went to private school and he grew up in a stately home’, people obviously assume that I’m rich.

“We’ve never had any money in the family… that’s why I didn’t go to uni and went straight to work, working in a chicken slaughterhouse.

“You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Elsewhere in the episode, new ruler Connor was given the casting vote to determine who will fall from the penthouse and be eliminated from the game.

Matt and Marina received two votes each and Connor gave his vote to Marina as well.

Rise And Fall continues on Channel 4.