Eagle-eyed Fool Me Once fans spot where they've seen the show's stately home before

Michelle Keegan as Maya with a mother in law from hell, played by Joanna Lumley.
(Image credit: Netflix)

Fool Me Once is the new Harlan Coben thriller released on New Year's Day and has topped the most-watched charts worldwide since.

One of the most prominent locations in the series is Farmwood, the luxurious mansion that belongs to Maya's (played by Michelle Keegan) mother-in-law Judith (played by Joanna Lumley). 

Fool Me Once was filmed at locations in the northwest of England, including in Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Arley Hall, a grand 15th-century Grade 11 listed stately home in Cheshire, was used to portray the family home. But viewers have realised they've seen the location before, as it's actually a popular spot for filming other BBC shows.

Arley Hall was also used as the home of Tommy Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy) in the BBC's Peaky Blinders. The house has also been on Antiques Roadshow and CBeebies' Something Special.

Eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice the house had been used before on another show. 'You can't fool me, that's Tommy Shelby's house!' wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter). 

While another fan replied, 'I had no idea as I haven't watched Peaky Blinders. Reminds me of the Saltburn estate.'

And another wrote, 'I thought it was the Sex Education school for a sec.'

While another said, 'Some of the same locations have been used in Fool Me Once as were used in The Stranger, and same actors too!'

And another wrote on the social media platform, 'I thought I recognised it. Just couldn't remember where from.'

And another said, 'Knew I'd seen the building before.'

Then Netflix waded in with, 'PLOT TWIST: it's Mr Tumble's house too!!!'

One fan replied jokingly, 'It's actually Lord Tumble's house, Mr Tumble is just visiting to wash his car.'

While another said, 'Funny how you never see them in the same room together...'

You can catch Fool Me Once on Netflix, streaming now. 

Want to know more about the hit show? Check out our Fool Me Once guide, including the full series episode guide, release date, cast, plot, interviews, trailer and all about the Harlan Coben thriller.

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Lauren is the former Deputy Digital Editor at woman&home and became a journalist mainly because she enjoys being nosy. With a background in features journalism, Lauren worked on the woman&home brand for four years before going freelance. Before woman&home Lauren worked across a variety of women's lifestyle titles, including GoodTo, Woman's Own, and Woman magazine. After starting out working for a local paper in Yorkshire, her journalism career took her to Bristol where she hunted out stories for national papers and magazines at Medavia news agency, before landing a job in London working as a lifestyle assistant.

A big fan of adventure, Lauren is also a keen travel writer and loves sharing tips on where to find the best places to eat, drink, and be merry off the beaten track. Lauren has written a series of travel guides for London hotels and loves sharing her insights into a destination's cultural and culinary offerings. If you need a recommendation on any UK destination, she's more than happy to help. At the weekend, you'll usually find her hanging out with her pet cat (or anyone else's pet she can get her hands on), escaping to the countryside, or devouring a good book.