Fake or Fortune season 13: release date, hosts, paintings and everything we know

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The art detective show is back!

Fake or Fortune season 13 hosts Philip Mould and Fiona Bruce
(Image credit: BBC)

Fake or Fortune season 13 sees Fiona Bruce and art expert Philip Mould try to prove that more valuable works of art are genuine.

If you've not seen the series before, it’s a fascinating watch as Fiona and Philip investigate the provenance of potentially important artworks. The pair have scored notable successes in the past, including in 2024 when they proved a painting bought for just over £2,000 was a long-lost masterpiece worth £300,000, known as The Bean Harvest, by Canadian impressionist Helen McNicoll.

Here's everything we know about the new series, including what artworks they’re looking into…

Fake or Fortune season 13  release date

Fake or Fortune season 13 begins on BBC One on Monday, July 21 at 9 pm. The new series is four parts, and episodes will be made available on BBC iPlayer.

What painting features in episode 1 of Fake or Fortune season 13?

Barry, Philip Mould, Fiona Bruce with the painting thought to be by Winston Churchill

(Image credit: BBC)

There's a small fortune (£600,000 to be precise) riding on the evidence uncovered by Fiona and Philip. Barry, a carer, believes he may have discovered a lost painting by Winston Churchill of his wife Clementine sitting in the gardens of Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex.

Barry bought it for just £140 at an antiques fair in 2022, but when he took it out of its frame, he discovered an intriguing inscription claiming it was painted by the former PM in June 1916. While there’s mounting evidence, including distinctive stylistic features known to be used by Churchill, without proper provenance, can the painting be authenticated?

What happens in episode 2?

Framed landscape painting being investigated as a work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

Framed landscape painting being investigated as a work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. (Image credit: BBC)

In a double investigation, Fiona Bruce and art expert Philip Mould try to discover if a landscape and a portrait are both previously unknown works by Renoir. As scientific analysis begins to reveal some surprising results, the investigation takes an unexpected turn. Can the team make a case that will convince the experts — or is there a chance that a sophisticated forger has been at work?

What happens in episode 3?

We don’t have any information yet on episode 3. We will update this article when we do.

What happens in episode 4?

We don’t have any information yet on episode 4. We will update this article when we do.

Is there a trailer?

No, not yet.

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David Hollingsworth
David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.

Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 

David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.

Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!

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