Ant and Dec win court order in attempt to trace 'secret profits' in Banksy deals
BBC World
March 4, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Ant and Dec have secured a court order to uncover alleged secret profits tied to their dealings with Banksy artworks. A High Court judge ruled there is a "good arguable case" that wrongdoing occurred in transactions involving the TV hosts' personal art collection, managed by an unnamed intermediary referred to as X. The pair claims that this individual improperly took unauthorised profits from deals, including the purchase of a £550,000 Banksy print series featuring Kate Moss as Marilyn Monroe and the sale of a Banksy piece depicting a girl holding Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald for £13,000, with Ant and Dec allegedly only receiving £11,000. The judge emphasized that while there is a strong case for wrongdoing, no findings of liability were made against X or others involved.
The court order compels art dealer Andrew Lilley and his firm, Lilley Fine Art Ltd, to disclose details of their transactions with Ant and Dec. Lilley was previously reluctant to share information due to confidentiality concerns but agreed to comply with the court's ruling. The case highlights how Ant and Dec enlisted X to facilitate the purchase, sale, and loaning of artworks as they built their contemporary art collection. They now seek transparency to understand where discrepancies in payments may have occurred, including a £250,000 shortfall in the purchase of the Marilyn Monroe prints and significant sums allegedly missing from other transactions.
This legal battle underscores broader concerns about transparency and accountability in high-stakes art deals involving celebrities. While Lilley has maintained that he acted in good faith and is "caught up in this mess," Ant and Dec argue that the flow of money suggests a pattern of financial irregularities. The case not only sheds light on potential improprieties in the art market but also raises questions about how intermediaries manage transactions involving high-profile clients. For readers interested in global news, this story highlights the intersection of celebrity culture, art markets, and legal accountability.
Verticals
worldpolitics
Originally published on BBC World on 3/4/2026