Captain Tom: Where Did The Money Go? Channel 5 series looks into truth behind how money raised by British public for charity was ultimately used since Yorkshire veteran Captain Sir Tom Moore walked 100 laps in his garden

Captain Sir Tom Moore, more popularly known as Captain Tom, was a British Army officer and fundraiser. He rose to nationwide fame in April 2020 when he raised money for charity in the run up to his 100th birthday during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He began walking 100 laps in his garden to raise money for NHS Charities Together, with the goal of raising £1,000.

Captain Tom, from Keighley, West Yorkshire, attracted the attention of the media within 24 days of his fundraising and became a household name in the UK and attracting more than 1.5 million individual donations.

In attempts to raise more money for the charity, he performed a cover version of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Michael Ball and the single rose to the top of the UK Singles Chart, making him the oldest person to reach UK number one.

By the time he reached his 100th birthday, Captain Tom raised more than £30 million and by the time the campaign closed at the end of the day, donations had increased to more than £32.79 million.

On July 17, 2020, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and died in 2021 aged 100 at Bedford Hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia and testing positive for Covid-19.

The Captain Tom Foundation was established in June 2020 and its purpose is said to recognise and raise money for organisations supporting the elderly in the UK. Captain Tom’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and her husband, Colin, became trustees of the charity in February 2021.

The British media reported that the Charity Commission would investigate the foundation in June 2022 due to concerns raised regarding its financial relationship to members of the Ingram-Moore family and the investigation continued in July 2023.

The Foundation stopped accepting donations in July 2023, following controversy arising from the construction of a building in the grounds of the Ingram-Moore family house.

Planning permission had been granted to the foundation for a structure which was intended to be used partly in connection with its charitable goals, however, the structure constructed was actually a pool house which was larger than had been noted in the planning application.

Central Bedfordshire Council ordered the building to be demolished.

Channel 5 has commissioned ITN Productions to produce a documentary Captain Tom: Where Did The Money Go? It is a hard hitting investigative series digging deep into one of the most shocking stories of recent times, uncovering the truth behind how the large amount of money raised by the British public was ultimately used.

People had bought Sir Tom’s books, with many believing proceeds were going to Captain Tom’s Foundation. But now there are serious questions about a vast sum of money that was raised from those book sales and other payments linked to his foundation.

Channel 5 commissioning editors, Unscripted, Channel 5 and Paramount+, Federico Ruiz and Adrian Padmore, said: “Like everyone else in the country, we’ve been gobsmacked by the developments in this story.

“The deeper you dig, the further the rabbit hole goes. Where did the Captain Tom money go? Forget what you already know; after watching this doc you’ll be seriously questioning every single penny you’ve ever given away for a good cause.”

Executive producer, ITN Productions, Andy Dunn, said: “Nobody can forget the enormity of Captain Sir Tom Moore’s achievement during Covid, raising tens of millions for the NHS. It was a global phenomenon and he inspired so many.

“This documentary will examine Captain Tom’s legacy, paying tribute to the man who won the nation’s hearts but also unpick the claims and allegations that have thrown his charitable foundation into turmoil.”

The documentary is the definitive story of the man who captured the hearts of many during Covid; the war hero, the family man, the light in Britain’s darkest days. He won a Pride of Britain Award but with allegations spreading, has the whole legacy been tainted? What is the truth and has the nation been misled?

The series aired on Channel 5 and My5 tonight on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 9pm.