BBC to give viewers a glimpse of Branson’s hidden island paradise

The one-off BBC2 documentary, Inside Necker Island, is described as “an intimate portrait of how the rich, powerful and famous holiday”.

Sir Richard bought the island in 1978 and opened it as a luxury retreat for private hire in 1984. Guests can pay up to £40,000 a night and are waited on by around 100 staff.

It hit the headlines three years ago when Oscar-winner Kate Winslet had to carry Sir Richard’s 90-year-old mother, Eve, to safety when a fire broke out in the multi-millionaire businessman’s house.

Other planned programmes include journalist Jacques Peretti examining how the arrival of the very rich has changed the UK and a one-off documentary about the lives of wealthy Russians who have made their home in London.

BBC2 controller Kim Shillinglaw said: “From exposing the jaw-dropping luxury in which the richest one per cent of society live to exploring the impact such lifestyle extremes have on contemporary Britain, this will be a fascinating and thought-provoking season of films for BBC2.”

Earlier this year, the 74-acre island house came top in a nationwide survey of 2,500 Brits who were asked which celebrity property they would most like to stay in.