Welsh actor Michael Sheen—best known for his roles in Good Omens, Twilight, and more recently, A Very Royal Scandal—has written off £1 million (around $1.3 million) worth of debt for 900 people using his own money. He invested £100,000 ($129.190) of his own cash to set up a debt acquisition company, helping people in South Wales, where he grew up. His incredible generosity is the focus of Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway, an upcoming Channel 4 documentary airing in the UK on March 10, 2025.
Sheen’s documentary exposes how banks and finance companies profit from vulnerable people trapped in a cycle of debt. “The shocking thing is that people have started having to use credit cards, overdrafts to pay for basics, to pay for necessities, rather than luxuries or anything like that, so the debt that I was able to buy included credit card debt, overdrafts, car finance, that kind of stuff,” he says. “You need some help to get through these times. And people are getting into spirals of debt. Once you’re underwater, it’s very hard to get out again. That’s why I wanted to do this—to draw attention to the fact that this is going on, and there is a way to change it, there are alternatives, and we need to push to try and make a difference for people.”
Sheen admitted on BBC’s The One Show on March 4 that he was initially hesitant about spending the money, explaining that he doesn’t have £100,000 to “throw around” and wanted to ensure the project would make a real impact. However, his perspective shifted after a conversation in a Port Talbot café, where a woman told him about “steelworkers in tears.” That moment solidified his decision to move forward with his commitment to help.
Sheen doesn’t know the identity of the 900 people he helped—only the kind of debt they had. His efforts, focused on the Port Talbot area, come just five months after the closure of a blast furnace in Wales, which ended traditional steelmaking in the region and led to 2,800 job losses.
When Sheen first explored setting up a debt acquisition company, he admitted he had “no idea” how the system worked. Speaking on The One Show, he explained that he was able to buy £1 million worth of debt for just £100,000 because its value had depreciated over time. While the original debt amount owed by individuals remains the same, companies that own the debt can sell it for increasingly lower prices. The process involves bundling multiple debts together, which debt-buying companies can then purchase at a fraction of the original cost. Sheen described the system as “bizarre” but ultimately saw it as an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.
This isn’t the first time Sheen has used his cash to help less advantaged people. The self-proclaimed “not-for-profit” actor has been donating his earnings to social causes for several years. “I’ve realized in the last few years that I want to be one of those people who help other people the way so many people helped me,” he explains. “I don’t want to just be someone who enjoys the fruits of what other people have done and then pull the drawbridge up and go, well I’m alright Jack, I’ve had a nice time.”
Check out some clips from Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway below.
Welsh actor Michael Sheen has written off £1 million (around $1.3 million) worth of debt for 900 people using his own money.
WATCH Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway, Monday 10th March at 9PM pic.twitter.com/jeiinFUe64
— Channel 4 Dispatches (@C4Dispatches) March 4, 2025
His incredible generosity is the focus of Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway, an upcoming Channel 4 documentary airing in the UK on March 10, 2025.
@channel4dispatches Michael Sheen talks about the landscape of debt in his hometown of Port Talbot, where the last steelworks blast furnaces closed in 2024. He’s now on a mission to write off £1 million of ordinary people’s debt and reflects on how important it is to see the journey through to the end WATCH Michael Sheen’s Secret Million Pound Giveaway, Monday 10th March at 9PM #MichaelSheenGiveaway #Debt #Wales #PortTalbot #CostOfLiving ♬ original sound – Dispatches
Michael Sheen: Facebook | Twitter
Sources: Michael Sheen writes off £1m of debt for 900 people; Michael Sheen Writes Off Over $1M Worth of Debt for 900 People Using His Own Money
Related Articles:
Michael Sheen Is a “Not-for-Profit” Actor Who Donates His Earnings to Social Causes
Anna Kendrick Donates All of Her Income From ‘Woman of the Hour’ Film to Victims of Violent Crime
Lottery Winner Vows To Donate Portion of $4M Winnings to Animal Welfare