The new reality show on Channel 4 is set in a central London building, welcoming 16 ordinary people into the basement and penthouse as they battle it out for power. Each episode of the series follows the Rulers and Grafters as they try to win the prize pot.
As part of the show's creative process, it was decided that the show should be filmed in a central location. As you may have guessed, the Rulers' apartment and the Grafters' basement are located within a famous art deco building in Westminster - 55 Broadway.
This building is currently undergoing renovations, with plans to turn it into a 526-key hotel. It was formerly occupied by Transport for London (TFL), however after 90 years of manning the building, TFL vacated its art deco headquarters in 2020.
It’s believed that the production team knew exactly where they wanted to film when they were applying to shoot the show, as Southwark News reported back in November 20222 that Studio Lambert had applied to film the series in Southbank Tower. The proposed filming would have taken place across three penthouse apartments, but it looks like that plan never went through.
It's believed that the Rulers and Grafters are filmed for 24 hours a day, with one welfare break allowed during each day of filming. This sounds like a lot of work for the people involved, but it’s clear that the cast and crew do their best to make sure it all happens smoothly.
