Alli, 46, one of the leading lights of British broadcasting, chairs Chorion, the London-based media rights group, whose stable ranges from Mr Men to Noddy. Chorion was taken private for £110m in 2006. Its profits rose to £15m on sales of £52m in 2009-10. It is worth more than £150m. Alli made his name originally as the managing director of Planet 24, the youth-friendly television production company that made such hits as the Big Breakfast. When it was sold to Carlton in 1999, he netted £6m for his one-third stake. He also has a £20m stake in Castaway Television Productions, the maker of Survivor.