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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Bargain Hunt fans 'furious' as team make show history with 'unfair' twist
A team on the BBC show Bargain Hunt made history when they were allowed to have a third item valued at auction after failing to meet the challenge - and viewers were not happy. Bargain Hunt enthusiasts were left in shock as a resurfaced episode made an unexpected entry into the show's history books for a rather unfortunate reason. The instalment, which first hit screens in 2022 with Eric Knowles at the helm, featured experts Charles Hanson and Caroline Hawley guiding participants through the quaint village of Eccleston, Lancashire. However, the events that transpired were unprecedented in the programme's 25 year history. Contestants Geraldine and Washington, representing the red team, experienced an unparalleled blunder by becoming the first duo to bring fewer than three items to auction – arriving with just a pair. The team explained their predicament, saying: "Because there are so many things here - but it's just finding that item that meets the criteria." They faced the challenge of finding at least one item valued over £75, but as time ran out, they could only muster a rare Doulton jug and two vintage tennis racquets, neither meeting the price requirement. A visibly surprised Eric Knowles delivered the news on air, remarking: "I've got to say, you have made Bargain Hunt history by virtue of you only managing to buy two items." Charles Hanson shared his astonishment, commenting: "I like to play to the wire but it went badly, badly wrong. We failed on the challenge. We failed with our big spend. I'm sorry, team. It really happened." To compound their woes, Eric noted the penalty for their shortfall, adding: "The ruling is that because you didn't do the £75 spend, you start with minus £75." Bargain Hunt enthusiasts were split after witnessing a team snatch victory with the help of a bonus buy, despite breaking show guidelines, reports the Express. The red team's fortunes dramatically turned when they chanced upon an Art Deco clock priced at £200 and subsequently sold it for an impressive £380, netting them a tidy sum and no small amount of joyous relief. Yet, audience members took to social media with a mix of outrage and amusement over the perceived rule breach. One displeased fan vented on X: "They shouldn't have been allowed a bonus if they hadn't bought three items!" Another was firm in their stance: "Shouldn't have been allowed to compete with only a £75 forfeit. Should've been disqualified in my opinion!" In contrast, a third person embraced the chaos: "Brilliant! This has got to be the best episode ever! What larks!" It's noteworthy that Bargain Hunt is not unfamiliar with controversy; back in 2018, a celebrity special had to be re-filmed after musician Bez's partner made prohibited bids.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bargain Hunt contestant 'lost for words' as they make BBC history for all the wrong reasons and auction goes 'badly, badly wrong'
A Bargain Hunt contestant was 'lost for words' as they made BBC history - and their auction went 'badly, badly wrong'. The iconic BBC show sees two teams - the blues and the reds - compete to find three antique items, with expert advice, and flog them for the highest possible profit. A resurfaced episode from 2022, hosted by Eric Knowles, sees experts Charles Hanson and Caroline Hawley head to the village of Eccleston, Lancashire. The instalment stands out from all others in the show's 25-year history - for all the wrong reasons. For the first time ever, the red team - made up of Geraldine and Washington - did not find a third item to go under the hammer, taking just two to auction. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. For the first time ever, the red team - made up of Geraldine and Washington (pictured) - did not find a third item to go under the hammer, taking just two to auction The pair were themselves 'lost for words', explaining how they found themselves in that position, with a rare Doulton jug and two vintage tennis racquets 'Because there are so many things here - but it's just finding that item that meets the criteria', they said. The voiceover further clarified that the team simply 'ran out of time' to select their third antique. The criteria in question was that one of their items had to be worth at least £75. The pair did not manage to achieve this, only securing a rare Doulton jug and two vintage tennis racquets - both worth under the threshold. Host Eric told them: 'I've got to say, you have made Bargain Hunt history by virtue of you only managing to buy two items.' The team's expert helper Charles Hanson was just as flabbergasted by the unusual turn of events. Outside the antiques shop, he addressed the reds: 'I like to play to the wire but it went badly, badly wrong. Outside the antiques shop, he addressed the reds: 'I like to play to the wire but it went badly, badly wrong' 'We failed on the challenge. We failed with our big spend. I'm sorry, team. It really happened.' Sticking to the rules of the show, host Eric said: 'The ruling is that because you didn't do the £75 spend, you start with minus £75.' But the reds were soon thrown a lifeline, offered the chance to make a bonus buy and purchase an art deco clock for £200 - a style 'always in demand', Eric assured them. The team ended up selling the clock for a massive £380 at auction, leaving them with a profit of £130 - and leaving them not so impacted by their error after all. Viewers at the time were scandalised by the outcome on X: 'They shouldn't have been allowed a bonus if they hadn't bought three items!' Another said: 'Shouldn't have been allowed to compete with only a £75 forfeit. 'Others can just do that now, but like the red team, still win! Should have been disqualified in my opinion!' But someone else took the misdemeanour less seriously: 'Brilliant! This has got be the best episode ever! What larks!' The rules of Bargain Hunt were similarly put to the test on a celebrity episode featuring Bez and Rowetta Idah of Happy Mondays and Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and Candida Doyle. The now iconic instalment from 2018 famously had to be reshot when a major rule infringement was discovered after filming had finished. It transpired Bez's girlfriend bid on and won his team's auction items, securing an £8 profit for them - as well as the overall victory. When the infraction came to light, Pulp's team - despite making a £95 loss - was awarded the win, with the end of the episode refilmed to reflect that. The unusual moment saw the host of the episode read out the relevant Bargain Hunt rule, 'Tis completely forbidden for friends or family members to bid on a team's item', before exclaiming: 'I'm speechless!' Bez, who gave the £8 back, said: 'It was a genuine error. My girlfriend thought she was helping out.' Bargain Hunt's executive producer Paul Tucker said at the time: 'We have rules and regulations on Bargain Hunt and we have to make sure they abide by them. 'It was picked up by a runner and we verified there were clearly misdemeanours going on. 'It was a genuine rule that was broken and we had to reshoot the end. 'They are rock and rollers and they live on the edge as they did in the eighties. 'It's not a surprise but in the end, it was quite amusing.' The resurfacing of these rule-breaking moments comes after Charles Hanson made an emotional return to the show after being cleared of abusing his wife. The antiques expert, 46, came back to the long-running show last month, marking his first TV appearance since 2023. Hanson, who has also starred in Antiques Roadshow, Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip, had been off air while facing serious allegations of assault and coercive control against his wife Rebecca. He had denied all the charges. In February, a jury at Derby Crown Court found him not guilty on all counts. It came after a three-week trial which laid bare the collapse of his marriage to the 42-year-old radiographer. The couple are now divorcing. During the trial, Hanson was accused of a decade of abuse, including putting his pregnant wife in a headlock, pushing and scratching her, and controlling her behaviour. He told jurors she was a 'fantasist' and claimed he had been a 'slave' to her demands. After his acquittal, the TV star sobbed in the dock before punching the air in relief and embracing his parents, Phillip and Gillian, who sat in court throughout proceedings. Speaking outside court in February, Hanson said: 'I'm delighted after a year and half that the truth has finally come out and can finally live my life and feel this burden has finally been lifted. 'It has been a tormentous time and all I want now is to readjust to what has been such an ordeal. 'These last 18 months have been extremely upsetting. I have missed my children and quite simply I can now get back to my life and I relish that. It has been very impactful. 'I am very lucky my parents have stood by me from start to finish – without my family it would have been a very, very testing time.'
Edinburgh Live
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Antiques Roadshow guest speechless as £1 vase bought at boot sale makes staggering value
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Antiques Roadshow's Eric Knowles was left gobsmacked when a glass vase, purchased for a mere £1 at a car boot sale, was valued at an astonishing amount. A woman from Ayrshire, who wished to remain anonymous, brought the vase to the BBC show for evaluation, not anticipating the staggering valuation she would receive. The vase was identified as a 1929 piece by famed French designer René Lalique, after being scrutinised by experts at Dumfries House near Cumnock, and was valued at a minimum of £25,000. The five-inch-tall glass vase was crafted using an ancient technique known as cire perdue. This complex method involves creating a wax model that is encased in plaster, then melted away and replaced with molten glass, with the plaster mould being broken away once the glass cools to reveal the final creation. The market value for Lalique pieces has seen a significant increase in recent years. Antiques Roadshow expert Eric Knowles shared his excitement with the Irvine Herald: "It's wonderful to find treasures like this beautiful vase during the programme's filming," reports the Express. (Image: BBC) He continued: "It certainly gives us all a buzz and we thoroughly enjoy meeting people everywhere we go. I've been waiting over 25 years for such a piece to come in, and this was the stuff of dreams. They'd dumped it in the attic after the plant in it died and were about to throw it away. We had a lot of clouds in Dumfries, but this was the cloud with a silver lining. It's worth at least £25,000." The vase ultimately fetched a whopping £32,450 at auction, exceeding its previous valuation by £7,000. This follows a rerun of the beloved BBC programme, which aired on Sunday, June 8. Viewers were transported to Brodie Castle in Scotland, where a parade of treasures awaited appraisal. Among them was a man who wowed Richard with a 1960s Rolex GMT-Master, inherited from his uncle. Richard, peering intently at the watch, informed the owner: "All Rolex collectors refer to these things by their reference number," and "You know as well as I do, because it says so on the dial, that it's a GMT-Master." (Image: BBC) Richard explained: "It's the reference 1675, which is the classic GMT-Master. When you said 60s, I think we could fairly safely say 1960 to 1961, so that all fits in." Upon closer inspection, Richard was thrilled to find the watch unaltered, noting that many watches are often modified during servicing, much to collectors' dismay. He said: "They would've changed the bezel and they would've changed the dial with an upgrade," before adding:"You would've had it back thinking, 'Oh, it looks like new'. Collectors hate that, it's absolutely original, spot-on." The expert told the owner: "It's a Rolex product, of course, but it says 'Made in the USA'. So perhaps he specified that he did not want the oyster bracelet; he wanted a jubilee bracelet, and they put this one on for him. "Which sort of detracts from it a little bit, probably detracts from it by a couple of thousand pounds." However, Richard had some good news as well, revealing that the watch is worth "£12,000 to £15,000." You can catch Antiques Roadshow every Sunday at 8pm on BBC1.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bargain Hunt back in town several residents make TV appearance
A Wiltshire auctioneer and residents have made TV fame once again after a popular daytime show returned to town. This isn't the first time RWB Auctions in Royal Wootton Bassett has been used as a filming base for the BBC show Bargain Hunt, but residents of the town were still just as thrilled. The episode, which aired on BBC One at 12.15 pm on April 14, 2025, was filmed back in November 2024 and saw two teams compete to make the highest profit at the auction house near Swindon. Host Eric Knowles sat down with Royal Wootton Bassett head auctioneer Gareth Wasp to find out exactly what he thought of the antiques up for sale. The Bassett man predicted that one ceramic vase, which contestants paid a whopping £195 for, would only sell for £30-50. With a final sale of £45, he was spot on the money. Eric Knowles sat down with local auctioneer Gareth Wasp (Image: BBC) "It's early 20th century in age and pomegranate pattern. It's a nice shape and it's got that well-known name, but it's one of the more common patterns," said Gareth. "That's a big challenge for me, so I'll look for the audience for that one." The episode made it clear that auction rooms such as RWB Auctions are for everyone, no matter their price range. "I think studio pottery is very popular now and it's an affordable piece for someone that doesn't have a huge amount of money to spend," added Gareth. Residents were invited to attend the filming day (Image: BBC) (Image: RWB Auctions) Izzie Balmer, a familiar face to Bargain Hunt lovers, was on hand in Royal Wootton Bassett to lend a hand, and Antiques Roadshow specialist Serhat Ahmed was also featured. Despite having achieved TV fame multiple times, RWB Auctions only opened its auction house in Royal Wootton Bassett's former Co-op site in January 2024. But the popular auction room has already attracted thousands of rare items, collectors and buyers to the town. Recommended reading: Popular festival returns for 32nd year with events for all ages 'We've got a lot to offer': Hope Escape to the Country appearance will boost town Work begins on 15th-century landmark in town Flash sale alert🌟 Dive deeper into the stories that shape Swindon with Swindon Advertiser Unlimited local news, an ad-free app, and a digital replica of our print edition—all with 80% fewer ads on our site Subscribe now for a faster news experience - — Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) April 11, 2025 In their first year, the team at RWB Auctions has sold over £2 million worth of goods to more than 2,000 clients. A spokesperson for RWB Auctions said: "It was lovely hosting BBC Bargain Hunt for a second time last November. "Teams were guided by experts Izzie Balmer and Serhat Ahmet, with the fabulous Eric Knowles hosting, and our very own RWB Auctions Head Auctioneer, Gareth Wasp, on the rostrum."
