Bargain Hunt star Anita Manning's children as she opens up on mother-daughter business

Daily Record

16-07-2025

Anita Manning has become a regular face on TV, but what is known of the Bargain Hunt star's family life away from the show?
Anita Manning, a renowned antiques expert hailing from Scotland, is a familiar face on BBC One's Bargain Hunt. The 77 year old Glaswegian holds the distinction of being Scotland's first female auctioneer.
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The presenter, who has also made appearances on Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip, was introduced to auctions by her father during her childhood.
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She ventured into the antiques business in the 1970s, although she initially had different career aspirations.
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She pursued dance studies and subsequently became a teacher before tying the knot and starting a family.
The expert is a mother to two children, her daughter Lala and son Luke. Upon becoming a mother, she expanded her knowledge of antiques by buying furniture at auctions.
She then embarked on travels across the country, buying and selling furniture.
Anita and her daughter Lala jointly manage the Glasgow-based auction house Great Western Auctions, a partnership that has been ongoing since 1989.
Her son resides in Hong Kong, and the star is accustomed to her family living in various parts of the globe.
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Her own mother spent the final 35 years of her life in Australia.
Over the years, she has gleaned much from her family and even set a record for the highest profit earned on a single auction item.
In a remarkable turn of events on 'Antiques Road Trip' in 2016, she snagged a Buddha statue for a mere £50 and later sold it for a staggering £3,800.
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Her astonishing find however was topped by her co-star Paul Laidlaw just the following year.
Intriguingly, when recounting how she decided on her career path, she mentioned: "Although I have always been interested in Antiques, and loved their sense of history, their beauty, craftsmanship and design, I did not start my working life aiming to be an auctioneer or be involved in the Antiques trade (in fact sometimes I still wonder what I'm going to be when I grow up)."
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She went on to explain: "But fate put the opportunity in my path and being an adventurous sort of gal I changed direction and set up Great Western Auctions with my daughter Lala in Glasgow in 1989, becoming one of Scotland's first woman auctioneers."
She also expressed her gratitude for her profession stating: "I am so glad I did because I have the best job in the world and it has been a continual joy to handle wonderful objects on a daily basis and investigate their place in history."
This expert has developed a special fondness for paintings, with a particular interest in works of Scottish origin.
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Anita, alongside her daughter Lala, inaugurated Great Western Auctions Ltd in Glasgow.
They began their journey with a modest setup situated in the bustling West End of Glasgow, with an intimate team comprising themselves and one other staff member.
Since then, the mother-daughter team has relocated twice to cater for their expanding enterprise.
They now employ roughly 14 staff members, all of whom are specialists and auction administrators.
Bargain Hunt is broadcast on weekdays on BBC One at 12.15pm.