Latest news with #IritaMarriott
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bargain Hunt expert leaves pensioner sobbing as photographs that tell heartbreaking story sell for more than 100 times their value
A Bargain Hunt expert left a guest sobbing when photographs that told a heartbreaking story sold for more than 100 times their value. Irita Marriott, who often appears on the BBC show, also hosts The Derbyshire Auction House on Discovery+. The programme sees Irita help members of the public find hidden treasures in their homes and make some cash in the auction house. One instalment saw Irita meet Helen and Ben, a mother and son who were trying to raise funds to pay for Helen's husband's dementia care. During the episode, Helen showed the expert a collection of photos which included signed, original copies from famous photographers. The images dated back to 1975 and featured pieces by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen and Graham Smith. Helen's husband, Alan, came about the impressive photographs when working for a regional arts association. Since then, they had been hung in the hallway of their family home. The photos were sold separately and one was estimated to be worth between £80 and £120. However, Helen and Ben were left shocked and broke down in tears when it went for £12,000. Ben reportedly said: 'I was absolutely gobsmacked at the values people were willing to bid for what we thought were just nice pictures... that we saw on the wall every day. Absolutely brilliant.' Sadly, Helen's husband passed away before the episode aired and the money was used to cover the cost of his funeral instead. It comes after an Antiques Roadshow guest was brought to tears after learning the whopping value of a glass box she bought online for just £32. The treasured item left expert Joanna Hardy shocked after she inspected it during a repeat episode filmed at Edinburgh 's Scottish Gallery of Modern Art. The Scottish guest and the valuer were both shocked by the intricate and detailed box, with Joanna commenting: 'The skill of a goldsmith and the skill of an enameller is the same when they are making jewellery.' She then asked the guest for the story behind the intriguing piece and the woman explained she had stumbled up on it at an online auction in England and was so taken with the crystal that she snapped it up immediately. She went on to confess that she loved to browse online auctions, before noting that the box is no longer in perfect condition, but was still beautiful. She said: 'I think they described it as being glass, a glass box, and I knew it had something unusual about it, with the designs on it and things like that. 'I couldn't really see much of the silver, I had a sneaky feeling it might be that, so we actually polished it all to reveal the beautiful enamel on the surface and the lovely colours'. The guest then revealed she had originally bought the piece for just £32 and expert Joanna was left gobsmacked. Joanna then concluded that the impressive item had been made between 1860 and 1870 and was made by an expert enameller. She told the excited guest: 'So this is dating this from about 1860 to 1870, but there was one person that was really the head of this, he was the leading enamelist in Vienna at the time and he did the neo-renaissance work.' And it was then that the BBC expert revealed what the £32-crystal pot was really woth, revealing it could fetch up to £6,000. She said: 'If that was in the right auction I think you are going to be looking at between £4,000 and £6,000.'
Daily Record
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'I'm an Antiques Road Trip expert and these are the behind the scenes challenges'
The Derbyshire Auction House's Irita Marriott has become a TV favourite in recent years, but the antiques expert has opened up on the unseen challenges she faces in her role Irita Marriott, who first captured the nation's affection on BBC's Bargain Hunt in 2021, has become an endearing presence in the TV antiques sphere. Now, Irita is a well-known feature on both Antiques Road Trip and Antiques Roadshow, and recently debuted her own series, The Derbyshire Auction House, back in 2023. Currently, she's gracing our screens again with the second series of her daytime show on REALLY. However, the mother-of-two has been rather open about the less seen challenges of her profession. While promoting the latest series of Derbyshire Auction House, Irita underlined the importance of emotional intelligence in her line of work. In a candid interview with the Express, she revealed that her role extends to being a "therapist as well as an auctioneer", especially when assisting sellers who find it difficult to let go of sentimental items. She expressed: "You always have to take emotions into account with everything that we do. "We are therapists as well as auctioneers because every single day, people walk through our doors, and there will be people who are vulnerable. Whether that's people who have lost somebody, or that items have a lot of memories and attachments, so you always have to be gentle", reports Bristol Live. Irita acknowledged the intimidation that the auction setting may impose on sellers. She recalled a moment from the upcoming series where she comforted a seller anxious about parting with her late mother's possessions for the programme. Irita reminisced about a poignant moment from the series, saying: "In this series, we had a lady who was selling her mother's items, and she was very cautious. During the clearance, she was very strong and brave with it, and she said, 'No, it all needs to go'. "But then afterwards, it took us quite a few phone calls and a lot of messages and a lot of communication to reassure them that those items won't just be sold for £5 or £10. The items she had are desirable, and they will go to someone who wants them again rather than being stuck in the drawers. "So sometimes it's just talking people through the process and how it all works and what's going to happen, because when you've never sold anything in the auction, it's a scary environment." She also revealed the often hidden tension between auctioneers and sellers over item valuations, which can cause behind-the-scenes disagreements. Irita added: "As auctioneers, we all love a come-and-get-me estimate, and if there is a cheeky way of getting away with the lower estimate, we are going to say that. However, from the seller's point of view, it's about finding that trust with us and making sure that they can really believe in what we say, that there is nothing to be worried about. "That the items will sell and they will do well, but I think for a lot of people that's the scary bit – but that is also what makes good TV and what makes amazing results at auction." The antiques expert elaborated on what distinguishes The Derbyshire Auction House from other antique programmes. Irita highlighted that the show's unique appeal lies in its emphasis on the emotional ties people have with their possessions. "I suppose that's the beauty of our show," she expressed. "It's real people, it's real feeling, and everything is very much how you see it on screen. "And I think that's why people can really look at it, and I think I know exactly how that person feels, because most of us have been through that hardship of losing somebody or needing financial help and having to sell something. I always say to people, just think how lucky you are that when you need to money that you have got something to sell and you're not just selling it and getting rid of it." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Edinburgh Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
'I'm an Antiques Road Trip expert and this is the toughest part about my job'
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 Irita Marriott, one of television's beloved antiques experts, has been gracing our screens since 2021. She first shot to fame on BBC's Bargain Hunt, quickly winning the hearts of viewers nationwide. Irita has since become a regular presenter and antiques expert on Antiques Road Trip and Antiques Roadshow, before launching her own show, The Derbyshire Auction House, in 2023. Now, the Latvian antiques dealer stars in a second series of her daytime show on REALLY, which began airing on May 5. While promoting her upcoming series, the mother-of-two revealed some of the challenges of her job that fans might not be aware of. In an exclusive chat with the Express, she confessed that she often plays the role of a "therapist as well as an auctioneer" when sellers struggle to part with items they have strong emotional ties to. She shared: "You always have to take emotions into account with everything that we do. "We are therapists as well as auctioneers because every single day, people walk through our doors, and there will be people who are vulnerable. Whether that's people who have lost somebody, or that items have a lot of memories and attachments, so you always have to be gentle." (Image: PR Handout) The TV personality gave an example from the forthcoming series in which she had to reassure a client who was apprehensive about selling her mother's items on the show. Irita reminisced, "In this series, we had a lady who was selling her mother's items, and she was very cautious. "During the clearance, she was very strong and brave with it, and she said, 'No, it all needs to go'. But then afterwards, it took us quite a few phone calls and a lot of messages and a lot of communication to reassure them that those items won't just be sold for £5 or £10. "The items she had are desirable, and they will go to someone who wants them again rather than being stuck in the drawers. "So sometimes it's just talking people through the process and how it all works and what's going to happen, because when you've never sold anything in the auction, it's a scary environment." (Image: BBC) She also shed light on the occasional tension between auctioneers and sellers regarding the pricing and sale of items. BBC star Irita added: "As auctioneers, we all love a come-and-get-me estimate, and if there is a cheeky way of getting away with the lower estimate, we are going to say that. "But from the seller's perspective, it's about building that trust with us and ensuring that they can really believe in what we say, that there is nothing to be worried about. That the items will sell and they will do well, but I think for a lot of people that's the scary bit – but that is also what makes good TV and what makes amazing results at auction." The Derbyshire Auction House is available to watch on REALLY.
Edinburgh Live
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Antiques Road Trip star Irita Marriott says 'my upbringing was tough' as she shares rare insight
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 Irita Marriott has been captivating audiences since her debut on BBC's Bargain Hunt in 2021. Her popularity soon led to regular appearances as a presenter and antiques expert on Antiques Road Trip and Antiques Roadshow. She later launched her own show, The Derbyshire Auction House, in 2023. Irita, a mum-of-two with Latvian roots, is set to return with a second series of her Really daytime show on May 5. But life hasn't always been kind to Irita, as she revealed her difficult childhood. While promoting her new show, she shared her aspirations and childhood memories in an exclusive chat with the Express. The antiques expert even opened up about her "ultimate dream" and the "one thing" that would ease her heartbreaking upbringing. The Bargain Hunt star explained: "When I was a little girl, my upbringing was tough, put it that way. We were poor, my dad was a lifelong alcoholic and times were hard. "But the one thing that my mum and me used to watch on telly to kind of take our minds off things was ballroom dancing. And I remember being very little and twirling around the house and I wanted to be that girl in a feather-bottomed gown twirling around the floor being completely free and feeling like there is no weight in the world at all." (Image: (Image: BBC)) Irita revealed how appearing on a show like BBC's Strictly Come Dancing would be a dream come true. She said: "I mean, if there were some crazy stars aligning – which I can't ever see actually happening. "If I could make that one thing happen, I don't care what the show would be, if someone can make that happen, that would be the ultimate dream for me." The star shared that she and her family are huge fans of the ballroom dance competition, with her sons even selecting her ideal partner from the BBC programme. She added: "Honestly, my kids and I, we are absolutely obsessed with Strictly at home. My boys watch it and we all write charts and we have paddles and everything. "And they've discussed between them who my partner would be if I was ever on and things like that, and they've both said the same thing. They said, 'We would love to see you on it but we want you to be out in week one'. "Ideally, they want me to be partnered with Johannes [Radebe]. They say, 'Mummy, mummy, you need to be with Johanes, he looks very kind, he's really handsome'. "My youngest one said in this year's series of Strictly, there was a moment where Johannes teared up and he said to me, 'He has a very kind heart'. And I thought, 'If you ever want a partner in your life for anything, you want one with a kind heart'." The Derbyshire Auction House returns for a second series on Really on May 5
