Bargain Hunt

Bargain Hunt is a British television programme in which two pairs of contestants are challenged to buy antiques from shops or a fair and then sell them in an auction for a profit. It has aired on BBC One since 13 March 2000 in a daytime version, and from 22 August 2002 to 13 November 2004 in a primetime version.

Bargain Hunt
Bargain Hunt logo (Series 24 onwards)
Starring	David Dickinson Tim Wonnacott Eric Knowles Charlie Ross Anita Manning Natasha Raskin Sharp Christina Trevanion
Opening theme	"Horny Baby" by Dust Devil (until 2009) (Unknown Title) by Mike Mower (2009-present)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	58
No. of episodes	1,800 (as of 22 January 2021)
Production
Running time	45 mins
Release
Original network	BBC One
Picture format	16:9 576i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Original release	13 March 2000 – present
External links
Website

Presenter Tim Wonnacott replaced original host David Dickinson from 2003 to January 2016.[1] When Wonnacott ceased presenting, the format changed to a rota of hosts from a "team of experts" fronting the series.

First to replace Wonnacott was Thomas Plant (now known as Thomas Forrester) on 25 January 2016, followed by Christina Trevanion, Charlie Ross, Paul Laidlaw, Natasha Raskin Sharp, Anita Manning, Charles Hanson and Eric Knowles.[2]

Format

Bargain Hunt has undergone various format and rule changes since it premiered in 2000. Most episodes are 45 minutes in length, though 30-minute versions and one-hour "live" editions have also been produced.

Two teams – designated the "Reds" and the "Blues" – compete. Each team has two members, who wear fleeces that correspond to their team's colour. The contestants in most episodes are members of the public, though some shows feature teams of celebrity players instead. At the beginning of the show, each team is given a set amount of money with which to purchase antiques. The objective is to find items that will earn the team a profit when later sold at auction. Each team is accompanied by an antiques trade expert, though it is the contestants' decision whether to heed the advice given by their expert. After the contestants have completed their purchases and presented them to the host, home viewers are shown a "what the auctioneer thinks" segment in which the auctioneer appraises the buys and gives the auction estimate. At the auction, as each item is sold, the host compares the auction sale price to the price originally paid by the team, with the difference being either subtracted from or added to the team's total. If the final total shows a profit, the team receives that profit in cash; otherwise, the team receives nothing. The profit/loss does not take into account commission (buyers' premium) or VAT (Value Added Tax, a governmental sales tax).

The show is punctuated by footage of the host visiting a place of historical interest, such as a stately home or museum, and talking about the items housed there.

In the early David Dickinson-era episodes, teams were given £200 each, and could buy as many or as few items as they liked within the hour given to wander around a trade fair. The item rule was later changed so that teams have to buy three items. After Tim Wonnacott became host, the money was increased to £300, and a new feature called the "swap item" was introduced. Each expert chose an item of their own, and the team could replace one of their own choices with the "swap item" if they wished to. The host, when offering the option to a team, would often ask, "Swap or No Swap?" Originally, the experts were given an unspecified amount of money to buy the extra item; the rule was later changed so that the experts could only use whatever money was left of the team's £300 budget (the remaining money was referred to by Wonnacott as the "leftover lolly"). Under the revised rule, if a team used its entire budget, the expert could not choose a "swap item".

The "swap" rule was changed again in 2006 (Series 14), becoming the "bonus buy". The expert is still given any "leftover lolly" to buy this bonus item, which is entered into the auction. Just after the auction of their own items, and before that of the bonus item, teams must decide whether the auction results of the bonus item should be added to their own auction lots. Teams can potentially add to their profit with the bonus item, but it can also subtract from a team's earnings if it loses money.

In a series in 2014, an alternative bonus item was purchased by the expert with "Tim's Ton", (£100 provided by Tim). The teams then had to decide on whether to select the 'team's bonus buy' (bought with the leftover lolly), Tim's bonus buy (bought with Tim's ton) or neither. Tim would also make his prediction as to which bonus buy would make the larger profit or smaller loss (which he called Wonnacott's winner).

Series 52 in 2019 bought a change to the rules with two challenges, the 'Big Spend Challenge' and the 'Presenter's Challenge' added. The teams have to spend at least £75 on one item, and buy an item relating to a specific category. Other changes include the contestants introducing themselves to camera, rather than to the presenter, and the bonus buy is now revealed to the contestants in the auction room after the sale of the first three items.

On average, the majority of contestants' items lose money: the teams are paying retail prices at fairs, whereas auction prices are generally lower. Large profits are fairly rare, though it is not particularly unusual for contestants to take home a small profit. Teams achieving the difficult feat of earning a profit on all three items are awarded a "golden gavel";[3] originally a wooden trophy, but latterly a lapel pin.

Bargain Hunt Famous Finds

Bargain Hunt Famous Finds
Starring	Tim Wonnacott
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	20
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Release
Original network	BBC Two
Picture format	16:9
Original release	1 December 2008 – 3 April 2009
External links
Website

A separate celebrity version of the show premiered on 1 December 2008 on BBC Two featuring team pairs made up of one well-known personality accompanied by a friend or family member. The show is presented by Tim Wonnacott and the format is the same as the main show but Wonnacott's visit to see an antiques collection or stately home is replaced by a feature where each celebrity contestant discusses antiques with him. Wonnacott might show them a borrowed collection of antiques brought along for the show that he believes would interest the celebrity (this may be related to the occupation of the celebrity), and in turn the celebrity shows Wonnacott an antique or collectable belonging to themselves. There is no suggestion of what to do with any profit if the teams make any, but most decide to give it to charity. Series 2 began on 30 March 2009 and ended on 3 April 2009.

Celebrity contestants

Series 1	Series 2
Kelly Holmes and Sally Gunnell	Henry Cooper and Geoff Capes
Lembit Öpik and Edwina Currie	Tony Blackburn and Alvin Stardust
Helen Lederer and Bobby Davro	Johnny Ball and Eddie Large
Ruth Badger and Tamara Beckwith	Gary Rhodes and Brian Turner
Jilly Goolden and Theo Paphitis	Janet Ellis and Valerie Singleton
Connie Fisher and Ian 'H' Watkins	Christopher Timothy and Lysette Anthony
Julian Clary and Matthew Cottle	Janice Long and Mike Read
Rakie Ayola and Charles Dale	Toyah Willcox and Kiki Dee
Keith Chegwin and Sally James	Dennis Taylor and Willie Thorne
Ricky Groves and Jilly Cooper	Vanessa Feltz and Nicki Chapman

History

Originally a daytime show when launched in 2000 with game host David Dickinson. Later a primetime version, hosted by Dickinson, was also made (2002–2004), which was similar to the daytime show except that the teams' budget was increased to £500. It was on this version of the show that the record was set for the greatest profit earned on Bargain Hunt. A team led by Michael Hogben purchased a Royal Worcester box at Ardingly Fair for £140; the item made £800 in the live primetime auction.

When Dickinson gave up the daytime show to concentrate on the primetime version, his place was taken by Tim Wonnacott, an antiques expert already well known to UK viewers as a long-standing expert on the Antiques Roadshow.

In April 2005 it was announced that the primetime version of Bargain Hunt had been axed; however the daytime version continued. Reruns of the daytime version (from the Dickinson era) also appear on BBC Entertainment and BBC America.

The show occasionally features well-known contestants, such as 'Allo 'Allo! stars Gorden Kaye and Sue Hodge.

The show airs on the Australian Foxtel and Austar cable television channel, Lifestyle, at 6.30 pm weekdays. The show also airs on the Seven Network's digital station 7Two (Prime's 7Two, in Regional Areas), weekdays at 11am and 6.30pm.

Several episodes recorded in late 2014 were presented by Anita Manning, Charlie Ross, Christina Trevanion, Natasha Raskin, Charles Hanson, and Paul Laidlaw whilst Wonnacott took part in the BBC 1 entertainment programme Strictly Come Dancing.

Series 41, Episode 22 saw the first-ever time two teams of twins competed against each other. The red team (Polly Weighill & Gemma Weighill) emerged victorious over the blue team (Martin Sansom & Russell Sansom) at Ardingly Antiques and Collectors Fair in West Sussex.[4]

Christmas charity single

In December 2017, four of the Bargain Hunt antique experts Charlie Ross, James Braxton, Charles Hanson and Philip Serrell got together to create a Christmas single in aid of BBC Children in Need. The single was released digitally on independent record label Saga Entertainment and peaked at number 1 on the Amazon Rock Charts, number 1 on the Amazon Rock Best Sellers and number 1 on the Amazon Hot New Releases chart. It was a rock cover of the classic Christmas song "Sleigh Ride", written by Leroy Anderson & Mitchel Parish. It was recorded at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick.[5][6]

Special programmes

Following the death of expert David Barby on 25 July 2012, the programme paid tribute to him on 1 October 2012 by showing a montage of clips featuring his appearances on the show.

500th programme

On 15 October 2007, the 500th show was broadcast. This show differed from a normal show in that both teams were made up of experts – the red team featured David Barby and Philip Serrell (described as the "old" team), while the blue team featured Kate Bliss and Charles Hanson (deemed the "young" team); the "bonus items" were purchased by Tim Wonnacott himself.[7] The teams were given £500 to spend, rather than the usual £300, with any profits going to charities chosen by the team members. The red team made a profit of £245, beating the blue team's break-even. The show also featured out-takes and memorable clips from previous shows.

10th anniversary

The programme marked its tenth anniversary on air with a week of special editions broadcast between 15 and 19 March 2010. These followed a similar format to the 500th episode, except that the teams were given only the usual £300 to buy items, with a separate £100 per team allotted for the bonus items.

20th anniversary

The programme marks its twentieth anniversary on air with a week of special editions broadcast between 19 and 23 October 2020. Episode 1, Charlie Ross raids the Bargain Hunt archives for the most memorable buys over the past 20 years. Episode 2,Natasha Raskin Sharp takes a look back at some of our experts' most memorable moments from over decades of antiques shopping. Episode 3, Christina Trevanion is off on her travels. Episode 4, Eric Knowles takes a look back at some of the best and worst buys our reds and blues have come up with. Episode 5 final, Veterans Thomas Forrester, Philip Serrell and Kate Bliss take on three more recent additions to Bargain Hunt’s expert line-up, Tim Weeks, Danny Sebastian and Roo Irvine, in a battle never seen on the show before. Only some of the usual rules apply. The teams have one hour and £300 pounds to buy three items to take to auction, but to turn up the heat they will be shopping on their own in a relay.

Happy Mondays v Pulp

On 28 September 2018, Bargain Hunt aired a special episode as part of BBC Music Day. The Red Team consisted of Bez and Rowetta from Happy Mondays and the Blue Team consisted of Jarvis Cocker and Candida Doyle from Pulp.

The Red Team won the episode by earning a profit of £8. However, it was later discovered that Bez's girlfriend had bought two of the Red Team's items. As it was against the rules of the programme for friends and family of the teams to buy items the teams were selling, the Blue Team were made winners and Bez had to hand over £8 from his own pocket.[8]

Transmissions

Series	Start date	End date	Episodes
1	13 March 2000	4 May 2000	28
2	2 October 2000	10 November 2000	30
3	5 March 2001	30 March 2001	20
4	3 September 2001	3 December 2001	42
5	7 March 2002	14 June 2002	25
6	19 May 2003	7 August 2003	45
7	27 August 2003	20 November 2003	55
8	5 January 2004	23 April 2004	20
9	10 May 2004	5 August 2004	30
10	6 September 2004	3 December 2004	45
11	10 January 2005	13 May 2005	42
12	22 June 2005	14 October 2005	23
13	16 January 2006	10 March 2006	35
14	8 May 2006	16 Jun 2006	20
15	9 Oct 2006	1 Dec 2006	20
16	19 Feb 2007	9 Jul 2007	25
17	7 May 2007	13 July 2007	30
18	15 October 2007	23 November 2007	25
19	11 February 2008	17 March 2008	25
20	21 April 2008	13 June 2008	25
21	1 September 2008	17 October 2008	25
22	19 January 2009	19 February 2009	25
23	8 June 2009	6 October 2009	32
24	26 October 2009	5 January 2010	32
25	18 January 2010	19 March 2010	32
26	10 May 2010	28 July 2010	32
27	6 September 2010	9 December 2010	32
28	3 January 2011	7 April 2011	32
29	9 May 2011	21 July 2011	32
30	26 September 2011	23 December 2011	40
31	2 January 2012	22 March 2012	32
32	28 May 2012	29 November 2012	32
33	2 January 2013	13 March 2013	32
34	8 April 2013	28 June 2013	32
35	1 July 2013	16 September 2013	32
36	20 September 2013	15 January 2014	30
37	17 January 2014	4 August 2014	32
Hour Specials	28 April 2014	4 January 2015	28
38	19 May 2014	12 September 2014	32
39	17 September 2014	16 January 2015	32
40	19 January 2015	5 May 2015	32
41	11 May 2015	4 September 2015	32
42	7 September 2015	22 January 2016	32
43	25 January 2016	16 May 2016	32
44	20 May 2016	9 September 2016	32
45	12 September 2016	23 January 2017	32
46	18 November 2016	5 May 2017	32
47	8 May 2017	25 August 2017	32
48	11 September 2017	15 January 2018	32
49	17 November 2017	11 May 2018	32
50	18 May 2018	3 January 2019	32
51	14 September 2018	15 March 2019	35
52	16 November 2018	3 May 2019	32
53	6 May 2019	23 August 2019	32
54	2 September 2019	17 January 2020	32
55	15 November 2019	17 April 2020	32
56	27 April 2020	17 December 2020	32
57	18 September 2020	2020	32
58	22 January 2021	2021	32

Presenters

• Christina Trevanion
• Eric Knowles[9]
• Anita Manning[10]
• Natasha Raskin Sharp[11]
• Charlie Ross[12]

Experts

• Ochuko Ojiri (2019-)
• Roo Irvine (2019-)
• Stephanie Connell (2019-)
• Raj Bisram[13]
• Kate Bliss (née Alcock)[14]
• John Cameron[15]
• Ben Cooper[16]
• Nick Hall[17]
• Charles Hanson[18]
• David Harper[19]
• Caroline Hawley[20]
• Paul Laidlaw[21][22]
• Richard Madley[23]
• Gary Pe (2016-)[24]
• Thomas Forrester (formerly Plant)[25]
• Jonathan Pratt[26]
• Danny Sebastian[27]
• Philip Serrell[28]
• Catherine Southon[29][30]
• Mark Stacey[31]
• Tim Weeks[32][33]
• Colin Young[34]

Past experts

• Philip Allwood[35][36]
• Mark Ashley
• David Barby (2000-2012, his death)[37]
• Kate Bateman
• James Braxton
• Pippa Deeley[38]
• Dean Goodwin (2000)
• Chris Gower[39]
• Paul Hayes
• Karen van Hoey Smith (2004)
• Michael Hogben (2000–2006)
• Kevin Jackson (2000–2005)
• James Lewis
• Anita Manning
• Henry Meadows
• Toby Moy (2000)
• Adam Partridge
• Natasha Raskin Sharp[40]
• Susan Orringe
• Charlie Ross
• Nigel Smith
• Sally Stratton (2001–2002)
• Elizabeth Talbot
• Christina Trevanion
• Louise Weir (2000)
• Claire Rawle

References

1. "Tim Wonnacott steps down from Bargain Hunt". BBC News. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
2. "Meet the experts". BBC One Bargain Hunt. BBC.
3. Doplhin, Kirstie (17 November 2011). "Beci and Frank have an eye for a real bargain". denbighshirefreepress.co.uk. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
4. "Bargain Hunt (Series 41 Episode 22 – Friday 24 July 2015)". YouTube.com. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
5. "BBC Children in Need - BBC antiques experts have swapped their auction house gavels for microphones to produce a Christmas single in aid of BBC Children in Need". BBC. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
6. "The BBC's antiques experts unite to release a Christmas single". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
7. "500th Episode". ovguide.com. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
8. "Happy Mondays force Bargain Hunt reshoot - Complete Music Update". www.completemusicupdate.com. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
9. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Eric Knowles". BBC One. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
10. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Anita Manning". BBC One. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
11. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Natasha Raskin". BBC One. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
12. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Charlie Ross". BBC One. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
13. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Raj Bisram". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
14. "Bargain Hunt - Kate Bliss". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
15. "BBC Bargain Hunt - John Cameron". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
16. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Ben Cooper". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
17. "Bargain Hunt - Nick Hall". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
18. "Bargain Hunt - Charles Hanson". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
19. "David Harper's profile on Bargain Hunt, BBC, UK". BBC. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
20. "Caroline Hawley's profile on Bargain Hunt, BBC, UK". BBC. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
21. "Paul Laidlaw's profile on Bargain Hunt, BBC, UK". BBC. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
22. "Laidlaw Auctioneers & Valuers". Retrieved 5 February 2014.
23. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Richard Madley". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
24. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Gary Pe". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
25. "Bargain Hunt - Thomas Forrester". BBC One. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
26. "Bargain Hunt - Jonathan Pratt". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
27. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Danny Sebastian". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
28. "Bargain Hunt - Philip Serrell". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
29. "Bargain Hunt - Catherine Southon". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
30. "Catherine Southon Auctioneers & Valuers". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
31. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Mark Stacey". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
32. "Tim Weeks – Director, Auctioneer, Valuer & Cataloguer". Wessex Auction Rooms. 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
33. "Bargain Hunt - Tim Weeks". BBC One. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
34. "BBC Bargain Hunt - Colin Young". BBC One. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
35. "Lowry-esque orchard scene makes top price at auction". mooreallen.co.uk. 28 June 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
36. "Blackers Art of Angling and Complete System of Fly Making and Dying of Colours". mooreallen.co.uk. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
37. "Television antiques expert David Barby dies, aged 69". BBC News. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
38. "This year's Rye Show 'best ever'". Rye & Battle Observer. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
39. "Newark 5: Bargain Hunt, Series 37 Episode 31 of 32". BBC. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
40. "Bargain Hunt - Natasha Raskin". BBC One. Retrieved 25 August 2016.

External links

• Bargain Hunt at BBC Programmes
• Bargain Hunt Famous Finds
• Bargain Hunt at IMDb
• Bargain Hunt at UKGameshows.com