Bargain Hunt has delighted viewers for 24 years (Image: BBC)
expert Natasha Raskin Sharp has spilled some of the best kept behind-the-scenes secrets on the beloved show.
The long-running programme has been on the airwaves since 2000 which was originally hosted by David Dickinson before Tim Wonnacott took over in 2003.
Fans of the show will know two pairs of contestants are challenged to buy antiques with the help of an expert before taking their treasures to the auction house to go under the hammer.
But fans may be surprised to know how long the filming process actually takes. Until now, only the lucky few contestants on the show and the cast and crew got to peak behind the curtain of how the daytime show is made.
However, in Karen Farrington’s new book Bargain Hunt: The Spotter’s Guide to Antiques, fellow expert Natasha has opened up about some of the programme’s best kept secrets.
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Expert Natasha Raskin Sharp has lifted the lid on some of the show’s secrets (Image: PA)
The antiques expert revealed: “While our show’s broad appeal is undeniable – and while the rules of the game are easy to explain in a sentence or two – trying to elucidate exactly what these different demographics enjoy so much is less straightforward.
“Perhaps the fact that making a profit on Bargain Hunt is genuinely challenging is what appeals the most – if you’ve ever cheered on a team that’s made a £1.50 profit, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
“Or perhaps it’s the notion that anyone is welcome to apply to appear on the programme – fill in just one form and before you know it, you and your housemate could be the stars of the newest Bargain Hunt meme (and proud possessors of some very fine fleeces).”
It was at this point that she spilled some of the surprising drama that has unfolded behind the cameras over the years. She went on: “Or maybe it’s the very real drama that can unfold. You see, the 45 minutes shown on television represent several days of filming.
“First, there’s the ‘buy day’, then there’s the ‘auctioneer chat’, and finally, the auction itself. A lot can happen in that time: there’s been one marriage proposal, a handful of breakups and even a few births between the antiques fair and the auction … you just never know exactly how an episode is going to play out.”
But one of the most asked question surrounding the afternoon show is whether or not participants get to keep the infamous show fleeces.
Kown to lack its brand tag from Regatta while on air dur to filming regulations, one user on confirmed contestants do get to keep the coveted souvenir.
They wrote: “You do [get to keep ot.] If I remember correctly it’s a Regatta fleece, nice and warm. They snip off the Regatta tag off the zipper before filming.” Another disclused: “I used to work on Bargain Hunt and can confirm that you get to keep the fleece.”