Matthew Bell celebrates 25 years of BBC daytime show Bargain Hunt
Over a quarter of a century, Bargain Hunt has become a TV institution, offering 45 minutes of endearing eccentricity and entertainment before stark reality intervenes in the form of the BBC lunchtime news.
At an RTS Cymru Wales event, talent from behind and in front of the camera discussed the show’s enduring success over almost 1,900 episodes. Executive Producer Paul Tucker stressed the “subtle changes” over the years: “Don’t ruin what’s good but at the same time you have to keep changing things to keep it relevant.
“The daytime audience, particularly during Covid, changed. Before, most people at home were either shift workers, unemployed, retired workers or housewives. Covid brought in a new audience, which we have to reflect.”
A strong production team helps, as does continuity. Ben Hewish has worked on the show for 21 years, moving from runner to director, including helming last month’s anniversary special, 25 Years of Bargain Hunt.
Bargain Hunt, made by BBC Studios in Cardiff, regularly attracts 2 million viewers, enjoying a 35-40% share of the TV audience. “There is a lot of love for this programme,” said BBC Commissioning Editor Lindsay Bradbury. “People feel guilty watching daytime TV – you feel you should be doing something else, the ironing, the shopping or working. [But] when you start watching Bargain Hunt, you get sucked in... it’s very good company.”
The show made its debut on 13 March 2000, with David Dickinson presenting. Tim Wonnacott followed, but since 2016 it has had a roster of hosts, including Danny Sebastian, who moved from show expert to presenter.
“Each presenter has a different personality and we can play to their strengths – it gives variety to the show,” said Tucker. “Ninety-six episodes a year would be a lot for one person.”
Sebastian is a good fit for a show that mixes entertainment and antique knowhow. “It was an honour to be part of such an iconic show. I’m at what is classed the bottom end of antiques. I like the vintage, the retro... but I was well received,” he said, adding: “There’s a big fun factor with the show – that’s what makes it keep on going.”
Sebastian has supplied much of the fun. Memorably, his trousers once split while performing the trademark Bargain Hunt kick at the end of the show. As well as this clip, the Cardiff audience saw Sebastian receive an etiquette lesson on how to drink tea – “Pinkie down, elbow down, keeping our head up, we take a sip.”
Expert Kate Bliss recalled the first and last Bargain Hunt Christmas panto in 2002, in which she was Snow White. “We filmed the pantomime in the evening, in a hotel room just off the A1,” she recalled.
Bliss said finding treasures that could turn a profit could be a “minefield – there are fakes, forgeries and reproductions”. Once she picked “an antique tray, a lovely thing, sure to make a profit” that turned out to be a dog’s bowl.
Novice collectors getting one over the experts is one of the joys of the show. Auctioneer Richard Winterton once described a knight’s rusty armour as a “a bit of nonsense”, predicting it would make £20 at auction – it sold for £520.
Like all long-running TV shows, Bargain Hunt boasts a simple format – two teams of antique amateurs, the “reds” and “blues”, compete to turn the greatest profit from three items on a budget of just £300.
Contestants can keep any (usually tiny) profit they make; if they make money on all three items, they take home a “golden gavel” lapel badge – “something money cannot buy”, says Sebastian.
The show is about the glory of winning, although there is the occasional skulduggery. In the 2018 music special, Pulp, featuring Jarvis Cocker, took on the Happy Mondays. Bez’s girlfriend, in the audience, bid for the Madchester band’s items – strictly forbidden by the Bargain Hunt rule-book. A bewildered Bez was disqualified, asked to hand back his profit, and Pulp won with a loss of £95.
This RTS Cymru Wales event, supported by Screen Alliance Wales and the Welsh Government via Creative Wales, was held on 6 March at the Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. BBC Wales presenter Lucy Owen hosted.
