Bargain Hunt star lands her own show away from hit BBC series after impressing TV bosses
STV Studios have commissioned a new auction show starring Bargain Hunt favorite Irita Marriott.
The antiques expert made her love of discovering hidden treasures known through her appearances on Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip.
Now she is venturing solo in a new series called The Derbyshire Auction House.
In it a camera crew follows the businesswoman as she travels to people’s homes across the county, unearthing cherished items and turning them into cash.
Irita has revealed that the ten-episode show was filmed just months after her auction house first opened.
“It was all a bit quick,” she told Plymouth Live.
“I started my auction house in September last year when we opened the doors and our first auction wasn’t actually until January. We had only had one auction before we started the show.
“They always say, ‘Everything happens for a reason and when the time is right, it happens’ and it really did feel like that.”
The series premiere was last night, and the emotional scenes are sure to bring some audience members to tears.
Irita’s first stop was in a quaint village, where she helped a family part with their late father’s prized possessions, including a beloved car.
Looking back on that moment, the auction house owner shared: “I lost my dad years ago and I could really feel for her and I really wanted to get that money for her and we got there.
“We are complete strangers to these people and they let us in their houses, shared their life with us and I have to say, I am one of those people that really pays attention and really listens and I feel for them.
“We have had a fair amount of tears and it is understandable, people are saying goodbye to family-owned heirlooms and now they might need to part with them because they are downsizing or because they can’t do collecting anymore for health reasons. Everyone has their own story.”
The Derbyshire Auction House airs on Mondays at 9pm on the Really channel