Antiques Road Trip: Irita Marriott knocks over bed warmer
Bargain Hunt is returning to BBC One with expert Irita Marriott offering advice to the amateur teams. The TV star may also be recognised for offering her expertise on Antiques Road Trip.
Away from the world of TV, she runs a successful auctioneer and valuer business which was launched in June 2023. She prides it on being one of a number of female-run auction houses in the UK.
As a working mum, she has over 11 years of experience and was excited to open her own auction house in the beautiful market town of Melbourne, Derbyshire. She said of her business: "I want to continue to unite people with beautiful objects but make it easy for them to do so by buying online at Irita Marriott Auctioneers."
As for her work on Bargain Hunt, she said although she loved spending time on the road, she missed being with her family. "Life on the road has two sides - one of excitement seeing new people and places, having adventures, and one of simply being away from home, missing my loved ones and lots of commuting," she said.
"But when you look at it as a whole it’s an incredible opportunity to build memories - and I sure love that." Here's all you need to know about her life.
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Irita admitted she was "dropped in the deep end" when she chose a career in antiques, having started her working life at a garden centre.
Viewers may not realise she has appeared on Bargain Hunt before becoming an expert, as she explained: "I actually appeared as a seller on Bargain Hunt quite a few times in my early dealing career.
"Then one day, many years later, I was approached to be an expert and of course I had to say yes."
As for her family life, the star has two sons and she loves spending her free time with them, taking them along to antiques fairs.
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On how she spends her free time, she said: "Hunting for antiques with my two boys in tow.
"They are developing a love for it and I love watching the excitement of them finding things and learning about them."
She also revealed her guilty pleasures, including "a cruise", claiming they are "the best kind of holiday there is".
"You can stay in the same room for weeks, yet you wake up in a different city each day," she explained. "It’s a win-win for me, and the food on there isn’t bad either."
The star is on Instagram but she mostly posts about her work and her BBC colleagues, keeping her private life out of the spotlight.
Bargain Hunt airs on weekdays on BBC One at 12.15pm
