Bargain Hunt expert red faced after 'fake' and 'damaged' item makes loss

Viewers of Bargain Hunt were left in disbelief when expert Jonathan Pratt presented the Blue team with what turned out to be a "fake" item as his bonus buy.

The bonus buy segment on the BBC show acts as a wild card opportunity, giving contestants another roll of the dice even if they were hesitant about their previous decisions.

In today's episode (October 3), married couple Bruce and Andrea from the Blue team, practically implored presenter Charlie Ross not to opt for the expert's dud selection, realising it would likely lose them money in the process.

Retired Bruce and math tutor Andrea went head-to-head against the Red team, comprising mother-son pair Mandie and Jack, in a fierce battle for victory, armed with hopes to acquire lucrative hidden gems at the auction.

Despite a slow beginning, the Red team, led by their challenger-seeking expert Nick Hall, boldly invested £180 in a dark wood cricket table - a move that left him utterly bewildered, given the meager funds left for his bonus buy gamble, reports Devon Live.

On the other hand, team Blue showed no restraint with their funds, successfully haggling deals throughout the marketplace on items such as an Italian glass vase, a beautifully hand-painted cheese dish, and an antique bell.

Jonathan, in a shocking turn of events on Bargain Hunt, left the team red-faced by inadvertently denting their chances at auction after a monumental blunder.

The day had already proven to be challenging for Andrea and Bruce, who were reeling from an eye-watering £90 loss and had entrusted Jonathan with an £85 war chest to retrieve a valuable find.

However, their hopes were dashed as the antique expert unwittingly squandered £70 on what turned out to be practically worthless pottery figures, not realising they were "fake" and clumsily restored.

Colour draining from his cheeks, the antique specialist had to face the music when host Charlie and the eagle-eyed auctioneer noted that the figures were likely dotted with repairs - hardly the discovery needed to redeem the day's losses.

Jonathan owned up and explained: "The thing about these things is, they have lots of extremities and the extremities get damaged ok so you will find with something like this there is always going to be a little bit of damage."

Admitting to his mistake, he revealed: "It seems there is a little bit more than I had recognised when I bought them, so I'm afraid there's been a bit of repair to her arm and I think a bit of a repair to his arm."

When asked to reveal how much he paid, Jonathan divulged: "I paid £70 for them." Words eluded Bruce, and a disconcerted Andrea prodded further: "And how much do you think they are going to make?" In a moment of brutal honesty, he admitted: "I think the sensible estimation would probably be in the £30-£40 mark."

Host Charlie couldn't contain his laughter at his mistake, while Bruce just shook his head in dismay. Charlie jokingly asked: "So what's the decision, are you going with them?" The Blue team responded in unison with a resounding "No, no, no."

After the auctioneer inspected the items and voiced concerns about the "restoration", Jonathan confessed: "I didn't anticipate that they're probably only about 20 percent original."

Bargain Hunt airs on BBC1, from 12:15, weekdays.