Llandeilo is once again taking centre stage on national television as BBC’s Bargain Hunt returns to film at the town’s popular Antiques and Vintage Fair. The return of the beloved daytime programme means the local event is setting gold-standard expectations, challenging both contestants and visitors to spot the ultimate bargain among an incredible showcase of Welsh history and retro treasures.
They will be filming their popular BBC daytime television programme at the Llandeilo Civic Hall fair on Saturday, July 4, where it has always turned up some surprises over the years, with different celebrities turning up. This is the third time that Bargain Hunt has chosen this venue to film their show, which is aired at lunchtime on BBC1 and is watched by millions of viewers each day.
Presenter and Experts
The presenter on the day is Eric Knowles, and the experts are Irita Marriott and John Cameron. Bargain Hunt was first aired on BBC 1 on March 13, 2000 and was originally presented by David Dickinson. From 2003 to January 2016 it was presented by Tim Wonnacott. In 2016 the format changed to a roster of hosts from a "team of experts" fronting the show.
How Bargain Hunt Works
Two teams - designated the "Reds" and the "Blues" - compete. Each team has two members, who wear jackets that correspond to their team's colour. At the beginning of the show, each team is given £300 with which to purchase antiques. The objective is to find items that will earn the team a profit when later sold at auction. Each team is accompanied by their expert, though it is the contestants' decision whether to heed the advice given by their expert. After the contestants have completed their purchases and presented them to the host, home viewers are shown a "what the auctioneer thinks" section in which the auctioneer appraises the buys and gives the auction estimate. At the auction, as each item is sold, the host compares the auction sale price to the price originally paid by the team. If the final total shows a profit, the team receives that profit in cash; otherwise, the team receives nothing.
2019 again brought a change to the rules with two challenges, the 'Big Spend Challenge' and the 'Presenter's Challenge' being introduced. The teams have to spend at least £75 on one item, and buy an item relating to a specific category. Other changes include the contestants introducing themselves to camera, rather than to the presenter, and the bonus buy is now revealed to the contestants in the auction room after the sale of the first three items. If the teams gain profits on all three items then a golden gavel is awarded to the team members.
Meet the Experts
The experts Irita and John will aid the contestants in their choice of items. Irita Marriott is an antique expert and dealer, known for her role as an expert on BBC1’s Antiques Road Trip, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt and Channel 4’s The Greatest Auction. Irita, from Latvia, came to the UK at the age of 20. She has spent nearly a decade working in the antiques and dealing industry. She previously worked as a cataloguer and a valuer in a leading auction house based in Derbyshire. Now, she deals with the precious and beautiful items full-time. Irita was first seen on the TV screens in the UK in 2021 when she joined the Antiques Road Trip team and then became one of the presenters on Bargain Hunt. In 2023, she opened Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers - one of very few female-led auction houses in the UK.
The other expert, John Cameron, is a familiar face on our screens thanks to his regular appearances on BBC One's Bargain Hunt. The antiques expert began his TV career two decades ago on Cash in the Attic and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth, making him a permanent fixture of the BBC's daytime schedule. While John initially trained as a carpenter and joiner, a back injury forced him to change careers and follow in his grandfather's footsteps. He grew up around antiques as his grandfather was a dealer, however, on leaving school, he served a five-year apprenticeship as a carpenter/joiner. A re-occurring back problem forced him to give up his physical job and return to college, where he undertook a three-year degree course at Southampton, studying fine art valuation. He later became a chartered surveyor of antiques and fine art, after further studying. Since then he has become a regular expert on Bargain Hunt.
Eric Knowles in Charge
It is the popular presenter Eric Knowles who is in charge on the day. Eric Knowles was born in Nelson, Lancashire, in 1953 and worked in both engineering and for a firm of antique shippers in the early 1970s. His love of antiques, inherited from his parents, came to the fore in 1976, when he joined Bonham’s, the London auctioneers, working first as a porter in the ceramics’ department, before becoming head of the department in 1981. Eric has also become a regular face on TV. His appearances include BBC Bargain Hunt, Antiques Road Show, Antiques Master to name but a few. Eric is a writer. He is resident Sunday Times antiques expert and a frequent contributor to the BBC Homes and Antiques magazine. Eric has lectured extensively in the UK and both in the USA and Canada. As well as presenting and appearing on radio and TV, he has written books on subjects such as Victoriana, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Royal Memorabilia. However it’s on BBC Bargain Hunt that we regularly see Eric as one of the team of presenters, who took over from Tim Wonnacott. This lunch time favourite sees Eric encouraging two teams plus their experts, to go out and find a bargain at various fairs around the country. The programmes will be aired later in the year.
Watch a Bit of TV Magic Unfold on Your Doorstep
The Llandeilo Antiques and Vintage Fair can be located in the heart of Llandeilo, close to the main car park. Here you will find a bustling, vibrant fair with lots of antiques and vintage to wet your appetite. The fair now includes a vintage element with a touch of retro. The fair brings a surprising diversity of antiques on display. There should be a good selection of Welsh items on offer. Whether it’s an original Welsh watercolour or oil painting or a piece of Welsh pottery or examples of Welsh blankets and textiles on display. Attractive displays of gardinalia have proved extremely popular at the fair, including watering cans, wheel barrows and garden tools and large garden pots and urns. The Llandeilo fair has a rich cross section of antiques and vintage on display, from jewellery, watches, books, ephemera, postcards, militaria and vintage clothes and accessories. There will also be collections of glass and up-cycled and pre-loved furniture, plus interior design pieces. Homemade refreshments will be available and doors open at 10am until 4pm. Admission is just £2 and dogs are allowed admission.
