The producer saw Mary Chilcott running an auction online and realised she’d found an interesting focal point for the popular BBC 1 show; partly because there are still so few female auctioneers and also because at just 19, Mary is probably the youngest auctioneer in the UK. Bargain Hunt approached Chilcotts who welcomed the production team to one of their monthly auctions.

Bargain Hunt’s format is to give contestants in Red and Blue teams £300 to spend on antiques that they hope will make a profit at auction. Each team buys three items to put into auction, and also have the option of auctioning their expert’s ‘bonus choice’. These particular teams found their treasures at an antiques emporium in Devon, where they bought them for a retail purchase price before they were taken to Chilcotts to be auctioned.

Liz Chilcott explained: “We treated the items exactly as normal auction lots - and they were sold to the highest bidder, even if it was at a loss. This is of course all part of the show’s charm, finding out whether the teams have unearthed a bargain or a dud!”

While the Bargain Hunt production team and presenter Natasha Raskin Sharp were in the sale room for the auction, due to Covid protocols in force at the time the contestants were based in a hotel in Exeter, taking part via a special live-stream link.

Liz added: “We are very proud of Mary who was interviewed by Natasha and did a sterling job as auctioneer.

“Our lips are sealed as to the success or otherwise of the items that were auctioned. We didn’t know how much each item cost the contestants, so we’re as much in the dark as everyone else – all will be revealed when the programmes air.”

Four separate programmes have been put together from the filming at Chilcotts - and the first will be broadcast on Friday July 8.