Tess Grabham, a therapist for young people at East Reach House in Taunton, took on the antiques trade when she starred in the popular BBC TV show Bargain Hunt. 

Tess got the idea to apply during the Christmas holidays when stumbling across the program. She thought it would be “easy peasy” and contacted her father, Kevin, who has a long-standing interest in antiques. 

On a whim, the pair applied for the show and within six weeks had been selected for the next stage in the application process. After being accepted, Tess and Kevin were welcomed onto the show, with presenter Natasha Raskin Sharp and antiques expert Steph Connell.

Their task was to buy three items with under £300 in only one hour. Tess said they “were like rabbits caught in headlights” and added that the game was “much harder than it looks”. 

Tess noted the pressure of the challenge, saying that “someone with a timer was always with us – out of camera shot of course”.

Despite the time crunch, Tess and Kevin managed to haggle three valuable items, leaving the expert with £80 for an additional item. 

Their purchases included a Victorian spirit level, a compact mirror, and a French wheelbarrow, which although looked like nothing to Tess, caught the eye of antiques enthusiast, Kevin.

Two weeks after their shopping spree, Tess and Kevin attended an auction centre in Chippenham to witness the sale of their items. They profited on all of their items, including the expert’s purchase, which awarded them the Golden Gavel. 

Tess and Kevin emerged victorious from the challenge, netting a stonking profit of £128. Tess said she would “recommend it to anyone” and was delighted with the experience