Lesley Kiddell-Spencer
Expert
How do you find life on the road with Bargain Hunt?
Astonishing! The amount of planning, organising and teamwork that goes into each episode is amazing, every day is a learning experience.
What is your favourite part of your role?
I try to be a positive role model for people with a hearing loss and to open up the wonderful world of antiques/collectables to them, as well as giving a little deaf awareness to those who watch BH who have never met a deaf person. Most of all I love meeting and working with the contestants and the Bargain Hunt team.
Why did you choose a career in antiques?
I didn’t, it kind of chose me. It was something I grew to love after my mother’s passion for antiques and dragging me around shops and auctions. After I was made redundant and after 30 years of the 9-5 and doing the ad hoc antique fair, I decided to bite the bullet and become a full-time trader.
What would you do for a living if you weren’t working in the antiques trade?
I would love to have been an archaeologist or someone who works in a museum.
What advice would you give to anyone wanting to work in antiques?
You need a passion for history and an eye for amazing items, be prepared to spend most of your time researching, but it’s great fun and very rewarding.
How did you get involved in Bargain Hunt?
I don’t have an auction house or a shop being a dealer; luckily for me someone on the Bargain Hunt team saw a previous recording of me on BH trading with one of the teams and contacted me. I was astonished and very flattered to be asked and since then I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming it all.
Which fairs do you particularly like shopping at when bargain hunting?
I did love Peterborough festival of antiques which is sadly no more, but any fair is great to visit – big or small. You never know what you might find!
What’s the most profit / greatest loss you’ve made at auction?
A tiny Chinese chicken bowl. For some reason I fell in love with it and bid £45, not having a clue what it was, much to the disgust of my husband! I sold it for £3,000 online, so he was nice to me afterwards!
What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
A nice glass of wine watching Chinese costume dramas.
How do you spend your free time?
Watching/ reading documentaries; anything history-related, especially about Richard III (of which I am passionate about) and of course watching antique-related programmes, especially Bargain Hunt, which I have watched since it started.
Do you collect anything?
Antique carved wood and carved doors. My house is groaning with them and currently it has the appearance of something out of a Harry Potter movie, complete with floating candles - I kid you not!
Why do you think Bargain Hunt has such appeal?
For the contestants - the excitement of the hunt to try and find an item which will win or gain a nice pot of money and of course, the much sought after golden gavel.
For the viewer - the pleasure of being an armchair judge, to be able to have the satisfaction or disappointment of knowing your own estimate was right/wrong.
Why would you encourage anyone to appear on Bargain Hunt?
To enjoy yourselves, which they definitely will; to see for yourself how the show works and how much effort goes into the production and what a lovely team they are; and to experience the fairs/antiques centres, and of course an auction house is a real treat.
