Yes, although it’s only a 45-minute programme when shown on BBC 1, (weekdays from 12.15 to 1.00pm) from a competitor’s point of view it involves two full days. And what lively, full of fun and interest these days are. If you and a friend / husband / partner are thinking of entering then Sharon recommends going for it a 100%.

But how did Sharon and Matt Gudger become involved? From talking to Sharon, I learnt all about it and it’s a long process. I won’t go into all the details but first you fill in an online form, if contacted you then have to produce a four-minute video expressing, enthusiastically, why you want to be on the show. This is then followed by a Zoom interview with one of the producers. If selected you then get an email with a venue in your area, in this case Newark Antiques Fair and suggested dates. When Sharon applied this was in spring 2023.

It’s extremely hard to get on the show. Sharon learnt that 100 applications are received every day. But they did! Sharon loves visiting antique fairs and has been collecting small items over the last few years so this was a definite advantage.

All competitors are given travelling expenses, are kept superbly well fed and if they make a profit can keep it; but nobody enters for the money - it’s all for the experience and fun. Sharon and Matt are going to donate their winnings and expenses to Rainbows.

At the start of the Newark filming day Sharon and Matt had to be at the site for 7am together with four other couples as four episodes are filmed on one day. The filming is divided into three sections. The first explains the rules and the experts are introduced, the second focuses on the backgrounds of the teams, the Reds and the Blues, and the third follows competitors around as they shop. It all seems seamless when watched, but hours pass between takes.

Sharon and Matt liked their expert, Raj Bisram. Because of royalty issues competitors were warned against choosing signed pictures or books, as these may complicate matters for the BBC, and they were told not to pick up items unless they really wanted to buy them as a cameraman had to capture it for viewers. Sharon and Matt, The Reds, chose a wooden model of a bird, a sandpiper, to fulfil their ‘wooden’ challenge, a small silver elephant pincushion for their over £75 purchase and finally a lobster tail reproduction English Civil War helmet. The remaining money they gave to Raj to spend on a Bonus Buy but at the auction itself he whispered to them to reject his purchase as he thought he’d spent too much on it! So, they did.

The auction was held in Lichfield. Although the auction only occupies the final ten minutes of the TV show it involved the teams being there for the whole day as all the items from two days of shooting at Newark were auctioned on the same day. This meant eight teams, 16 people, were there. At auction our favourite team, The Reds, made a profit of £32, and at first thought they might win, but The Blues made £39. Boo! (Oddly, how the other seven teams got on Sharon and Matt never knew.) But even though they lost they came back with golden gavel badges, their red jackets, a Bargain Hunt stick of rock and a beaker. But what they treasure most are the happy memories of interesting conversations with the experts and the auctioneers, and the camaraderie of the other competitors. There were so many hours spent hanging around there was time to get to know each other and now there’s a Bargain Hunt WhatsApp group that keeps them all in touch.

Gaynor Barton