Bargain Hunt star leaves guest in tears as item sells for more than '100 times its value'

Bargain Hunt star Irita Marriott left a guest in tears as their item sold for more than "100 times its value".

The BBC antiques expert was presenting her Discovery+ series, The Derbyshire Auction House, when she stumbled upon a heartfelt story with guest Helen and her son Ben.

While searching their home for hidden gems, Helen brought forward a set of family photos which held original signed shots from acclaimed photographers that dated back to 1975.

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They included works from Graham Smith and Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, whose works are now displayed in the Tate Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, reports the Express.

In a heartbreaking twist, it was revealed that the photographs were being auctioned to fund the care of Helen's husband, Alan.

Alan was suffering from dementia at the time and needed full-time care, though he sadly died before the episode went to air, with the money being used to pay for his funeral.

The cherished pictures once adorned the hallway of their home, thanks to Alan's former role in promoting cinema and photography.

The photographs were sold individually, with one estimated at £80 to £120. This quickly sparked a fierce bidding war, with the picture ultimately fetching a staggering £12,000.

After learning the price that the photograph had sold for, Helen was moved to tears.

Following the auction, Irita reflected on the difficult situation, noting: "It can't be easy for them. These items are things that they've lived with all their lives.

"Now that Alan's gone into care, it's probably going to be really sad to see them go."

Helen's son, Ben, also expressed his shock at the auction outcome, remarking, "I was absolutely gobsmacked at the values people were willing to bid for what we thought were just nice pictures... that we saw on the wall every day. Absolutely brilliant."

The Derbyshire Auction House is streaming on Discovery+