BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Will Farmer has shared a memorable moment when a guest stormed off the set after discovering his supposed collectable item was a fake. The guest, who had brought a green glass bottle for appraisal, was left stunned by Will's revelation and promptly exited the scene with his now worthless item.
Regular viewers of the show are accustomed to seeing Will deliver life-changing news about the value of long-held family items. However, this incident served as a stark reminder of the potential pitfalls that come with the territory on the popular BBC programme.
As reported by the Mirror, Will recalled in a recent interview: "A gentleman pulled this green glass bottle out of his bag and I looked at him and said, 'What would you like to know? ' He said, 'I want to check the date of it' and I asked, 'Are you a collector, have you inherited it? Where is it from? ' He mentioned he'd purchased it from an antique shop, so I knew I had to tread carefully."
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The guest had been led to believe that he had bought a rare 17th-century glass bottle for £1,000. However, after consulting with his experienced colleagues, Will had the unenviable task of informing the guest that his item was merely a common green bottle with no significant value.
The man's reaction was one of utter disbelief, leading to his abrupt departure from the show. Speaking about his view of being such an integral part of the show, he told the Daily Express that he has always wanted to give customers to a great experience as they would have been in a queue for hours before speaking with him.
And so, even though guests have five or ten minutes with him, he tries to make it special. However, he said he was pleased he was able to make one lady's day when he told her, her item she paid 18p for was worth £500, which she was overwhelmed by.
He recalled that one of his favourite customers was lady who brought an item bought for 18p, which turned out to be worth an impressive £500. Will then added: "I said, 'Would it surprise you if I told you it was worth £500? ' and she did a comedy collapse on her feet and she went, 'Oh my god, you're joking.'"
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