Antiques Roadshow guest left speechless after learning value of stone head found in drain
A guest on BBC's Antiques Roadshow was utterly gobsmacked after discovering the stone head she unearthed from a drain could fetch a whopping £5,000.
The episode which aired in April saw the show venture to Northern Ireland, where expert Adam Schoon evaluated the large stone head. The owner recounted her surprise find, saying: "I was digging up drains and I just so happened to dig down and hit stone, and I pulled him out and there he was. The more I cleaned him I thought, 'No I am not sure.'".
Adam scrutinised the artefact, noting its "very reminiscent of a Celtic style" and mused that it could date back over 2,000 years, possibly to the third century AD, drawing parallels with similar finds near Hadrian's Wall. He suggested it might even be as ancient as 1066.
After Adam appraised the stone head at £5,000, the guest was astounded that her accidental discovery could be so valuable.
Antiques Roadshow has witnessed its fair share of remarkable items, but one unfortunate guest experienced embarrassment when his £1,000 purchase from an antiques shop turned out to be nothing more than an empty Tesco olive oil bottle.
Fiona Bruce shared a poignant moment from the show, revealing: "I'm afraid it's an empty olive oil bottle. Tesco, circa 2008. It's worth nothing at all.”
She added with empathy: "I suppose we could have broadcast it but it was just too cruel. The guy was devastated. There's a tiny bit of my brain that realises it would have made great television. But it's just not what the show's about. Poor chap, poor chap. The thing is, if you come on the Roadshow we are not about to humiliate you. The thing about Antiques Roadshow is not to humiliate people."
In another recent episode, viewers were left in awe as a guest uncovered the value of her vintage Barbie.
Expert Judith Miller delivered the jaw-dropping news, leaving the guest speechless with the doll's potential worth of up to £1,500.
The anticipation escalated as Judith expressed her amazement at the doll's pristine condition, declaring: "I have never, ever seen a Barbie doll in this condition." The guest's reaction was one of disbelief, simply responding with a bewildered: "What?"
The revelation that the doll could fetch her up to £1,500 left the guest visibly stunned, pausing to absorb the news before exclaiming: "Wow. Well. It's certainly something I wasn't thinking about. It's absolutely lovely."
