Bargain Hunt viewers fume over 'stupid' rule break and demand change to show

18 January 2024 , 23:44

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Bargain Hunt guests Jenny and Caitlin was told they'd broken the rules (Image: BBC)

Bargain Hunt viewers aired their grievances after a team on the beloved BBC show broke the rules.

Host Natasha Raskin Sharp joined Red and Blue teams at the Ardingly Antiques Fair in West Sussex for another fun-filled episode. But, viewers were left less than impressed when one of the team were accused of breaking the rules.

The Red team comprised of Jenny, a business owner, and her daughter Caitlin, an operations manager, guided by expert Raj Bisram. Their mission was to find something related to the Arts and Crafts movement.

The Blue team had father and son duo Vere, a surveyor, and Ben, a retail manager. They were paired with expert David Harper, tasked with the challenge to buy an item with a Japanese link.

As is usual before the auction, host Natasha chatted with antiques guru Tim Forrester about his thoughts on each item's potential worth. However, one purchase made by Red team members Jenny and Caitlin caused controversy. A brooch they believed to originate from the Arts and Crafts movement raised doubts with Natasha.

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Bargain Hunt viewers took to social media to complain (BBC)

Tim shared Natasha's skepticism about the age of the brooch as the Arts and Crafts era dates back to the late 19th century. Despite this, he admitted that the brooch seemed to be "inspired by the movement".

Bargain Hunt presenter Natasha, who is also a regular contributor to BBC's Antiques Road Trip, admitted she was "loathe to do it", but had to disqualify an item for breaking the rules. Despite being bought for £90, the brooch only fetched £20 at auction.

This would have meant a £70 loss for the Reds, but due to the disqualification, they suffered a full £90 loss. Viewers were not pleased with the decision.

Bargain Hunt guests Jenny and Caitlin suffered a huge loss over the brooch (BBC)

On X, formerly known as Twitter, one frustrated viewer commented: "Hate these stupid challenges and disqualifications, bring the old format back," while another added "Aww that's a bit harsh."

A third angry viewer wrote: "Really harsh disqualifying people's items. Leaves a bad taste in an otherwise fun and light hearted show". However, someone else disagreed: "Should have followed the rules then, big business this."

Bargain Hunt is on weekdays at 12.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Charlotte McIntyre