Bargain Hunt viewers in suspense as tense auction goes ‘down to the wire’ before winning team’s ‘lucky’ triumph

Wednesday’s episode of Bargain Hunt saw a tense auction go ‘down to the wire’ before viewers branded the winning team ‘lucky’.

The BBC show’s host Charlie Ross, 73, travelled to Wales in the repeat episode where he met the two teams set to battle it out.

Making up the Red team were contestants Neil and Jess, who got off to a speedy start in the search for antiques, opting for higher priced items.

Meanwhile the Blue team, Amy and Paul, decided to play it safe and go for a lower total spend.

After a very close auction, which saw many pieces barely break even, the Blue team snatched the trophy by the smallest margin.

The Red team were aided by Richard Madeley for their hunt, during which they paid £32 for a red floral vase and £40 for a Pembrokeshire stool.

But it was the mysterious Chinese box that they splashed out a huge £140 on that really drew the attention of viewers. 

‘Can’t believe they spent £140 on that Chinese box,’ one person said on X, formerly Twitter. 

Another viewer seemed to know just what the mysterious box was, writing: ‘The Chinese box is made from broken China that has been mounted in white metal. They were sold on John Lewis at one time, I’ve got a small blue and white version somewhere.’

It seemed the team were in for a big win at first, bagging a £13 profit for the vase and £20 for the stool – but the box was their downfall, selling at auction for £57 less than they paid. 

Taking the team into a deficit, the viewer sceptical of the purchase took to social media again to say: ‘I was right about the Chinese box.’

Meanwhile the Blue team kept their overall spend much lower in the hopes that they were less likely to suffer huge losses.

But playing it safe made for a tense auction as the pair barely broke even.

But it was the mysterious Chinese box that they splashed out a huge £140 on that really drew the attention of viewers

‘Can’t believe they spent £140 on that Chinese box,’ one person said on X, formerly Twitter 

After a very close auction, which saw many pieces barely break even, the blue team snatched the trophy by the smallest margin

Their tin tractor bought for £48 went for just £50, while their £18 copper and brass bugles sold for £20.

And to add to their turbulent hunt, a glass perfume bottle actually lost them £9 after selling at auction for £70.

Of the tin tractor, one viewer wrote: ‘It did well to get £50 imo.’

While sceptical viewers said of the perfume bottle: ‘Lucky that broke even’, and ‘Scent bottles never seem to do very well’.

It was the mystery buy that determined the winner, as the Red team made a profit of £20 with their porcelain set, giving them a sense of victory. 

However as the Blue team just about broke even with their blush vase from Kate Bliss, they proved to be the winning team with a loss of £5 – compared to the Red team’s £12 deficit.

‘Well well well sometimes these competitions go down to the wire and this has gone down to the wire,’ Charlie said ahead of announcing the Blue team as victorious.

And to add to their turbulent hunt, a glass perfume bottle actually lost them £9 after selling at auction for £70

While sceptical viewers said of the perfume bottle: ‘Lucky that broke even’, and ‘Scent bottles never seem to do very well’