One Antiques Roadshow has died after they were featured on the show and given a “life-changing” verdict on the show, which left them with more questions than answers
An Antiques Roadshow star has sadly died.
The BBC’s beloved antiques programme, which has been on air since 1979, announced the sad news of the guest’s death as the American version of the show received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Structured Reality Program.
As the US counterpart celebrated its nomination, the official social media page of the show shared a touching story of how one appraisal dramatically changed a family’s financial situation.
PBS executives highlighted a segment from a special episode that revisited some of its most memorable moments, including a feature with American stoneware expert David Rago.
In 2005, David encountered a surprised guest named Tom, who brought along an 1880 jug that had been handed down through his family, reports the Mirror. David then valued the enormous jug at an astounding $65,000 (£48,264) to $85,000 (£63,115), before revealing what the antique eventually fetched at auction.
He told viewers: “That was filmed on the Saturday. On the Monday morning the phone rang, it was Tom, our guest. He said: ‘Were you serious about the price? Because we could really use some money’.”
“And I brought the piece to the Philadelphia Antique Show in April of 2005. The first person in the door purchased it for $110,000 (£81,679). I remember calling Tom that night. They told me that for the first time in their lives, they had enough in their bank account to now apply to adopt a child, a baby boy from Guatemala.”
Tragically, the lucky guest only got to enjoy fatherhood for four years before his untimely death at just 46 years old. The expert explained: “The bittersweet part of the story is that, sadly, four years later, Tom passed away at the age of 46.”
“Carol, his wife, had written to me and told me about it and thanking me for the moments and the good times that Tom had on Antiques Roadshow and that their wonderful, adorable Henry was now in their lives. It’s a story of what Roadshow can do to change someone’s life.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
