Timothy Wonnacott ( bear 12 March 1951 ) [ 1 ] is an english chartered auctioneer, chartered surveyor, [ 2 ] antiques expert, narrator, and a television receiver donor. He was previously a film director of Sotheby ‘s, one of the world ‘s oldest auction houses. He is estimable known for having presented the BBC day broadcast Bargain Hunt from 2003 until 2015, and has been the narrator of Antiques Road Trip since it began in 2010. [ 3 ]
Reading: Tim Wonnacott – Wikipedia
education [edit ]
Wonnacott was educated at the independent West Buckland School in Devon ; after qualifying as a rent auctioneer and rent surveyor, he took a graduate student course at the Victoria and Albert Museum in ticket and cosmetic arts .
Professional career [edit ]
Wonnacott ‘s ambition was to follow in the footsteps of his father, Major Raymond Wonnacott, an auctioneer in South West England. [ 4 ] Wonnacott joined Sotheby ‘s in 1978, becoming a entire film director in 1985. He was appointed sole president of Sotheby ‘s South, based at Billingshurst in Sussex and at Sotheby ‘s showroom in Olympia, London. In January 2003, he left Sotheby ‘s after 25 years, in order to concentrate on his media activities. He started the all right art agency and brokerage business Tim Wonnacott & Associates. The business is designed to provide autonomous advice to both buyers and sellers of antiques. Wonnacott has helped raise money for many charities at auction, including the ‘Cow Parade ‘ auctions in London and the Isle of Man ( the former featuring the respect overawe ‘ big Kez ’ ), [ 9 ] the sale of statues of Gromit in Bristol in 2013, and the sale of statues of Shaun the Sheep in Bristol in 2015. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] In October 2007, he took part in what was then believed to be the world ‘s largest public artwork auction, when 63 fiberglass cows were put up for sale outside Manchester Town Hall. [ 7 ] Proceeds were to be donated to a local charity, Manchester Kids.
He is a boyfriend of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. [ 2 ]
television receiver [edit ]
In July 2003, Wonnacott replaced David Dickinson as the day host of the popular BBC One television program Bargain Hunt. [ 8 ] The original abridge was for 30 shows, but this was extended to over 350 shows in the sparkle of his appeal to viewers. Wonnacott is presently the narrator of BBC TV ‘s Antiques Road Trip and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. The programmes ‘ format involves two experts ( and, in the celebrity translation, two celebrities as well ) driving around the country in a classic cable car visiting antique shops and buying objects out of a start budget of £200. The items that are purchased are sold by auction at the end of each episode ; the resulting profits or losses are rolled over until the road trip comes to an end—usually after five days—when the person with the most money is deemed the achiever. In the fame version, only one auction is featured and there is no roll-over. His early television appearances include BBC One ‘s Restoration, The Divine Michelangelo, Test the Nation, Ready, Steady, Cook, This Morning, Top Gear, Going, Going, Gone, Going for a Song, Light Lunch, The Antiques Show, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, The Great Antiques Hunt, Buried Treasures, and Royal Upstairs Downstairs. On 29 August 2014, Wonnacott was announced as a contestant on the one-twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with australian dancer Natalie Lowe. The couple were eliminated in week 4, after dancing the paso doble, in favor of Mark Wright and Karen Hauer staying in the competition. After being eliminated, Tim reflected : “ It ’ s a big treat to be on a program like Strictly. For an erstwhile geezer like me, who comes along in his 64th class and he ’ s slenderly portly, and he thinks he ’ s a piece over the hill, this last calendar month, with this delightful teacher, has taken me to a very extra topographic point ”. [ 9 ]
On 16 September 2015, it was reported that he was no longer to host Bargain Hunt for personal reasons, after an alleged disagreement with producers. [ 10 ]
personal life [edit ]
Wonnacott was born in Barnstaple, north Devon, England, the younger son of local auctioneer Major Raymond Wonnacott and his wife Pamela Frog. [ 1 ] He was brought up in Devon. [ 11 ] His elder brother Paul died in the late 1960s. [ 4 ] He married Helen ( born August 1956 ) in 1984 ; they have three children. [ 11 ] He ran Sotheby ‘s operations in North West England when he lived in Cheshire. [ 11 ]
