Izzie Balmer's Norfolk gamble yields £260 windfall as Mark Hill lashes out at auction crowd
Jewellery specialist Izzie Balmer landed one of the day’s biggest surprises when a red beaded necklace she bought for £25 sold for £260 at auction, a result that briefly put her ahead of rival Mark Hill. The episode, part of the programme’s east-coast second leg, mattered because the dramatic swing underlined how single risky buys can reshape the charity contest.
Izzie Balmer's Norfolk gamble
While browsing a vintage shop in Norfolk, Izzie Balmer described the red beaded necklace as a “risky” purchase but trusted her instincts and paid £25. Bidding raced well beyond expectations and the necklace finally fetched £260 — more than ten times the purchase price. The sale prompted visible delight from Izzie and gave her a temporary lead in the pair’s charity battle.
Lincolnshire shopping and troop carrier detour
The day formed the second leg of a road trip that saw the two experts scouring Lincolnshire for classic treasures. Between shop stops the duo took time for a ride on a former troop carrier that once helped transport potatoes to market, a detour that preceded their return to buying and the auction room.
Auction hits: items, prices and profits
The auction produced a string of defined results. Izzie’s early lot returned only £1, prompting her to call it “a bit of a poop. ” Her clown figurine later sold at a £2 loss. She recovered some ground when a bold green vase delivered a £24 profit.
Mark Hill’s purchases fared unevenly. A mid-century crockery set bought for £18 struggled to attract bids and sold for £10. He purchased an Art Deco photo frame for £20 that doubled to £40 under the hammer. A golden parrot-shaped ink pot bought for £50 sold for £55, a £5 gain, and a Victorian bottle that cost him £85 fetched £110. His smallest lot, a miniature toothpick, produced a surprising £28 profit; he later quipped, “It’s all about the toothpick..”
The episode also noted items that failed to prosper: a glass-blown vase Mark had been excited about produced no profit at auction, and, as Izzie observed during bidding, fountain pens and related items did not seem to be in vogue.
Mark Hill's quip and subsequent backtrack
Tensions in the room produced a blunt exchange. When mid-auction figures stalled and Izzie said, “It’s a tough crowd today, ” Mark replied with a sharp remark to bidders: “Well, I hope they choke on a carrot. ” He quickly softened the line with, “I don’t... obviously. ” The episode later showed him retreating from the comment after a difficult run of results.
Final tally, winner and series route
The pair tallied totals after auction fees were applied. Izzie began the day with £200 and closed with a modest loss of -£9. 10. Mark registered a smaller loss of -£4 and was declared the episode’s winner. Earlier scenes in the series map the route that placed Norfolk between other legs: the experts travel from Wales through the Cotswolds and the Midlands before heading to a final auction in Hampshire.
What makes this notable is how a single speculative purchase — the £25 necklace — produced a large and immediate impact mid-competition, even though the final arithmetic left Mark Hill ahead. The programme and its results can be watched on the ’s streaming service, where episodes remain available for viewers.
