Izzie Balmer: izzie balmer's Norfolk gamble, Mark Hill's 'choke on a carrot' auction flare-up

Jewellery specialist izzie balmer and 20th-century design expert Mark Hill hit a dramatic run of highs and lows on the show when a risky £25 purchase in Norfolk sold for £260 and a tense auction moment produced a withering quip from Hill that he quickly tried to walk back. The episode mattered for the pair’s tight final totals and for the surprise swings in individual lots.

Route and stops: Wales, Cotswolds, Midlands, Lincolnshire and Norfolk

The pair travelled from Wales through the Cotswolds and Midlands before heading to a final auction in Hampshire, with one stop in Norfolk delivering a particularly large shock when izzie balmer snapped up a red beaded necklace for £25. On a separate leg they embarked on a second stretch along the east coast, scouring Lincolnshire for classic treasures. Between shopping stops the duo also took a ride aboard a former troop carrier that once helped Britain transport potatoes to market.

Necklace gamble in Norfolk and the big payoff

izzie balmer admitted the red beaded necklace was a “risky” buy when she paid £25, but she trusted her instincts and predicted it might double in value. When the necklace went under the hammer bidding surged and the piece sold for £260 — more than ten times her outlay — prompting her to jump for joy and to take the lead against Mark at that stage of the contest.

Early disappointments, a dark joke and a quick backtrack

The auction produced mixed results. izzie balmer grimaced as one early lot returned just £1, which she branded “a bit of a poop. ” Mark’s mid-century crockery set, bought for £18, attracted little interest and sold for £10, prompting izzie to observe, “It’s a tough crowd today. ” Mark responded with a wry, dark joke: “Well, I hope they choke on a carrot. ” He immediately softened the line with, “I don’t... obviously, ” and later was described as backtracking on the controversial comment after a run of bad luck at auction left him frustrated.

Mark Hill’s purchases and nail-biting returns

Mark discovered a bird-shaped ink pot — a golden parrot-shaped ink pot — and paid £50 for it; it sold for £55, leaving him with a modest £5 profit. He remained optimistic about an Art Deco photo frame he purchased for £20, which fetched £40 at auction and improved his day. A Victorian bottle he bought for £85 sold for £110. A glass-blown vase he had hoped would perform failed to make a profit. His final lot, a miniature toothpick, generated a £28 profit and left him delighted; after being congratulated he quipped, “It’s all about the toothpick. ” Mark joined the programme in 2022 and is identified as a 20th-century design expert.

Izzie Balmer’s hauls, losses and the green vase return

As a jewellery specialist, izzie balmer picked out a range of quirky and distinctive finds. Aside from the £25-to-£260 necklace windfall, her clown figurine sold at a £2 loss, and she noted that fountain pens did not seem to be in vogue when related items underperformed. Her final lot, a striking green vase, returned a £24 profit; one account described that green vase as securing an episode win for her.

Final tallies, conflicting outcomes and where the numbers landed

After the auction the pair tallied their totals. Izzie began with £200 and, after auction fees, finished with a modest loss of -£9. 10p. Mark recorded a marginally smaller loss of -£4 and was declared the programme’s winner in one account. Coverage also described the green vase as delivering a concluding win for izzie balmer, so the overall episode outcome is unclear in the provided context. The episode’s mix of a blockbuster necklace sale, several small profits and losses, and an on-air gibe that was quickly softened made for a notably volatile auction round. Episodes of the show are available to stream.