Fiona Bruce shares BBC Antiques Roadshow high point 'that will never happen again'
Fiona Bruce opened up about the best part of Antiques Roadshow in the show's 45-year history, admitting that it "will never happen again" in her lifetime.
Fiona Bruce has been at the helm of Antiques Roadshow for 16 years and has seen countless cherished possessions come to the experts for valuation. However, there is one particular item that stands out to her.
She explained in an interview with the BBC: “My personal favourite would probably have to be when a man of the cloth turned up with a painting, which he thought might be a Van Dyck.
“I looked at it - and I was making a programme about Van Dyck at the time - and I thought it had the look of the genuine article.
“And so, we had it examined, and my hunch turned out to be right. It has been proven to be the case and it is now being exhibited as a Van Dyck. I can’t imagine that will ever happen to me again in my lifetime and it’s definitely a highlight for me.”
The painting was brought onto the show in 2013 and showed a Renaissance nobleman with facial hair and a white ruff around his neck.
READ MORE: Antiques Roadshow expert fights tears over letter she 'couldn't read out loud' [LATEST]
Antiques Roadshow: Portrait revealed to be Anthony Van Dyck
Derbyshire priest Jamie MacLeod first bought the painting for £400 at an antique shop in 1992, but had no idea about its true worth.
After an examination by art expert Phillip Mould, the painting underwent a three-month restoration and verification process which unveiled 17th-century brushstrokes beneath the top layer.
Mr Mould explained the history of one of Van Dyck’s most famous yet long-lost group portraits ‘The Magistrates of Brussels’ from 1634.
He said: “Tragically 60 years later it was destroyed and it is only recorded through a few sketches and I think this is rather similar to yours.”
This was verified by world-leading Van Dyck expert Dr Christopher Brown, leaving Father MacLeod “in shock”.
The revelation meant the painting's estimated value surged to £400,000 – a 1000 percent increase of the original £400 he originally paid.
Antiques Roadshow will be back on screens tonight (July 7) with a repeat episode for Forty Hall in Enfield, north London.
The items include Chippendale tables, an original Punch and Judy and an intriguing necklace linked to a secret society.
Antiques Roadshow airs 9pm on BBC One.
BBC Antiques Roadshow: Top 7 biggest valuations will leave you staggered
Antiques Roadshow has made some lucky Brits a pretty penny over the years.
Often viewers are left stunned when something left sitting in an attic is worth millions of pounds.
From a Faberge flower, to art by Banksy - here are the seven most expensive antiques discovered on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow.
