BBC Antiques Road Trip star Irita Marriott shares what 'life on the road' is really like
The antique expert regularly updates her followers on her time on the road
Irita Marriott has become a fan favourite on Antiques Road Trip since she first appeared on the BBC show in 2021. Away from the screen, the antique expert has built her own success with a thriving business. She is also happily married with two sons.
Irita balances her busy career on the road alongside motherhood. She is known for her appearances on Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt and Greatest Auction where she is an expert in finding precious items across the UK. In 2021, she joined Antiques Roadshow alongside familiar faces Natasha Raskin-Sharp, Philip Serrell and David Harper.
Reflecting on her time with Bargain Hunt, she talked about her work-life balance, and living her life away from family for long periods of time while filming. She said: "Life on the road has two sides - one of excitement seeing new people and places, having adventures, and one of simply being away from home, missing my loved ones and lots of commuting."
Despite the challenges, she views it as a chance to create lasting memories, adding, "But when you look at it as a whole it's an incredible opportunity to build memories - and I sure love that" reports Devon Live.
The expert was determined to make a change in the antique industry. In 2023, she launched her own business Irita Marriott Auctioneers which is one of a small number of female-run auction houses in the country.
Talking about her business motto, she said: "I want to continue to unite people with beautiful objects but make it easy for them to do so by buying online at Irita Marriott Auctioneers." The website offers a wide range of items up for sale, including gold jewellery, tea and coffee sets, jars and vases.
In a post on Instagram, Irita revealed she was filming a new TV show at Irita Marriott Auctioneers. The post was captioned: "Come along and watch us make a new TV show! We're filming Irita Marriott Auctioneers' next auction at Melbourne Assembly Rooms on Wednesday 20th November and Thursday 21st November. Why not pop along! - info in photos."
Also on Instagram, Irita often shares some behind the scenes shots of herself on the road alongside her fellow experts. In a photograph with Danny Sebastian, Irita captioned the post: "It’s all over! It was an amazing time filming this @antiqueroadtrip.
"Lots of laughter and joy with @mrsebastiandaniel and all the crew. Thank you for everyone who tuned in and watched it! Memories made to last a life time!"
With over a decade of experience, she opened up her own auction house in Melbourne, South Derbyshire. But the expert has not always been so knowledgeable about the vast industry.
Irita was eager to succeed in the business, as she went from having little knowledge to quickly becoming a fan favourite TV expert in the space of just ten years. She was born in Latvia, before moving to the US. She later came to the UK where she kickstarted her antique career from scratch.
She spoke about her journey into unknown territory as she made her way into the auctioning world. Irita started her career at a garden centre. she said: "I actually appeared as a seller on Bargain Hunt quite a few times in my early dealing career. Then one day, many years later, I was approached to be an expert and of course I had to say yes."
Away from the screen, she is a mum to two sons but keeps her private life relatively under wraps. She has a husband and the couple live in Bristol.
She often brings her children along to her antique fairs. She said: "They are developing a love for it and I love watching the excitement of them finding things and learning about them."
In recent episodes of Antiques Road Trip, Irita parted ways with her family as she travelled around the Kent countryside driving a classic car, in search of some of the UK's most prestigious antiques.
The expert went up against the king of jewellery, Ishy Khan in a bid to make the most profit in a best of five competition. After several instances of "haggling" with the local shop owners, the experts made their way to each auction. They often did their "good luck ritual" dance before entering the saleroom.
As well as her competition with Ishy, Irita was also partnered with a new face on Antiques Road Trip: Danny Sebastian. Danny, a self-taught antiques dealer, is well-known to TV audiences for his role on Bargain Hunt.
He’s also been featured on celebrity editions of Pointless and Mastermind. Danny first appeared on television in the BBC series Del Boys and Dealers before becoming a regular on Dealing with Dickinson.