BBC Antiques Roadshow experts in court over bidding 'scam' which resulted in £463k debt

Antiques Roadshow brothers Leslie and Leigh Keno, who starred on the show, were at the centre of a scandal when they landed themselves in court.

Two brothers who appeared on Antiques Roadshow found themselves in a legal tangle after accumulating an astonishing $600,000 (£463,000) debt due to a supposed "scam" across various auction houses.

Leslie and Leigh Keno, high-profile antique dealers on the American version of the BBC show, embarked on a buying spree that landed them in trouble.

In 2016, The New York Times reported that during one auction, the brothers, who are business partners, bid against each other multiple times. Court documents disclosed that their competitive bidding drove up the price of ordinary items.

For instance, at New Orleans Auctions Galleries, the Kenos bid against each other "about 50 times" for a single Turkish Angora carpet.

One brother placed bids over the phone, while the other did so online. After a few initial bids, no one else competed for the rug, which despite a low estimate of $800, ended up selling to Leslie for $14,500.

New Orleans Auctions Galleries allege that the brothers bid against each other with similar outcomes at least two other times.

Reports suggest that in total, the brothers purchased 244 items at the April auction, but then failed to pay the $400,000 bill. They were also sued by Kamelot Auctions in Philadelphia, where they bought 89 items in May but did not settle the nearly $200,000 bill, according to the company's lawyer, Anthony Gallia.

The lawsuit alleged that they engaged in "auction misconduct, which resulted in unjustifiably higher purchase prices of auction items."

Yet, they refuted any wrongdoing by stating: "that the dual bidding was just a silly mix-up between two brothers who, in their excitement, became confused."

Explaining the mishap to the auction house, Leslie stated in an email: "This was a situation where my brother thought I was bidding on the lot, and I thought HE was bidding on it. We made a mistake, and I would hope that given the amount of property we purchased, you would forgive us for this mistake."

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Although the brothers did not actually take possession of the bid items, they voiced to New York Times: "As specialists in our business, we seek 'hidden treasures,' and as researchers, we search for unique provenance of every object."

Their legal representative, Brad E. Harrigan, commented: "It was a temporary issue of liquidity, unprecedented for them but hardly unheard-of in the auction business."