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Privacy NoticeFrom appearing on Bargain Hunt to Flog It! and Antiques Road Trip, jewellery Expert Izzie Balmer is certainly a professional in her field. And while she may have become a household name since taking her skills to the small screen, the 34 year old certainly didn’t plan for this career. Vintage and collectable items weren’t always on Izzie’s radar, with the presenter once sharing how she hoped for a future in music. She admitted to Great British Life in July: “I planned to be a professional musician but didn’t enjoy music college. It wasn’t for me.” Izzie also shared how her first TV appearance was unplanned, with the star actually stepping in for her boss who was meant to be auctioneering on Bargain Hunt.
While Bargain Hunt’s Izzie Balmer may know everything there is to know about antiques and is often seen sharing her expertise on the BBC show, this wasn’t always her chosen career path.
(Image: Instagram/Izzie Balmer)
“There were no other auctioneers available – it had to be me. I had to auction the Bargain Hunt lots in front of the cameras,” said Izzie. The antiques expert hails from the village of Quarndon, in Derby where she grew up with her parents Sheila and Toby and younger brother Hugh. Her mum was the one who steered Izzie in the direction of a career in antiques but after graduating from university found herself living with her parents and struggling to find a job. Luckily, after taking on work experience at a local auction house, Izzie, who often appears on the popular Antiques Road Trip, secured a full-time job. It sparked a passion for Izzie who went on to study Birmingham’s School of Jewellery. It’s a good job she did go into TV, as Izzie has become so popular that she has gained her very own fan base with a dedicated group on Facebook called the Izzie Balmer Appreciation Society. Sign up to OK!’s daily newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Vintage and collectable items weren’t always on Izzie’s radar, with the presenter once sharing how she hoped for a future in music. She admitted to Great British Life: “I planned to be a professional musician but didn’t enjoy music college. It wasn’t for me.”
(Image: Instagram/Izzie Balmer)
Talking to Bristol Post in 2019, she shared: “I kind of fell into this job but I absolutely love it. I have always loved jewellery and been a fan of sparkly things, like most girls. I cannot think of anything I would rather do. Recently on Bargain Hunt, viewers were gobsmacked to see a pair of contestants uncover a valuable hidden gem during an antiques hunt that doubled their money. The duo made a whopping profit on the item, leaving even antiques expert Raj Bisram in shock at their luck in picking up such a great deal during their challenge. Contestants Nathalie and Karl made up the episode’s red team, where they went up against blue team duo Adam and Jemma. The show’s antiques experts asked the red team to find a profitable fashion accessory and the blue team to search for a valuable item on a Chinese theme. The pair paid £130 for an Omega watch, which then went for a surprising £260 at auction, doubling their investment in a savvy move.
Luckily, after taking on work experience at a local auction house, Izzie secured a full-time job. It sparked a passion for Izzie who went on to study Birmingham’s School of Jewellery.
(Image: Instagram/Izzie Balmer)
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