ANTIQUES expert David Harper says he is ready for new adventures after calling time on his role with the popular BBC lunchtime programme Bargain Hunt after 15 years.
Mr Harper filmed his final episode last month, appearing alongside fellow expert Charles Hanson and presenter Natasha Raskin-Sharp in Peterborough.
“It was a good last day and good fun but I don’t regret leaving,” he said.
Looking back over his time on the show, Mr Harper said the stand-out highlight was a celebrity version in which he was paired with the late Keith Chegwin.
“He was absolutely inspiring because he was so jolly and funny on screen and off,” said Mr Harper, whose other television credits include the BBC’s Flog It, Antiques Road Trip and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, which ran for 13 series.
Looking to the future, Mr Harper, who is based at The Bank, in Barnard Castle, said: “I want to look for something more meaty and expert-led to get my teeth into. I am putting some ideas together. I am going to film a little pilot soon,” he said.
“I have also got other things to do including my art, antiques brokerage and talks,” he added.
In the meantime, Mr Harper will continue to be part of the team of experts involved in the Antiques Road Trip.
He has finished filming for the current series and is due to be part of a new celebrity version of the show, scheduled for February and March next year.
