Bargain Hunt star opens up on 'tough' childhood with alcoholic father
Irita Marriott is best known for her role as an antiques expert on the BBC and has now shared an insight into her 'tough' upbringing
Since shooting to fame on BBC's Bargain Hunt, Irita Marriott has become a favourite with viewers up and down the country.
Debuting on our TV screens in 2021, Irita has become a staple of shows like Antiques Road Trip and Antiques Roadshow, thanks to her expertise and charm. Now, the Latvian antiques guru is set to return with a second series of her REALLY daytime show, which will premiere on May 5.
Having launched her own programme, The Derbyshire Auction House, in 2023, Irita has gone from strength to strength in the entertainment world. Now, in the run-up to her latest series, the mother of two has revealed her ultimate dream gig on another BBC reality series.
In an exclusive chat with the Express, she shared personal reflections from her childhood with fans. She also expressed her 'ultimate dream' and opened up on a heartbreaking upbringing.
Irita revealed that her biggest aspiration is to one day take part in Strictly Come Dancing. Irita enthused: "I mean, if there were some crazy stars aligning – which I can't ever see actually happening – but when I was a little girl, my upbringing was tough, put it that way.
"We were poor, my dad was a lifelong alcoholic and times were hard. But the one thing that my mum and me used to watch on telly to kind of take our minds off things was ballroom dancing.
"And I remember being very little and twirling around the house and I wanted to be that girl in a feather-bottomed gown twirling around the floor being completely free and feeling like there is no weight in the world at all.
"If I could make that one thing happen, I don't care what the show would be, if someone can make that happen, that would be the ultimate dream for me."
The Bargain Hunt expert shared how her family has come to adore the ballroom extravaganza, revealing that her sons have even chosen her ideal dance partner from the BBC programme.
With enthusiasm, she said: "Honestly, my kids and I, we are absolutely obsessed with Strictly at home. My boys watch it and we all write charts and we have paddles and everything.
"And they've discussed between them who my partner would be if I was ever on and things like that, and they've both said the same thing. They said, 'We would love to see you on it but we want you to be out in week one'.
"Ideally, they want me to be partnered with Johannes [Radebe]. They say, 'Mummy, mummy, you need to be with Johanes, he looks very kind, he's really handsome'.
"My youngest one said in this year's series of Strictly, there was a moment where Johannes teared up and he said to me, 'He has a very kind heart'. And I thought, 'If you ever want a partner in your life for anything, you want one with a kind heart'."
The Derbyshire Auction House returns for a second series on REALLY on May 5