Bargain Hunt has a “serious problem” which has caused huge losses to the BBC programme

In the latest episode of Bargain Hunting, BBC viewers met rival red team Angela and Lee, as well as mother and daughter-in-law duo Jean and Emma. Host Charlie Ross challenged them to find hidden treasures on a budget.

But it was Emma’s bold decision to splash out big on a £200 brass Budai that really got everyone going, including fans of the show and auctioneer James Lewis, who was clearly taken aback by the huge risk taken by the blue team.

Before the auction began, Charlie met with James to get his expert opinion on the lot. James looked closely at the item and noted, “It’s not too old, has a decent hardwood stand and looks good.”

The Blue team saw the funny side of their huge loss – Source: Photo: BBC

He estimated it would cost between £40 and £60, prompting Charlie to reveal the team’s massive investment of £200. James didn’t mince his words, saying: “This is a serious problem.”

When the auction began, things looked bleak for Jean and Emma, with the opening bid being just £35. The disinterest in the room was palpable and Jean leaned against Emma in disappointment, muttering, “Oh, Emma!”

James worked in the room, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his enthusiasm was waning as he noticed, “Oh no…”

Team Blue spent a whopping £200 on one item – Source: Photo: BBC

The hammer eventually dropped to £60, a significant loss on the original outlay of £200. Jean and Emma could only laugh sheepishly at their misfortune before moving on to see if their bonus purchase would make up for some of their losses.

To no one’s surprise, it was the red team who won the Bargain Hunt despite losing 7 pounds, while the blue team suffered a huge loss of 115 pounds. Charlie left a note saying, “I’m afraid it’s Budai, right?”

James was clearly shocked by the teams’ huge brawl – Source: Photo: BBC

In response, expert David Harper wittily said, “The irony is that Budai is the god of wealth!” Viewers immediately took to social media to express their opinions about the day’s unexpected outcome.

One frustrated viewer shouted: “Everyone saw it wasn’t going to be 200!”

Another commented: “200 pounds for this Buddha (shocked faces emoji).”

“Sometimes I think the experts just want this day to be over. £200 for a Buddha?” exclaimed the third.

User OneX summed up the episode as follows: “It was looking pretty dodgy for the Reds until the Blues dropped 200 notes on Buddy at the Garden Center.”