I never did an Antiques Roadshow sober, says TV expert

ANTIQUES Roadshow experts always seem a jolly bunch.

But it turns out one of them had a good reason for smiling his way through the programme – he was never sober.

John Bly – who enjoyed a 15-year stint on the BBC1 show as a furniture specialist – revealed he would have a few snifters ahead of filming.

‘Antiques Roadshow took up one day per week,’ he told The Chap magazine. ‘I’d arrive in the evening, have drinks. It was great fun. I didn’t do a sober one for 15 years.’

He also revealed he often preferred to talk to those taking part in shows about their pets rather than their antiques. ‘I find it easier to do a piece to Boozy nights: John Bly camera on a ginger nut biscuit than about a piece of furniture I don’t like. I was once asked about a 1930s cocktail cabinet and ended up talking more about the man’s dog.’

Showing off his knowledge of cocktails, Mr Bly added: ‘If a martini is shaken, it’s called a Bradford. I wrote to [James Bond film producer] Cubby Broccoli with this information; he wrote back saying, “Mind your own business!”’

Mr Bly’s son James has joined the family antiques business, which has been running for five generations. They have a store on London’s King’s Road selling pieces to the rich and famous, including the likes of Kylie Minogue and Sir Rod Stewart.