Exclusive: Irita Marriott reveals how her sons inspired new solo venture and shares close friendship with Antiques Road Trip co-star Mark Hill

Since making her TV debut on Antiques Road Trip in 2021, Irita Marriott has quickly established herself as a valued member of the team – but now, she's striking out on her own in her new solo series, Derbyshire Auction House.

The show follows the antiques expert as she launches her very own auction house in the small Derbyshire village of Melbourne, becoming one of only a handful of women in the UK to do so.

As the documentary debuts on Really, Irita sat down with HELLO!, revealing how her two boys inspired her to take the plunge, the unique challenges she's faced and her close friendship with her Antiques Road Trip co-star Mark Hill.

For Irita, setting up an auction house felt like "the next most natural step" in her career. "I thought it was time for a change and the Auction House was the next obvious thing," explained the Latvia-born TV star.

It was a decision she made with her two boys in mind. "Being a dealer, I am my business. If I have a day off, I don't earn and I have nothing I can pass on to my boys when the time comes," said the Derbyshire-based antiques expert, who said she'd welcome her sons with "open arms" if they wanted to work with her in the future.

"But at the same time, there's absolutely zero pressure. But by having an auction house it gives them the option," she added.

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While Irita has over a decade of experience in the antiques industry, opening an auction house comes with its unique challenges.

"You have the pressure of brand new business and, of course, I'm a working mum on top of that, and then all of a sudden you add a TV show that you spend five days a week filming into the mix," she said, adding that 15 to 18 hour days became "the norm".

On juggling her busy career with family life, Irita said: "It's always a challenge being a working mum. I've got two kids and a husband and it's a real juggle."

Praising her supportive family, she continued: "I couldn't do this if it wasn't for the support of my family. They have been absolutely incredible through the process and have had my back every single step of the way. I'm very lucky. But I'm not afraid of hard work and they know that."

Despite her "full-on" schedule, seeing punters go home with "life-changing" amounts of cash made it all worth it for Irita. "It's been incredibly rewarding seeing all those people leave our auction with smiles on their faces and grateful that we have passed on the items that they no longer needed to someone that will cherish them again," explained the Bargain Hunt star, who said one family went home with a staggering £28,000 thanks to her auction house.

But amid her growing success, Irita hasn't forgotten her humble beginnings. "I have to pinch myself every single day because I consider myself so lucky to be able to do a job that I love and have all of this going on around me when I think of where I came from," said the star, who landed her role on Antiques Road Trip after reaching out to the show's executive producer.

"Everybody is headhunted and I was just a small-time dealer from Latvia, I didn't have a background in history or education in art or antiques," said Irita, who was determined to make it onto the show, having been a "die-hard" fan for years. "No one was ever going to come look for me, so I went and looked for them when I thought the time was right," she said.

It's through the show that she formed a friendship with fellow antiques expert, Mark Hill. "Oh my God, he's an absolute sweetheart," said Irita. "That trip with him, I gained so much positivity from that and an incredible friend for life. He's like my big little brother."

While her new series has been keeping her busy, fans will be pleased to know that Irita has no plans to quit Bargain Hunt or Antiques Road Trip. "I would never want to stop that, because I really, truly enjoy that," she said, adding: "I hope I can carry on for next 20, 30 years!"

The Derbyshire Auction House airs on Mondays at 9pm on the Really channel.