Antiques Roadshow guest gobsmacked by massive price of bear that leaves expert 'screaming'

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.

An Antiques Roadshow guest was left dumbfounded upon discovering the astonishing value of her late great aunt's teddy bear hot water bottle.

Expert Bunny Campione was present during the BBC filming of another episode at Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh.

Amidst a crowd of intrigued spectators, Bunny encountered a guest who introduced her to a charming bear, asking: "Everybody knows this is a teddy bear. Do you know what it is?"

The guest responded: "Well I believe it's a teddy bear water bottle.

"It belonged to my great aunt and when she passed away it went to my mum and now I'm the custodian of it at the moment."

Bunny then recounted the dramatic incident that occurred before the cameras started rolling: "I must admit, I hope I didn't give you too much of a shock when I saw you coming to my table, I screamed didn't I?"

The expert chuckled as the owner admitted: "I was a bit nervous. I was thinking 'Oh. Maybe it's not the bear I thought it was.'"

Bunny proceeded to explain the reasons behind her grand reaction: "Well it certainly is and for me, I can't tell you, that's why I screamed, because A, it's a Steiff, B, it is white which is incredibly rare."

She continued: "And it's a true white because it's got the brown nose and not the black nose.

"A lot of the white ones are faded and you look under the arms and you can see their real colour because the sun and all the rest of it has faded them.

"And then looking again, you're right, it's a hot water bottle bear for a child to take to bed with. It's just fantastic."

Bunny revealed that the item in question was a "very early" Steiff bear distinguished by a blank button in its ear, indicating it predates those bearing the Steiff mark.

She mentioned how the later models featured zips at the front whereas this one sported hooks and eyes.

"I've never actually opened it and I don't think my mum did either," the guest confessed.

Delving deeper, Bunny said: "Well I'm surprised, because inside should be the size of a baked bean tin. A tin with a brass screw on the top to put the water in.

"They soon realised that the screw top posed some danger as it wasn't particularly safe, so production ceased not long after," she explained.

"And inside here is a bit of stuffing, because someone has taken that tin out."

Assessment time had arrived, and Bunny declared: "We are talking about a Steiff teddy bear, circa 1904, incredibly rare colour, a rare size because most of them were smaller than this."

Then came the valuation: "Value wise, £15,000."

The revelation prompted audible gasps from bystanders as the owner of the bear gaped in astonishment.

"What? £15,000? Really?", the guest gasped, while Bunny couldn't conceal her joy, her smile broadening visibly.

Reflecting on the bear's past, the guest noted: "And it's just been put in a bag in the wardrobe," with Bunny responding: "Thank God it was, because it's in such good condition."

Bunny consoled the teary guest by gently patting her shoulder and asking, "Are you alright? You're going to make me cry too."

Trying to hold back tears, the owner reacted with disbelief: "Oh dear. £15,000. Really?"

Appreciating the item's uniqueness, the expert affirmed: "It's incredibly rare. Oh he's lovely," and then gratefully acknowledged the guest's participation.

In a later separate interview, the still-astonished owner shared: "Absolutely in shock. Cannot believe how much he's worth and to find out so much information about him and to find out he's quite rare as well, it's just brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.