Antiques Roadshow expert Raj Bisram carried out a U-turn when evaluating one guest’s item as she teased it may be a “low estimation”.
During tonight’s repeat episode of the BBC One show, some of the experts stumble upon a Celtic stone head and rare Belleek vases found in a charity shop.
Marc Allum is thrilled to see an album of 19th-century photos of ancient Egyptian landmarks, while Ronnie Archer Morgan is intrigued by a Celtic stone head that could be several thousand years old.
However, it was Bisram who was left blown away by the backstory of one guest’s item before issuing a staggering valuation.
When first taking a look at the item, Bisram said: “Well I recognise that signature! Muhammad Ali, the greatest three-time world heavyweight boxing champion of the world. How did you get this?”
The guest explained: “One night, I got a phone call to my restaurant where I work for a table of eight people for Muhammed Ali.
The guest arrived with a signed drawing from Muhammed Ali
BBC
“They reckon he was here for the Special Olympics and Muhammed Ali’s wife asked me, if could I cut the steak up for him because he couldn’t use his hands.
“So, I said to our chef, ‘Will you cut them up for Muhammed Ali, but put them back together nicely?’. So when I put them down in front of him, Muhammed Ali’s wife said to me, ‘I thought you were going to cut them up?’.
“I said, ‘They are.’ and she was very impressed at the presentation. Then as the night went on, first of all, he said to me would I mind if he drew on the napkin? And I said ‘No problem’.
“So I gave him my Biro and I said to myself, ‘I’m going to to try and have that when they’re going’. So anyway, I put the bill on the table and I said to his wife ‘Can I take the napkin?’.
He walked into the guest restaurant and used the napkin for the piece
BBC
“She said, ‘Of course you can have it. You’ve done such a wonderful job and we are very impressed. What’s your name?’ so I said ‘Michael’ and she patted Muhammed Ali and said ‘Sign that for Mike’.”
Still stunned with the backstory, Bisram added: “I think it is wonderful. Well, I mean, this particular picture is known as The Guiding Light and it’s one that he did very, very often.
“He first did it in 1979. And, also, there are some marks here, and they are?” leaving the guest to reveal: “That’s where he used it on his mouth. Yeah, his DNA is on it.”
Bisram continued: “It is! It’s absolutely true, his DNA is on there. It looks very simple but you have to remember that you know, he had Parkinson’s.
“But what a lot of people don’t know is that Muhammed Ali was part Irish. Yeah, he was part Irish, his great-grandfather was actually from County Clare, a place called Ennis in County Clare and he went in the late 1860s to America and he made a black African lady.
“They married and then a couple of generations later, there was Muhammed Ali. Fantastic, you know, he was a man I would have loved to have met.”
The guest was left stunned at the staggering valuation
BBC
The guest went on to add that it felt great to have shaken his hand and can still feel the touch on his own hand today.
Getting into the valuation, Bisram revealed: “So, I think this is a lovely thing, I really do. Value-wise, and I am going to be on the low estimate here. But without a doubt £6,000 to £8,000.
“A real iconic sporting item and thank you so much for bringing it in.”
The guest exclaimed: “Wow. Wow. My gosh. Very well, thanks very much!”
