Irita Marriott is a Latvian-born antiques dealer, auctioneer and television presenter based in the UK. She is best known as an expert on BBC's Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt, and in 2023 she opened her own business, Irita Marriott Auctioneers & Valuers, in Melbourne, Derbyshire.
Quick Facts
Irita Marriott is a Latvian-born antiques expert who has become a familiar face on British daytime television. She is best known for her work as an expert on Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt, and for founding her own auction house in Derbyshire. Irita Marriott’s journey from a poor rural upbringing to owning a respected UK business has made her one of the more distinctive stories in the antiques world, built entirely without formal training or industry connections.
Early Life in Latvia
Irita Marriott was born in Latvia in 1984 and spent her early childhood on a self-sufficient family farm. After her parents divorced, she and her family moved to the town of Valmiera, where money was scarce. In interviews, she has described walking riverbanks looking for food left behind at barbecue spots and fishing in the mornings just to have breakfast.
She had hoped to become a professional athlete, showing promise in running and basketball, but those plans ended after she suffered three concussions in a short space of time. She has also spoken about a teacher telling her she would never succeed in life — a comment she has since credited, in part, with pushing her to prove otherwise.
Moving to the UK
At around 20 years old, Irita Marriott left Latvia after spotting an advert for au pair work in the United States. Within two weeks she was living in New York, unable to speak much English and reportedly carrying two dictionaries everywhere she went to translate. After several months in the US, she eventually settled in the United Kingdom.
Her first UK job was a temporary Christmas position at a garden centre. She worked her way up from there, eventually becoming a department manager and buyer over roughly seven years in retail — experience she has said sharpened her eye for detail long before she ever handled an antique professionally.
Breaking Into the Antiques Trade
Irita Marriott moved into antiques dealing around 2012, drawn to decorative European pieces sourced from buying trips across the continent. She also spent close to seven years working as a cataloguer and valuer at a well-known auction house in Derbyshire, learning the trade entirely on the job rather than through formal art history study.
She has spoken candidly about facing resistance as a young woman in an industry then dominated by older men, recalling being told items she picked up were “too expensive” for her or warned to “be careful, it’s old.” Rather than being discouraged, she used the experience to build her own path, eventually launching her own antiques dealership, Irita Marriott Antiques, around 2020.
How She Landed a Spot on BBC Television
Irita Marriott’s move into television wasn’t the result of being scouted. Bargain Hunt had filmed her at antiques fairs on a few occasions, which sparked her interest in a TV career. She then tracked down the phone number of the executive producer of Antiques Road Trip and called him directly to put herself forward.
After roughly six months of auditions, screen tests and self-recorded videos, she was offered a place on the show. It was announced in April 2021 that she would join the Antiques Road Trip lineup alongside established experts such as Philip Serrell and David Harper, making her debut alongside fellow dealer Timothy Medhurst on a route through Lincolnshire.
Television Career
Since her 2021 debut, Irita Marriott has become a regular face on Antiques Road Trip and has also appeared on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt, and Channel 4’s The Greatest Auction. In 2024, she fronted her own series for the Really channel, The Derbyshire Auction House, made by the same production company behind The Yorkshire Auction House.
Her television presence is closely tied to her business. Appearances on well-watched daytime programmes have helped build trust in her name among collectors and private sellers, many of whom have gone on to contact her auction house directly after seeing her on screen.
Launching Her Own Auction House
In 2023, Irita Marriott opened Irita Marriott Auctioneers & Valuers Ltd in Melbourne, Derbyshire, making her one of a small number of women in the UK to own and run an auction house. The business handles valuations, cataloguing and sales, working with both trade buyers and private clients across the UK and internationally.
She has described herself as a “new generation dealer” and has spoken openly about wanting to make the antiques trade more accessible to younger people and to other women, an industry she has said still carries some old-fashioned attitudes.
Personal Life
Irita Marriott is married and is the mother of two sons, whom she has described as regularly joining her at antique fairs. She has been open about the demands of building a business while raising young children, including recalling early starts to travel the country and source items for sale.
She keeps details about her husband largely private and rarely discusses him publicly, saying only that he has been supportive of her career despite working outside the antiques industry. Reports on where the couple currently live are inconsistent, so FamePost is not stating a specific location as confirmed.
FAQs
Where is Irita Marriott from?
She was born in Latvia in 1984 and grew up on a family farm before later moving to the town of Valmiera.
When did Irita Marriott move to the UK?
She moved to the UK in her early 20s, after first working as an au pair in the United States.
What shows has Irita Marriott appeared on?
She is known for Antiques Road Trip, Bargain Hunt, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Channel 4’s The Greatest Auction, and her own series, The Derbyshire Auction House.
Does Irita Marriott own an auction house?
Yes. She opened Irita Marriott Auctioneers & Valuers in Melbourne, Derbyshire, in 2023.
Is Irita Marriott married?
Yes, she is married with two sons, though she keeps details about her husband largely private.
What is Irita Marriott net worth?
There is no official figure. Public estimates vary widely and none are confirmed by Irita Marriott herself, so FamePost isn’t citing a specific number.
Conclusion
Irita Marriott’s rise from a difficult childhood in Latvia to running her own UK auction house is one of the more grounded success stories in British antiques television. Between her regular appearances on Antiques Road Trip and Bargain Hunt and the growth of her Derbyshire business, Irita Marriott continues to build a career defined by hands-on experience rather than industry connections. Explore more BBC antiques personalities and entertainment profiles on Fame Post.
