Charlie Ross (antiques expert)

Charlie Ross
Born	Buckinghamshire, England
Occupation(s)	Antiques specialist, auctioneer, television presenter
Years active	1963–present
Known for	BBC antiques programmes including Bargain Hunt, Flog It!, Antiques Road Trip, Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Notable work	Presenter on Bargain Hunt; record-setting vintage car auctions

Charlie Ross (born June 1950 in Buckinghamshire, England) is a British specialist in antiques, auctioneer, and television presenter, widely recognized for his frequent contributions to BBC antiques programmes.

Professional career

Ross launched his professional journey in 1963 with a local estate agency, initially conducting auctions of poultry before transitioning to antique furniture. He subsequently established his own auction house in Woburn, close to Milton Keynes, from which he retired in February 2008.

He regularly appears as an antiques authority on BBC series such as Bargain Hunt, Flog It!, Antiques Road Trip, and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, acting as one of the five main presenters on Bargain Hunt.

Ross has overseen prominent vintage automobile auctions, including events at Pebble Beach and Scottsdale for Gooding and Company. In 2011, he set a US auction record by selling a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype for over $16 million. This record was later exceeded in 2013 and again in 2014 by a Ferrari 250 GTO fetching above $38 million. In 2018, he achieved the highest US auction price for a car by selling a 1935 Duesenberg for $22 million.

His charitable auction efforts have generated substantial funds for organizations such as CLIC Sargent, The Elton John AIDS Foundation, The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Caldwell Children, and The Lord's Taverners.

On Antiques Road Trip, Ross once held the record for the greatest profit on a single purchase when he acquired a Staffordshire elephant clock for £8 and sold it for £2,700 in 2012. This record was subsequently surpassed by Anita Manning’s Buddha statue (£50 to £3,800) and Paul Laidlaw’s Chambre Automatique De Bertsch camera (£60 to £20,000).

Music career

In 2017, Ross collaborated with fellow BBC antiques experts Charles Hanson, Philip Serrell, and James Braxton to produce a rock rendition of Sleigh Ride supporting BBC Children In Need. The track, produced by Grahame and Jack Corbyn, was released digitally through the independent label Saga Entertainment and reached number one on the Amazon Rock Charts.

The following year, he again joined Philip Serrell, James Braxton, and other celebrities as part of The Celebs to record Rock With Rudolph, a charity single benefiting Great Ormond Street Hospital. Released on 30 November 2018 via Saga Entertainment and crafted by the Corbyns, its music video premiered with The Sun and on Good Morning Britain, climbing to number two on the iTunes pop chart.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ross reunited with BBC antiques experts and members of The Celebs, including Frank Bruno and X Factor winner Sam Bailey, to record Shakin' Stevens' Merry Christmas Everyone. Issued digitally on 11 December 2020 by Saga Entertainment, proceeds supported Alzheimer's Society and Action for Children. The video debuted on Good Morning Britain, with the single reaching number two on the iTunes pop chart.

Personal life

Ross is married to Sally; together they have two children—Charlotte Macdonald and Olly Ross—and four grandchildren. Since 1981, he has resided near Bicester, close to Oxford.