David Dickinson has been dealing in antiques for more than 30 years.
After running his own shop, he began concentrating on antique fairs, taking stands at Olympia and other large exhibitions, mainly dealing in 18th and 19th century furniture and extraordinary works of art.
His television work and personal appearances now keep him constantly occupied, so the antique fairs have been put to one side for now.
David was first seen on our screens in a BBC documentary about antiques dealers. He went on to present The Antique Hunter for Channel 5 and The Antique Buyer's Guide for BBC2.
David then presented Bargain Hunt for BBC1, which was voted most popular daytime programme in the National Television Awards in October 2002. Since then, he has recorded more episodes of the show in Britain and the US.
Last autumn he presented a Dealing with Dickinson for BBC1. During this series he risked his own money to train six strangers in the world of antiques.
David's catchphrases include "cheap as chips", "a bit of a duffer" and "a real bobby dazzler", and his most frequently used pieces of advice are "always look for quality pieces" and "look for perfection, especially in porcelain".
One of his biggest challenges to date was taking part in Strictly Come Dancing live on BBC1, followed by a sterling performance on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. Most recently, David was the subject of Who Do You Think You Are? for BBC1, which achieved the highest rating in the series.
David is the author of three booksL The Antiques Buyer, Dickinson’s Bargain Hunters Handbook and The Duke, his autobiography. He has also released the DVD David Dickinson Cheap as Chips and writes a weekly column in the magazine Real People.
David lists among his talents impersonating Stan Boardman, James Cagney and Tommy Cooper.
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