A FORMER doctor from Reading has starred in a recent episode of new reality TV show The Yorkshire Auction House.
Joubert Gama welcomed a filming crew into his home and allowed auctioneer and host, Angus Ashworth, to rummage through a 50-year build-up of nick-nacks and family treasures in the hope of raising money for charity.
“I always look out for updates on Lost in TV and saw the opportunity to do the show so I sent off an application to the show and I was really surprised when they replied,” Mr Gama said.
“After moving back into the family home, there were a lot of items that belonged to my parents and me which I felt deserved to be moved on and given a good home.’’
A huge collection of silver-plated trophies awarded to Mr Gama’s father, Indian artwork and classic medical equipment made the 250-mile journey north to Ryedale Auctioneers in Kirkbymoorside.
Alongside his daughter, Sasha, Mr Gama also headed to North Yorkshire to see how his trinkets and heirlooms fared.
“We set off the night before and stayed at a hotel right near the auction house where the show is filmed,” he explained.
“There was another couple being filmed auctioning their items so we had a walk around and said our final goodbyes to the items and waited for our turn,” said Mr Gama.
The highlight of the auction was a set of 1950s Everett glass syringes,which sold for an impressive £90.
Mr Gama said: “We had a real mix of items on the day and some pieces did better than I expected, so Angus did a great job.”
After the sales were tallied, £611 was the total raised and that was assisted by Angus waiving his auctioneer’s fee.
“It was great of Angus to waive his fee so the full amount could go to the charities,” Mr Gama said.
“He is exactly how he comes across on TV, a really nice and caring man.”
The money from the auction has been split between three charities that are close to Mr Gama’s heart in the hope of giving much needed aid to those in need.
He explained: “I have donated the money equally to UNICEF, Shelterbox and Catholic Aid for Overseas Development so people can get better access to health, emergency aid and vaccines.
“My parents always brought me up to think of other people first and if we can help somebody who’s less fortunate than ourselves then we should do it.”
Mr Gama said that the whole experience was a fun day out.
“All of the filming team behind the scenes were so great,” he said. “A genuinely lovely experience.”
The Yorkshire Auction House, now in its second season, is shown on TV channel Really at 9pm every Monday.
To catch up on previous episodes, including Mr Gama’s day at the auction, you can stream via Discovery+.
