FORMER BBC BREAKFAST STAR RETURNS TO CHANNEL TO HOST NEW SHOW AFTER CHANNEL 4 EXIT

Steph McGovern has secured her third presenting gig with the BBC, fronting a new series where amateur art enthusiasts compete to become successful dealers.

The former BBC Breakfast presenter left the show in 2019 and spent three years hosting Steph's Packed Lunch on Channel 4 before it was cancelled in 2023.

She will now take the helm of the brand new series The Big Deal, where seven pairs of novice art dealers vie for the chance to win £50,000 worth of British art.

None of the contestants have any professional experience in buying or selling artworks, and each week they will face challenges designed to test their skills, from identifying emerging artists to securing a sale.

Speaking to the Mirror, former BBC Breakfast business correspondent Steph said: "While lots of people are happy to splash out on theatre tickets, music festivals or holidays abroad, spending time and money looking at or buying art can feel a bit more intimidating."

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"This show dispels the myth that the art world is exclusive. I'm buzzing for you to see how our dealers, from all walks of life, get on when we take them into the heart of the art market, and along all the arteries that stem from it, with the ultimate aim of making money."

The six-part BBC Arts series, set to air later next year during primetime on BBC2, aims to demystify the global art market. The participants' efforts will be judged by art expert Cordelia De Freitas, with the panel of judges including curator Matt Carey-Williams, artist Margo McDaid and digital marketing guru Ani Petrov, reports The Mirror.

BBC Arts boss Suzy Klein commented: "This series pulls back the curtain on one of the most fascinating but mysterious industries in the UK - the art market. Offering a fresh insight into how art is discovered, bought, and sold, The Big Deal with Steph McGovern is a brilliant example of how BBC Arts can demystify the creative industries and inspire the next generation of art-lovers and collectors, while having fun along the way."

Kieran Doherty, who heads production company Stellify Media, said: "We've created a series that is visually exciting, tense, and full of real insights into contemporary art, and Steph is the perfect host."

Over recent months, Steph has secured two additional programmes for the BBC. In October, she became part of the long-running series Crimewatch Live, and the following month she launched the 15-part daytime series Farms 999 on BBC1, which focuses on farmyard accidents, heroic rescues and rural crime investigations.

Announcing her return to the BBC with several projects on social media last summer, she told her followers she was "absolutely buzzing" and said: "Thank you to everyone who has been sending me such lovely messages about my new TV stuff coming up (even though I haven't told you what they are yet).

The 43 year old mother-of-one was a familiar face on BBC Breakfast for eight years from 2011. Following the end of her Channel 4 magazine show, she featured on Netflix's short-lived reality series Celebrity Bear Hunt.

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2026-01-10T12:49:40Z