Antiques Roadshow expert speechless as he shares valuation of 'really weird' item

expert Matthew Haley was left speechless during the most recent episode of the show. On Sunday night, viewers were taken to Pitzhanger Manor, where people brought in a range of items to see how much they'd be worth at auction.

One of them included a woman who had a unique photobook with her. Before flicking through the pages, it was clear Matthew was taken aback by the item.

He confessed: "I've been in this business for about 20 years, and I had never seen one of these before until about a month ago. This is the third one I've seen in the past month."

The BBC star informed the guest that the book was called a Harlequinade, which has turnable pages that allow people to follow a story. As the upper flap on the page is turned, it creates a new image with the bottom half remaining the same.

After explaining that the item was intended for children, Matthew was curious to know how the woman came into possession of it.

She replied: "It's my partners. He was left it by a friend of his about two years ago, and we know nothing about it at all."

Before flicking through the pages, the Antiques Roadshow expert confessed: "It's really, really curious. It starts with the story of Adam and Eve. It's done in manuscript in ink, handmade and watercoloured."

Going through the book, Matthew demonstrated how it worked: When a singular flap on the page was moved, it created another image entirely.

However, the story took an unusual turn. When the pages moved, Eve transformed into a mermaid before an image of a lion wearing a crown appeared.

After reading the book further, viewers also saw a watercoloured image of a man standing next to a house before the final page revealed a skeleton and a description of death.

Matthew commented: "I mean, it's really weird, isn't it? " The woman agreed and replied: "I didn't know what to make of it, if I'm honest."

He asked the woman when she believed the book was made, and she guessed the 18th century.

Matthew confirmed she was right as he explained it was most likely created in the middle of the 18th century.

The BBC star added: "Now, having said that this is the third one of these that I've seen in a month, they are still quite rare. Obviously, each one is unique and special. At auction, I think you'd expect it to make at least £1,000."

It was clear the woman was shocked by his estimation, as she replied: "Wow! I didn't think it was going to be that much, thank you! Thank you very much."

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.