An Antiques Roadshow guest was left astounded when he found out the true worth of an Olympic torch he once carried during the Olympics. Filmed at Pollok Park, Glasgow, the BBC audience saw expert Jamie Russell take the reins to evaluate some remarkable finds but seemed particularly surprised by the arrival of veteran journalist Gavin Bell with an artefact as significant as an Olympic torch. Reflecting on his expectations for the day, Russell admitted: "Before I came here today to the Roadshow, I had a long list of items in my head that I thought I might see that would appear out of boxes and bags in front of me.
"But one of them was definitely not an Olympic torch. I wonder if you can tell us how you came to own this." Bell then revealed his intriguing backstory surrounding the iconic piece: "When I was a young lad, I was an 800 metres runner with a Glasgow club.
"So, of course, as a boy, I dreamed of running in the Olympics one day. And then eventually, the dream came true in a way I'd never have expected. "I was posted to South Korea in advance of the 1988 Games for The Times.
"And so while I was there, I met a couple of young English lads who'd been appointed to do the public relations for the torch relay. "And they found out about my athletic background and invited me to carry the torch on the first day it arrived in Korea." Bell quipped that the Olympic torch run was "good publicity" for the event, and his involvement earned a front-page photo in The Times.
"I mean, it's.