A Money for Nothing guest was left speechless after a collection of old shells he thought were worth “a fiver” sold for a staggering £225 following a clever makeover.
During Tuesday’s (September 1st) episode of the BBC hit show, Jacqui made a return to screens as she found three items to upcycle. Among those was a collection of shells.
Jacqui met Bob at Altrincham Recycling Centre in Greater Manchester, where he was preparing to throw away a collection of shells he and his wife Janet had owned for years. The couple were downsizing and the shells had become “surplus to requirement”, leaving Bob ready to get rid of them.
Colourful transformation
But rather than allowing the items to go to waste, Jacqui saw their potential and decided to give the collection a colourful new lease of life. She transformed the once-dull shells by using paint, paper and patterns to create a collection of eye-catching decorative display pieces.
Her hard work paid off when Lula, who owns a gift shop in Kent, bought the entire collection for £225. Jacqui had spent just £10 on the makeover, meaning there was a £215 profit to hand back to Bob.
Revealing the makeover
She later returned to Altrincham to reunite with Bob and reveal exactly what she had done with the shells. Standing outside his home, Jacqui reminded him of their first meeting at the recycling centre.
“When we met at the recycling centre, you were getting rid of an array of shells. Did you ever wonder what I might have done with them?” she asked. Bob admitted he had no idea what Jacqui would do with them.
“I didn’t know whether you were going to grind them down or use them in a picture or something or make a collage,” he said.
Jacqui then showed Bob photographs of the transformed collection. As he looked at the pictures, he gasped: “Oh, you’ve painted them?”
Jacqui explained that she had actually used decoupage to transform the shells. “Well actually, decoupage is paper,” she told him. “Oh, it is? That’s beautiful,” Bob replied.
Shock and donation
Jacqui admitted she had really enjoyed giving the shells their dramatic makeover before asking Bob what he thought of the finished pieces.
“Really beautiful,” he said. Jacqui then delivered the biggest surprise, revealing that someone had loved the collection enough to buy every single piece.
“I’m loving your approval because someone else actually loved them and in fact they bought the entire collection so I’ve got £215,” she told him.
Bob was left speechless by the news. “Blimey, that’s good,” he replied. “You seem shocked,” Jacqui said. “I am shocked, I expected about a fiver,” Bob admitted.
The money was then set to go towards a cause close to Bob's heart. When Jacqui asked what he planned to do with the money, Bob revealed that he wanted to donate it to Help for Heroes. “It’s going to go towards Help for Heroes. My son is in the TA. He's been to a few war zones so we’ll give it back to them,” he said.
What started as a collection of unwanted shells destined for the recycling centre had therefore turned into £225 — with Bob receiving £215 after Jacqui's £10 investment in the makeover.
Money for Nothing broadcasts Monday - Thursday at 2pm on BBC One and is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
