TV presenter Steph McGovern has said her new show will be “The Apprentice for the art world”.
The 44-year-old will present The Big Deal when it launches on BBC Two and iPlayer on August 13, with seven pairs of aspiring art dealers battling it out for the chance to win £50,000 of British art.
Real deals and a personal connection
McGovern said: “It’s like The Apprentice for the art world, but the deals are all real, and it’s as much about the hustle as it is about art.”
She added: “My dad’s an artist so I grew up in a home full of curiosities. The kids in our neighbourhood found it weird coming to our house with the life-like sculptures in the garden and his curious paintings inside.
“He went to the Royal College of Art, which was an amazing achievement for a working-class kid, but the realities of trying to make a living out of it meant he also had to take on teaching jobs.
“As a business journalist who loves art, I jumped at the chance to host a show looking at how to deal art. My dad was the first person I called when I got this job.”
Mentorship and air dates
She hopes the programme will show viewers that art “isn’t as exclusive as you might think”.
Each episode will see McGovern and the aspiring dealers joined by a guest expert who will mentor the contestants.
Born in Middlesborough, McGovern is known for her appearances on shows such as Steph’s Packed Lunch, BBC Breakfast and Have I Got News For You, and was a finalist on Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt last year.
The Big Deal With Steph McGovern will air at 8pm on BBC Two and iPlayer from August 13, and on BBC Northern Ireland from August 12.
