Bargain Hunt expert James Lewis, 53, has revealed he married his husband Ed Otter, 35, last September in a small ceremony with 50 guests, including his 17-year-old daughter Arabella from his first marriage. The BBC antiques auctioneer spoke about finding love again after splitting from his wife Annabelle.
James met Ed 15 years ago while playing pool in a Derbyshire pub. 'Was it love at first sight? Pretty much, yeah,' he said. The couple initially planned to elope to Yellowstone National Park but decided to include Arabella, who asked both men to walk her up the aisle when she marries. James confirmed his daughter calls both him and Ed 'Dad'.
The wedding came days after a serious health scare. James, who has survived two cardiac arrests in 2013 and 2019, said his heart rate soared to over 250 beats per minute on his wedding day. His cardiologist warned him to avoid high-stress situations, but James said: 'I'm not intending to get married again, but there will be more charity auctions.'
James founded Bamfords Auctioneers with his parents in 2002. Ed works at the auction house as a specialist in toys, trains and juvenalia. 'Working with Ed is a lot easier than working with Annabelle,' James said. 'Ed is just really easy, incredibly kind.'
James has been a patron of the Born Free Foundation for 24 years. His daughter Arabella is named after Bella the Lioness, a lion he was rescuing in Romania when he learned Annabelle was in labour. Despite his health issues, James continues his charity work, having completed a Guinness World Record auction for Born Free after his 2019 cardiac arrest.
