An Edinburgh magician left dealers on The Bidding Room with their jaws on the floor after an appearance on the BBC show.
Jim Campbell, 52, and his labrador Honey were off to a good start right away with the pair walking into the studio with a confident swagger.
The dream team introduced themselves to host Nigel Havers and expert Simon Bower with a magic trick which saw Jim make Nigel’s ring disappear before it miraculously was found in his back pocket attached to his car keys.
Jim has been a favourite of many Fringe attendees with the professional magician having performed at the festival for multiple years.
The performer lives in his canal boat on the Union Canal with his beloved pooch and stated he was hoping to earn enough money with his quirky home made ‘collectors item’ to buy some curtains for his home.
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“Not only do I appear on the show, but also my Fox Red Labrador, called Honey, who is a big hit,” he said. “The background to how I got onto the show is interesting.
“I was performing as the Pleasance Courtyard as resident close-up magician during the Edinburgh Fringe. In August 2019, I was performing at a table and a lady who was impressed by my magic kept saying ‘why are you not on TV?’
Jim wowed the dealers with some Rubik’s cube magic.
(Image: BBC)
“And I kept saying I wasn’t sure how to go about doing that. At the end a lady told me she was a director at Ricochet TV. We exchanged Instagram details and I emailed her, but I heard nothing more.
“Then in April 2022 I got a message saying that The Bidding Room was moving to Edinburgh and they were looking for interesting people to apply. I thought about it for a while and then decided to go for it.”
The item Jim brought into sell is a rubik’s cube inside a glass bottle – something he describes as a ‘colourful enigma he made himself’ – which expert Nigel estimated a value of around £20.
But after performing an incredible magic trick for the dealers, Ian, Jacqui, Viki, Jo, Lauren and JB, Jim was able to spark a bidding war which saw him secure £60 in the end from Viki.
“The £60 that I secured from one of the bidders is to be used to buy some new curtains for my narrowboat which I live on, on the Union Canal,” he added. “I wanted to sell something that I could also perform magic with, so I could wow the Bidding Room dealers. As you will see from the show, I think I achieved that.
“It was a great experience appearing on The Bidding Room, from start to finish. I felt we were all looked after really well and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Honey was by Jim’s side during the show.
(Image: BBC)
“We all had our own designated runners to look after us and let us know what was happening. There were a few other people there, waiting to go and appear on the show, so I entertained them all and some of the crew with magic.
“As for the actual filming, it was an interesting experience. There were no rehearsals, just went into each room live. This made it more real and authentic.
“It was lovely to meet Nigel Havers, although a little star-struck. The dealers were also really warm and friendly.
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“It was a long day for Honey and with all the lights when filming, it was really hot for her. Which is why she was sleeping so much when we were in with the different dealers.
“Since it was on earlier today, my family and friends have been messaging me saying how much they enjoyed it. Saying they were laughing at it a lot. I am glad that my appearance has brought some excitement and joy to people’s lives, especially when January can be such a hard month.”
The show was filmed in Leith Theatre.
Having first aired on Wednesday January 15 at 3.45pm, the episode is free to view on BBCiPlayer here.