Steph McGovern has landed her third presenting role for the BBC with new series after her Channel 4 show Steph’s Packed Lunch ended in 2023
Steph McGovern has secured her third presenting gig with the BBC, fronting a fresh series where art enthusiasts battle to become professional dealers.
The former BBC Breakfast presenter left the broadcaster in 2019 and spent three years at the helm of Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4 before its cancellation in 2023.
She has now been confirmed as presenter of the brand new series The Big Deal, which sees seven pairs of novice art dealers go head-to-head for the chance to claim £50,000 worth of British art.
None of the contestants have previously traded artworks commercially, and each episode presents challenges designed to test their abilities, from identifying emerging artists to closing a sale.
The former BBC Breakfast business correspondent told the Mirror: “While lots of people are happy to splash out on theatre tickets, music festivals or holidays abroad, spending time and money looking at or buying art can feel a bit more intimidating.
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“This show dispels the myth that the art world is exclusive. I’m buzzing for you to see how our dealers, from all walks of life, get on when we take them into the heart of the art market, and along all the arteries that stem from it, with the ultimate aim of making money.”
The six-episode BBC Arts series, scheduled to broadcast in primetime on BBC2 later next year, seeks to unravel the mysteries of the worldwide art market. Art expert Cordelia De Freitas will assess the contestants’ performance, supported by judges including curator Matt Carey-Williams, artist Margo McDaid and digital marketing specialist Ani Petrov, reports the Mirror.
BBC Arts boss Suzy Klein commented: “This series pulls back the curtain on one of the most fascinating but mysterious industries in the UK – the art market. Offering a fresh insight into how art is discovered, bought, and sold, The Big Deal with Steph McGovern is a brilliant example of how BBC Arts can demystify the creative industries and inspire the next generation of art-lovers and collectors, while having fun along the way.”
Kieran Doherty, head of production company Stellify Media, remarked: “We’ve created a series that is visually exciting, tense, and full of real insights into contemporary art, and Steph is the perfect host.”
Over recent months, Steph has secured two additional programmes for the BBC. Last October, she became part of the established Crimewatch Live team, before launching the 15-episode Farms 999 the following month—a daytime BBC1 series exploring farmyard incidents, courageous rescues and countryside crime cases.
When revealing her multi-project comeback to the BBC via social media last summer, she expressed to her followers that she was “absolutely buzzing” and said: “Thank you to everyone who has been sending me such lovely messages about my new TV stuff coming up (even though I haven’t told you what they are yet).
The 43 year old mother-of-one was a familiar face on BBC Breakfast for eight years starting in 2011. Following the conclusion of her Channel 4 magazine programme, she featured in Netflix’s brief reality series Celebrity Bear Hunt.
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