BBC announces new Joanna Page-hosted series
Joanna Page is fronting BBC's Shift the Thrift.
Joanna Page is hosting a new BBC series.
Shift the Thrift celebrates Britain’s booming charity shop scene and taps into the growing trend of second-hand shopping and online reselling.
The Gavin and Stacey star will guide two contestants in each episode as they are challenged to uncover charity shop gems, transform them with flair, and sell them in high-energy, live-streamed auctions.
The competition culminates in the ultimate test of their selling skills, with the winner generating the most amount of profit, and the money going to the contestants’ charity shop of choice.
Speaking about the 12-part series - which has been co-commissioned by BBC Daytime and BBC Cymru Wales - Joanna, 48, said: "I absolutely love charity shops and have been customising and upcycling clothes for years, so this show is right up my street.
"It’s fun, fast, and gives people great ideas on how to find value in second-hand treasure - all while supporting brilliant local causes."
Each episode of Shift the Thrift begins in a different UK town, where Joanna and two guest experts explore the local charity shop scene and introduce the teams to a custom shopping list - which always includes an item to be refashioned and a localised scavenger hunt challenge.
Participants then each customise one item with the help of some of Britain’s best social media upcyclers and prepare a sales pitch, before taking part in a fast-paced, live-streamed auction.
Filming for the series begins in September for BBC One and iPlayer, with six programmes based in Wales.
An air date for Shift the Thrift is yet to be confirmed.
Lindsay Bradbury, Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime, said; “Shift the Thrift is a timely celebration of creativity, sustainability and entrepreneurial spirit.
"This is a programme that the whole family can sit down and watch together and might even inspire audiences to get out there and start thrifting.”
Julian Carey, Commissioning Editor for BBC Cymru Wales, added: “We love a bargain and we love the thrill of the hunt, and this series is all about the fun to be had rummaging for treasures and tracking down unique finds.
"It’s also a celebration of our network of charity shops, which are a backbone of fundraising in Britain and a brilliant model for how we can shop sustainably and cheaply while supporting good causes at the same time.
"As such, this feels like a timely and warm-hearted TV treat.”
Shift the Thrift is made by One Tribe.
Owen Gay, Executive Producer and Co-Founder of One Tribe, said: “We’ve built a reputation for telling uplifting, people-focused stories across the UK, and this format lets us do that while championing sustainability and local causes.
"Charity shops are treasure troves full of stories, and we can’t wait for viewers to share in the thrill of the hunt and the buzz of the auction.”
