Paul Martin is known and loved for his long-standing presenting career on the BBC and is the face of popular shows such as Flog It! and Make Me a Dealer. But did you know that before he made his name in the world of antiques, Paul had a very different job? Find out more below…
Paul's surprising job before antiques
It may surprise viewers to know that Paul is a professional drummer as well as an antiques dealer. Back in the 1990s, the presenter played in rock bands 'The Quire Boys' and 'Dogs D'Amour'.
According to the BBC website, Paul still plays in local jazz and blues bands in his spare time.
In 2018, the 66-year-old shared a video filmed at Ronnie Scott's jazz bar in London, which showed Paul banging the drums on stage. In the caption, he revealed how his impromptu performance inspired him to pick up his drum sticks more often.
"Looking back to last year at - Ronnie Scott's Jazz Bar and being lucky enough to have a quick play on the drums... even if it was a bit sprung on me!!" Paul penned. "These guys are too good! I felt inspired after this and have been practicing a lot more this year!!"
Paul's career in antiques
After starting out as a drummer, Paul spent two years as a scene painter at Pinewood Studios before working as a Portobello Market antiques dealer.
© GettyPaul's TV career began after a BBC researcher chose his gallery, The Table Gallery, as a filming location. When the footage was being edited, Paul caught the eye of the BBC's former head of daytime shows, Jane Lush.
"She saw me on the screen just for a moment and as a result I was asked if I would take part in some screen tests," Paul told the Gazette and Herald in 2002.
© GettyFrom there, Paul was offered a job as the host of Flog It!. Since then, he's fronted a number of other shows, including Paul Martin's Handmade Revolution and The Great Auction Showdown with Paul Martin, and has released several books.
Paul's family life
When he's not busy filming, Paul lives in a Grade II listed manor house in Wiltshire with his wife Charlotte. The pair share two children, Dylan and Meredith.
He owns an antiques, art and interiors gallery, The Table Gallery, in Corsham.
© GettyOpening up about life at the gallery back in 2023, Paul said in an interview: "It's difficult, the High Street is suffering and there is not a lot of footfall.
"I am quite lucky that the people I sell to tend to be local repeat customers. People who move from the cities to rural Wiltshire from London, Bath or Bristol, people who up-size from cities and need their houses furnished," he added.
