Yahoo News Antiques Roadshow's Alexandra Gill says Tutankhamun inspired her career
The paintings specialist visited an exhibition when she was a 7-year-old.
What did you miss?
Antiques Roadshow resumed its 44th series on BBC One on Sunday (April 21), and viewers were treated to a sweet insight to paintings specialist Alexandra Gill's big inspiration.
Speaking to presenter Fiona Bruce infront of a framed picture of Egyptian pharoah Tutankhamun, Gill was asked to reveal her origin story and how it linked to the iconic golden funerary mask that was discovered in the Valley of the Kings almost 100 years ago.
What, how and why?
Sitting down opposite her Antiques Roadshow colleague, Gill said it all began at the British Museum.
"When I was seven, there was a very huge exhibition at the British Museum of the treasures of Tutankhamun and it's quite renowned for the fact it was so popular. Apparently something like 1.7 million people went and there's never been an exhibition like it."
The expert continued: "As a result of that the queues were huge and I was at Great Ormond Street Hospital just around the corner, and my mother passed the British Museum every morning on her way to see me and thought, 'Alex would love to see this...'"
According to Gill, her mum phoned up the museum and was subsequently invited to bring her young daughter to a side door marked 'Curator'. They met the exhibition's curator and were allowed to check out the mesmerising treasures for a whole 10 minutes prior to the crowds entering.
"It was completely silent and I was just blown away by the curator and how much he knew, and that he just spent all day learning and looking at beautiful things, and I thought, 'I wanna do something like that,'" she told Bruce.
What else happened on Antiques Roadshow?
Elsewhere in the latest episode of Antiques Roadshow, expert Bunny Campione valued an 18th century effigy at between £10-20,000 after its owner believed it to be just a doll.
Antiques Roadshow continues next Sunday (April 28) on BBC One at 8pm.
Read more:
Antiques Roadshow guest stunned by £2k value of Walt Disney stuffed toy
Antiques Roadshow expert struggles to value unique Arnold Schwarzenegger photos
Watch: Tearful Antiques Roadshow expert refuses to value item linked to slavery
