Fake or Fortune fans say same thing after long-lost gem receives record-breaking value

Fake or Fortune fans were left screaming at their screens after a long-lost painting was discovered at auction. During Monday's instalment (August 25) of the BBC show, owner David Taylor brought along a painting he purchased for just £2,000. The owner became suspicious that the painting could be a hidden gem after he discovered a signature after removing the artwork from its frame.

He then employed the help of Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould to see if the summer portrait could be that of a renowned artist. With assistance from the programme's team, they were finally able to authenticate the artwork as a missing masterpiece by Helen McNicoll which was valued at a staggering £300,000.

Bruce revealed there was sufficient evidence to confirm the painting was a lost work by McNicoll entitled The Bean Harvest, created in the early 20th century.

Earlier in the programme, Bruce discovered that the picture had been displayed in Canada on five occasions between 1912 and 1914, though its location has remained unknown since then.

Bruce commented: "I'd not heard of Helen McNicoll before we started investigating this painting, but what a pioneer she was - a woman at that time, the early 20th century, travelling abroad with her easel while profoundly deaf. I'm so glad we've been able to bring her name to wider attention."

Co-host Mould declared: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery - the type many art buyers dream of - and a reflection of both David's shrewd eye and the massive increase and desire for the work of high-quality women artists that is motivating collectors and museums on both sides of the Atlantic."

Mr Taylor remarked: "It's been an absolute adventure, the Fake Or Fortune team and the BBC have made the journey memorable and exciting. I believed in the painting from day one, and I'm hopeful that it could achieve a record price."

Towards the end of the show, Canadian philanthropist Pierre Lassonde, a prominent collector of McNicoll's pieces, travelled to London specifically to examine the painting firsthand. He remarked: "For a painting that has been missing for 110 years, I think it's fantastic... I wouldn't mind adding one more piece to my collection."

It was later revealed that he offered the owner the full £300,000 that painting expert Philip Mould valued it for, but David decided to hedge his bets and put the painting up for auction instead, where it sold for half the estimated price at £150,000.

It didn't take long before viewers flooded to X - formely known as Twitter - to share their disappointment online. One user penned: "It was valued at 300k, if someone offers you 300k just take it!" as another agreed: "Oh David... pushed your luck." A third chimed in with: "Gets offered £300,000, sells it for half [facepalm emoji]."