During a memorable episode of BBC One’s Antiques Roadshow, expert Andy McConnell experienced an unexpected and unpleasant surprise. The episode, which originally aired in 2016, featured McConnell inspecting a 180-year-old bottle that a man named John had discovered in his house. Intrigued by the find, McConnell speculated that the liquid inside might be vintage port or red wine. Without hesitation, he used a syringe to extract a sample, observed its dark brown color, and even tasted a small amount, believing it to be an aged alcoholic beverage.
The crowd watched with a mix of fascination and nervous laughter as McConnell confidently dipped his finger into the liquid. He commented, “It’s very brown… I think it’s port… port or red wine… or it’s full of rusty old nails and that’s rust.” Little did he know, his guess was far from accurate. It was only later, when the bottle was sent for further analysis at Loughborough University, that the true contents were revealed. To McConnell’s horror and the viewers’ amusement, the liquid was identified as urine, mixed with a tiny bit of alcohol, a human hair, and small brass pins dating back to the late 1840s.
In a follow-up segment three years later, Fiona Bruce, the show’s host, reunited McConnell with John to disclose the shocking results. Bruce explained that the bottle was a “witches’ bottle,” a type of talisman used in the 19th century to ward off witchcraft and evil spirits. Such bottles were often filled with bodily fluids and other personal items and buried upside down near the home’s threshold as a protective measure.
Reflecting on the discovery, McConnell, though visibly embarrassed, maintained his sense of humor. He responded to the news with a simple “Yummy,” acknowledging the bizarre turn of events. Despite the unsettling revelation, he remained good-natured about the entire experience, even as Bruce detailed the “mysterious little creature” called an ostracod, a tiny crustacean, also found in the bottle.
This episode serves as a humorous yet cautionary tale, illustrating the unpredictability of antique appraisals and the importance of caution when dealing with unknown substances. McConnell’s willingness to engage with the artifact so directly provided a memorable moment for Antiques Roadshow and a lesson in the sometimes grim reality of historical discoveries.
