Brand new ITV show Million Pound Pawn warmed people's hearts tonight as the sale of a highly-sought after watch meant a mum could ensure her son has a vital operation.
The show pulls back the curtain on the world of pawnbroking in the midst of the current economic crisis, telling the story of both the pawnbrokers and the people looking to part with their prized possessions.
At Sheffield’s London Road Jewellers & Pawnbrokers, owner Dan Hatfield was given the challenge of valuing and selling single mother Fran's diamond earrings and a very special watch which was left to her by her uncle after he won it at a card game.
The Patek Phillipe watch turned out to be genuine, and one that is usually found in private collections, and Dan was able to sell it for £85,000.
"I had a child that really depended on me with his disability, it hasn't been easy," said Fran, talking about her divorce. "I'm a full time carer for my son Alexander. He was born with cancer, he was three pounds when he was born and the tumour was six pounds.
"They only thought he'd get to seven and now he's 16. "
Alexander has to visit a nerve specialist and Fran added: "That help's got to be done very, very soon."
Fran was hoping for £15,000 for her son's treatment and at first the 55-year-old was at first sceptical of pawn brokers: "I need the money, but I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them," she said.
When Dan broke the good news to Fran at the end of the show, she was overwhelmed. "I just can't believe it," she said. "Stop messing about.
"That will just be life-changing for us."
Fran's diamond earrings were kept in a box for more than a decade after she inherited them from her great-grandmother. They came in at £70,000, when Fran was hoping for £2,000.
Altogether Dan's deal raised £155,000 for Fran - but the broker declined to tell programme makers how much profit he'd made personally.
Asked whether she would treat herself, Fran replied: "Do you know what? I might have a kebab and four Stellas at the weekend."
Million Pound Pawn continues on Tuesday, March 2 at 9pm on ITV
