Antiques Roadshow viewers in tears after tribute to expert Judith Miller following her death aged 71

Viewers of the Antiques Roadshow were emotional after the show aired a heartfelt tribute to the late expert Judith Miller on Sunday.

The expert and author died over Easter weekend after a battle with a short illness at the age of 71.

The segment featured clips of Judith’s most memorable moments on the show after first appearing in 2007.

She praised her knowledge and love of all things kitsch and costume, and also showed a clip of the expert discussing her family treasures.

Speaking to host Fiona Bruce, 58, she recalled that her aunt treasured a glass jug that was a gift from her fiancé who died during World War II.

One viewer wrote on Twitter: “Lovely tribute to Judith Miller, she was one of my favourites.”

While another commented, “RIP Judith Miller.”

A third added: ‘I only watch Antiques Roadshow where Judith was featured, how sad’.

Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona led the tribute after Judith’s publishing company issued a statement saying her death came as a “huge shock” to everyone.

The BBC has also announced that the show will pay a special tribute to Judith in an upcoming episode.

Fiona, who has presented the BBC program since 2007, said Judith is ‘irreplaceable’ and will be sorely missed.

She said, “When I started the Antiques Roadshow, I was impressed by the experts – none more so than Judith.

‘She was no less Miller or Miller’s Guides, the bible of the antiques world when it came to appraisals.

“Besides, she had written many other books, too many to mention, some of which were already on my bookshelf.

“But she was always kind and generous with her knowledge, helpful to me and our whole team.

And when our filming day was over, she never lacked for great stories accompanied by a glass of her favorite drink, Pinot Grigio. She was the doyen of the antique world and of our show. Irreplaceable. And greatly missed.’

Robert Murphy, editor of the Antiques Roadshow series, said: ‘Judith was a very popular member of the Roadshow team and an inspiration to a generation of aspiring antiques experts.

Judith brought so much warmth and good humor to a show whether it was chatting with visitors and hearing about their treasures or sharing a few stories with the team after a busy day.

“She had a lovely way of telling a story on camera, always putting the owner of an item at ease and conveying her knowledge with care and enthusiasm, and she was also unfailingly kind and patient behind the scenes . We have lost a tremendously knowledgeable expert, a passionate advocate for antiques and a much-loved member of our team.”

Elsewhere in the episode, two guests were left stunned after discovering how much their grandmother’s jug she “didn’t even like” was worth.

On the BBC show – broadcast from Portchester Castle on the Hampshire coast – the mother and daughter presented the ceramics their elderly relative had bought for £5 at a charity auction.

Expert Serhat Ahmet seemed thrilled, gushing “everything about it screams art deco” when he revealed the item was, in fact, a Clarice Cliff original.

The jug had a colorful hand-painted design with a farm scene, trees and a bright orange sunset.

The ladies said it was purchased at a WI charity auction in the 1970s, only after the vase the grandmother loved became too expensive.

Saying, “She never knew [it was a Clarice Cliff] she had no idea what it was’.

Before adding, “She never particularly liked it because it was never the one she wanted.”

Clarice Cliff was an English ceramics artist who first rose to prominence in the 1920s, best known for her innovative, colorful designs.

Expert Serhat revealed that the ‘Lugano’ design was very rare and the orange sky only increased its value.

He then revealed his estimate saying ‘£3,000 – £4,000 would be easily beaten at auction so I’d say over £4,000 on the day’.