David Dickinson has revealed that he wasn’t “affected” at all after learning he was adopted at age 12.
The presenter, 81, was taken in by his adoptive parents Jim and Joyce, who lived in a working-class neighborhood of Stockport but didn’t realize they weren’t biologically related until he was almost a teenager.
Have been David, who was placed in Barnado’s orphanage for Waifs and Strays as an infant, said he wasn’t surprised when he found documentation proving his history.
During a Thursday appearance on Loose Women, he explained, “I found these adoption papers and the family all came over and said, ‘David, you’re special and we wanted you.’
“I have to tell you it didn’t really hit me, I had a loving family, I was so happy, and then it went on.
Good for him! David Dickinson has revealed he wasn’t ‘affected’ at all after learning he was adopted at age 12
“I have a half-brother Ken, who lives in Jersey, and this all came out, very nicely.”
It comes after The Daily Mail revealed that ITV star Dan Hatfield is lining up to replace David in Dickinson’s Real Deal.
Dan, 39, is known to viewers as a money-saving expert on This Morning and also starred in Million Pound Pawn, a series about pawnshops.
Sources said he will now face the show of modern antiques and collectibles when David steps down from his position.
Third-generation pawnbroker Dan has been in the industry for nearly two decades and previously claimed that pawnbroker is “in his blood.”
He followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps after being asked to take on the family business for “just two weeks” to help with a personnel crisis.
Despite having one offer from a company in Australia to work for their marketing department, he turned down the role after realizing he liked pawnshops.
He told The Yorkshire Post; ‘I ended up literally tearing up my visa because, you know, I didn’t choose pawnbroker; pawnbroker chose me.
Childhood: The presenter, 81, was taken in by his adoptive parents Jim and Joyce, who lived in Stockport, but only realized they weren’t biologically related when he was almost a teenager
Real? After being placed in Barnado’s orphanage for Waifs and Strays as an infant, David says he wasn’t surprised when he found documentation proving his history
Heartwarming: During Thursday’s Loose Women, he explained, “I found these adoption papers and the family all came over and said, ‘David, you’re special and we wanted you'”
“It was always in my blood. I’ve never regretted my decision, ever.’
He still works for the family business and has helped thousands of customers, including international royals such as the King of Saudi Arabia, sell their items.
MailOnline reached out to Dan’s representatives for comment at the time.
It comes after MailOnline exclusively revealed that David is quitting Dickinson’s Real Deal after 16 years.
The TV veteran will be filming the upcoming series this year, but has made the decision to step down as host after 15 seasons.
MailOnline heard that antiques dealer David, who was the head of BBC One’s Bargain Hunt until 2004 and has also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celeb, wants to spend more time at home with his wife Lorne Lesley now that they are both in their 80s.
A TV source revealed that although David is leaving the long-running programme, which first aired in 2006, ITV has yet to make a decision on the future of the series and whether the show will be renamed in David’s absence.
A show insider said, “It’s an open secret of Dickinson’s Real Deal that David will be leaving the show after filming the upcoming series.
Replacement: It comes after The Daily Mail revealed ITV star Dan Hatfield is lining up to replace David in Dickinson’s Real Deal (pictured in November 2022)
Stepping down: It comes after MailOnline revealed exclusively that David is quitting ITV show Dickinson’s Real Deal after 16 years
“He absolutely loves the show, it’s been a huge success for the channel and viewers still love it 16 years after it launched.
“David has had such an incredible career in showbiz so far and has no plans to retire from TV for good and is still open to exploring further opportunities.”
An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘The current series of Dickinson’s Real Deal is in production and will be filmed throughout the spring and summer. Furthermore, no decisions have been made about future series.’
The TV star has been dealing in antiques for over 30 years and has previously credited his permanent tan and flamboyant nature with earning him legions of fans.
He made a name for himself on Bargain Hunt, where he became known for the catchphrases ‘real bobby-dazzler’ and ‘cheap as chips’.
The presenter starred in the very first series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, competed with former professional dancer Camilla Dallerup and a year later took part in the ITV series I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
His love of performing and showmanship was inspired by his wife Lorne, who is a former cabaret star, with the pair first meeting in a nightclub in the 1960s.
Married since 1968, the couple have two children together and also have grandchildren, one of whom became the youngest contestant ever to successfully secure an investment in the Dragons’ Den business show.
David recounted the highs and lows of his life in the autobiography The Duke, where he talked about learning at age 12. He was adopted as a baby by Joyce and Jim Dickinson.
He discovered more about his heritage while filming the BBC documentary Who Do You Think You Are?, including that his Armenian grandfather was a former silk merchant and worked on the same streets where he learned the trade.
Cheryl Hakeney, a Dickinson’s Real Deal dealer for 14 years, told MailOnline this week that she remembers David selling at London Olympia, saying his stand resembled his outgoing personality.
She said, “I’ve known him for many years, I knew him before I was on the show because he’s a friend of my dad’s, and that’s not how I got the job, he was a fantastic antiques dealer back in the day. and he always dealt in really beautiful and unusual antiques, very guided by interior design.
‘He’s from Manchester but also exhibited every year at Olympia London and David’s booth was just like him, exaggerated, and the most fantastic and unusual things. He’s amazing and you can’t believe he’s 81 and still working, he’s a real showman.’