Antiques Roadshow's producer Marsha Bemko has revealed the "painful" decisions she has to make to ensure the show is the "best hour of television we can." The popular programme invites individuals to bring their cherished items, antiques and collectors' pieces for a potentially life-changing valuation from experts.

However, not every guest or appraiser makes it onto the screen, as Marsha, who works on the American version of the show, explained: "Out of 150 or so appraisers we work with, I've made many friends. There are people I like immensely who I've worked with for more than 10 years.

"We're friendly, but I will cut my friends. I have to be very unemotional about it because my responsibility is to make the best television possible."

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She opened up about her most memorable cut during an interview on Collectors Weekly, saying: " I think the hardest cut happened last year. It's the only time I've ever cried on a set," as she remembered: "A man came over with a print and he told me that his wife had had the print and they had gotten tickets.

"His wife couldn't wait to come, but she died before the show. He was there with his adult daughter. And then he stops talking, and his eyes are welling up. And I'm looking at him ready to ask the questions, and I'm thinking, 'oh, shoot, I'm going to cry'.

Marsha went on to say: "And I thought, 'okay, don't talk and you won't cry'. Well, sure enough, I stood there silent," reports the Express.

"He stood there silent. We're just looking at each other, and I didn't bawl but I started to tear up.

"And meanwhile people are watching me, so he and I started to hug, and his adult daughter, we're hugging, too. And people are running from their chairs, giving us Kleenex.

"It's a scene. I'm telling you, it's embarrassing for me." Marsha shared that while the appraisal moment tugged at her heartstrings, ultimately it had to be removed from the broadcast because "it didn't get a great appraisal.

She confessed that it was the "most painful cut," as she felt a strong "connection" with the guest. Nevertheless, she had to put her feelings aside to make this tough call. She said: "You can be sure the appraiser thought it was in the bag because of the relationship I had built with him. But I don't let relationships call those decisions."