Michael Hogben (born 6 November 1952), is an auctioneer and antiques dealer, who has appeared in the BBC series Bargain Hunt and his own series "Auction Man."
Famed for his often eccentric style but complete enthusiasm, Hogben's personality and all-round expertise in his field has been successfully transferred to both television presenting and expert authoring.
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Born in Foord Road in Folkestone, Kent, Hogben's mother died when he was five leaving him and his brother with their father. Hogben purposefully failed his Eleven plus examination to attend the same school as his brother.
After both brothers had left school, Hogben's father decided to emigrate to Australia leaving the two boys to fend for themselves. Hogben left school at 15 to work in a Fashion shop, and within a year was running one himself. At age 17 Hogben came into a small inheritance, which he invested in opening a fashion boutique called "Mickey Finn" (named after a drug-laced drink), which over the next ten years he expanded with 8 outlets over Kent. He also invested in Kent's first wine bar – "McCartney's" – in Dover.
Having studied art and antiques, five years later he opened his own auction house in Folkestone, which then traded for the next fifteen years until he sold it in 2004.
In December 2005 he was wrongly charged with retaining two paintings which were being valued for an old lady in Kent. Judge Nigel van der Bijl dismissed the case at Canterbury Crown Court on 14 May 2007 after hearing of delays in police inquiries and no evidence, telling Hogben: “You are an innocent man.” It was later revealed that the "old lady" was in fact 35 and that after Hogben had valued the paintings at £100 each they failed to appear at a Bracketts Tunbridge Wells auction house when under the care of an independent transport.
Hogben became a Bargain Hunt expert when four of the earliest shows visited his auction rooms to sell contestants items. The producer liked Hogben's style so much, he was offered a regular position. After screen testing for but deciding against presenting Flog It! for the BBC in favour of his business, Hogben's style made him a choice for his own primetime show, which was created in the BBC series Auction Man. Focusing on his auction rooms, the show showed how the auction room worked, focusing mainly on Michael and his family, and staff. The show also showed viewers tips on spotting auction bargains, as well as the characters, celebrities, sharp customers and the unscrupulous dealers, running for two series. Hogben has also presented 30 shows for Channel 4 in a daytime show called Name your Price. Hogben has appeared on friend David Dickinson's ITV1 show Dickinson's Real Deal.
Hogben married his wife, Lesley, in 2000 after living together for many years. Comedian Vic Reeves was best man. The couple live in Kent and have 5 children.