David Battie is famous for his appearance on the long-running BBC television program Antiques Roadshow for 43 years.
The British retired ceramics expert specializing in Japanese and Chinese artifacts has suffered health struggles throughout his life. Let’s explore his health update and illness.
Highlights
- David Battie faced health struggles from the genetic disorder hemochromatosis, which causes iron levels in the body to rise slowly over many years.
- He also suffered from type 2 diabetes complications due to hemochromatosis.
- He fell on the wet grass and suffered a complex fracture to his right leg and spent six months in hospital in 2012.
81 years old David Battie was born in England on October 22, 1942.
He studied graphic design in art school and worked for three years at Reader’s Digest magazine.
He joined the auction house Sotheby’s, a British-founded multinational corporation, as a book porter in 1965. Later, he was appointed a director in 1976 and retired in 1999.
David became editor of Masterpiece magazine after leaving Sotheby’s and wrote many books on pottery and porcelain.
He is a lecturer, writer, and consultant for Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex.
David Battie Developed Type 2 Diabetes Due To Hemochromatosis
The retired ceramics expert David Battie faced health struggles from the genetic disorder hemochromatosis.
This inherited disease causes iron levels in the body to rise slowly over many years.
Watch original member of The Antiques Roadshow, David Battie FRSA, discussing Lot 231: A Chinese powder blue bowl and cover, Kangxi, early 18th century;
— Pete Liggins (@Pete_Liggins) November 3, 2020
Estimate: £1,500 – £2,000 #antiquesroadshow #dawsonsauctions pic.twitter.com/KqUNfTD3uK
Its symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, weakness, and potential damage to organs such as the liver, joints, pancreas, and heart.
David Battie is an ambassador for the charity Antibiotic Research UK and expressed,
My parents were each the carrier of the gene for haemachromatosis, so that when I was born, I inherited the blood disorder.
Hemochromatosis can lead to complications, including type 2 diabetes, which David also developed.
This common condition affects blood sugar levels and increases the risk of eye, heart, and nerve problems.
David humorously remarked,
With it I don’t spill iron and it builds up around the organs until – unless caught – someone wakes up dead one morning.
Moreover, he spent six months in hospital after he fell on the wet grass and suffered a complex fracture to his right leg in 2012.
Antiques Roadshow presenter David Battie: “Antibiotic resistance nearly cost me my leg” … https://t.co/H7h9SoDodK pic.twitter.com/By1VyWDjyT
— Miguel J Martinez Sr (@empiretreasure) June 13, 2017
Despite doctors initially considering amputation, they managed to save his leg through plastic surgery. He underwent 10-hour surgery and has a flap of skin just above the ankle.
However, the injury left a lasting impact, and David still experiences pain and fatigue due to poor sleep.
Additional Information
- David Battie has a soft spot for the Antiques Roadshow host Fiona Bruce and admitted that he wrote her a love poem (doggerel).
- He joined Antiques Roadshow from the first series in 1977 until his retirement in 2020.
- His book credits include Understanding 19th Century British Porcelain, Reader’s Digest Treasures in Your Home, and Sotheby’s Encyclopedia of Porcelain.
