David Dickinson was born on 16 August 1941 in England. He was born to a mother of Armenian heritage and was adopted and raised by an English family.

Before television, Dickinson worked in the textile and aircraft industries before moving into antiques dealing, which became his lifelong career.

He rose to public attention as an antiques expert on shows like This Morning and BBC Two’s The Antiques Show. His major breakthrough came in 2000 when he became the original presenter of Bargain Hunt on BBC One, helping turn it into a highly acclaimed daytime programme.

He later hosted primetime editions of the show (2002–2004) before leaving the BBC and launching other projects, including Dickinson’s Real Deal.

Dickinson lives in the UK with his wife and family and remains active in television and antiques-related work.