The Big Deal with Steph McGovern on BBC TWO contestants Ollie + Bella at the RWA London with Judge Cordelia de Freitas

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern: How a BBC Art Competition Inspired Bella + Ollie Art

After nearly two years of keeping a very big secret, we can finally tell you: we're contestants on The Big Deal with Steph McGovern.

Tonight, Thursday 13 August, we'll be sitting down to watch ourselves on BBC Two alongside everyone else. And, honestly, it still feels slightly surreal writing that sentence.

Our journey to The Big Deal with Steph McGovern actually started back in November 2024, when we applied to take part in the new BBC art competition. At the time, Bella + Ollie Art didn't exist. We had an idea, lots of conversations about art and design, and a growing feeling that we wanted to create something together, but we hadn't quite taken the leap. When we found out we'd been cast, we were incredibly excited. We saw it as an opportunity to step into an industry we were fascinated by, learn from people who knew it inside out and, hopefully, discover where our own creative instincts could take us.

We had no idea quite how much the experience would change things.

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern on BBC TWO contestants Ollie + Bella FROM Bath and Bristol in their creative jobs as seamstress and interior designer

Two creative backgrounds, one love of art

Art has always been part of our lives, although neither of us took the most obvious route into the art world.

Our backgrounds are rooted in creativity in different ways. Bella's world has been fashion, design and building creative businesses, while Ollie's has been architecture, interiors and the relationship between people and the spaces they live in. We've always shared that instinct to create, to notice things and to think about why something makes you feel the way it does.

But our connection to art goes back much further than our careers.

We grew up spending time with our grandparents, who both painted simply because they loved it. Our nan painted realistic still-life oil paintings, while our grampy painted abstract watercolour landscapes. We grew up seeing the joy in that process — the hours spent making something, experimenting, getting it wrong and trying again, simply because creating was part of who they were.

That has stayed with us. 

For us, art has never just been about what looks good on a wall. It's about creativity, individuality and the people behind the work. We believe artists should be able to build a living from their creativity, and we're passionate about supporting artists who are turning their ideas, skills and perspectives into a career and a life.

That belief became a big part of what we wanted Bella + Ollie Art to become.
The Big Deal with Steph McGovern on BBC TWO contestants Ollie + Bella siblings from Bath and Bristol

So, what is The Big Deal with Steph McGovern?

If you've discovered us through the show, here's the bit you need to know.

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern is a six-part BBC Two art competition following seven pairs of aspiring art dealers from across the UK. Hosted by Steph McGovern, with series mentor Cordelia de Freitas and a range of industry insiders, each episode takes the contestants into a different corner of the art market, testing their creative instincts, entrepreneurial skills and ability to actually make a deal.

The contestants get to keep every penny they make, while the pair who makes it to the end has the chance to win £50,000 worth of British art.

For the first challenge, we were thrown straight into the world of graduate art. Alongside the other contestants, we were introduced to 14 emerging artists from the Royal College of Art and other prestigious art schools across the UK. We then had to choose two artists to represent, negotiate a commission split and sell their work at auction.

Which sounds straightforward.

It wasn't.

We were very much out of our depth

When we filmed The Big Deal in September 2025, we were stepping into a world that was completely new to us. We knew we loved art. We knew we had a creative eye. But suddenly we were having to make decisions quickly, understand the commercial side of the art market and trust our instincts — all while competing against six other pairs.

It was challenging, exciting and, at times, completely surreal.

There was a lot of quick thinking involved, and the experience gave us a perspective on the art industry that we simply couldn't have gained from the outside. It made us think differently about artists, buyers, selling art and what actually goes into building a career around creativity.

And then there was doing all of that with your sibling.

We've always worked well together, but putting that relationship under pressure in a completely unfamiliar environment was certainly a learning curve. There were moments when we had to trust each other, moments when we disagreed and plenty of moments where we had absolutely no idea what we were doing.

But that's also what made the experience so valuable.

The part we didn't expect: Bella + Ollie Art

Here's the bit that makes the whole story feel slightly circular.

We filmed The Big Deal with Steph McGovern first. Then we came home and built Bella + Ollie Art.

The experience gave us the confidence to stop talking about the idea and actually do something about it. It opened our eyes to the art industry and made us realise that there was a space where our different creative backgrounds could come together.

So, as siblings and co-founders, we created Bella + Ollie Art as an online home for contemporary art — bringing together artists we genuinely love and making it easier for people to discover artwork that feels personal to them.

We wanted it to feel different from the idea many people have of buying art. Less intimidating, more personal and much more connected to the people and stories behind the work.

Because ultimately, that's what keeps bringing us back to art. The feeling, the story and the people that make it.

That moment you find a piece that somehow feels like it belongs in your life.

 The Big Deal with Steph McGovern BBC Art Competition with sibling Contestants Bella and Ollie from Bath and Bristol

And now, we're finally allowed to talk about it

For nearly two years, we've had to sit on this story.

We've known that at some point we'd be able to tell people we went on The Big Deal with Steph McGovern. We've known we'd eventually be able to talk about the artists we met, the challenges we faced and everything we learned along the way.

But now it's finally here.

Tonight, we'll be watching the first episode alongside you, and over the next six weeks we'll be sharing more of our journey here on the Bella + Ollie Art blog. Each episode will have its own story, taking you behind the scenes of the challenge, introducing you to the artists involved and sharing some of the things we learned about the art industry along the way.

There are still plenty of things we can't tell you yet. But that's probably part of the fun.

If you've found us through The Big Deal with Steph McGovern, welcome to Bella + Ollie.

We're so glad you're here.

Have a look around, discover the artists we're championing, follow our journey on Instagram or join our art community to stay a little closer to what we're building. Because while The Big Deal is where this story started, Bella + Ollie Art is what came next.

And we can't wait to show you where it goes.

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern airs Thursdays at 8pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Bella + Ollie x

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Discover original artworks
Original minimalist artwork by Welsh Artist Elfyn Lewis. Acrylic paint on MDF board to create a 3D effect with a calming yet striking appearance. An abstract landscape piece inspired by a glacial landscape, with colours of light blue transitioning into deep midnight blue and beyond.

Moulin, 2024

Moulin, 2024
£1,300.00
Original minimalist artwork by Welsh Artist Elfyn Lewis. Acrylic paint on MDF board to create a calming yet striking appearance through a dramatic emerald green band radiating between subtle salmon pinks to reflect the early morning light of a rural green landscape in Wales.

Islawr-dref, 2026

Islawr-dref, 2026
£4,200.00
Original minimalist artwork by Welsh Artist Elfyn Lewis. Acrylic paint on MDF board to create a 3D effect with a calming yet striking appearance. An abstract landscape piece inspired by a coastal landscape at sunset, with colours of light blue transitioning into vivid orange.

Cei-bach, 2025

Cei-bach, 2025
£1,600.00
Explore Our Artists
What is The Big Deal with Steph McGovern?

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern is a BBC Two art competition series that follows seven pairs of aspiring art dealers as they compete in a range of real-world challenges across the art market. Hosted by Steph McGovern and mentored by Cordelia de Freitas, the series explores everything from emerging artists and auctions to galleries and art fairs. The winning pair receives a prize of British art worth £50,000.
Who are the contestants on The Big Deal with Steph McGovern?

The Big Deal features seven pairs of aspiring art dealers from across the UK, each bringing different backgrounds, perspectives and approaches to the art world. Throughout the six-part series, contestants compete in challenges designed to test their eye for talent, negotiation skills and ability to sell artwork. Siblings Ollie + Bella, founders of Bella + Ollie Art, are one of the competing pairs.
Where was The Big Deal with Steph McGovern filmed?

The Big Deal takes contestants into different areas of the UK art world, with challenges involving emerging artists, auctions, galleries and major art industry events. Throughout the series, contestants visit locations connected to contemporary art, including challenges featuring graduate artists, art fairs and other key parts of the British art market.
When is The Big Deal with Steph McGovern on TV?

The Big Deal with Steph McGovern airs weekly on BBC Two UK and BBC One NI and is also available to watch on BBC iPlayer. The six-part series follows contestants as they compete in art-related challenges, with one pair ultimately winning £50,000 worth of British art.

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