Charles Hanson found himself at the mercy of strangers when the BBC star got stuck inside a toilet while onboard a train travelling from London to Derby. The Bargain Hunt regular was on his way to an auction when he ran into some train-related issues on East Midlands Railway.

The hapless 47-year-old shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, where he called for help in the hopes he would get the attention of the railway staff. The incident took place on Friday (April 17) as members of the public reacted to the unfortunate situation, with some social media users contacting East Midlands station for their assistance.

In a video posted on his social media accounts, he said: "Tonight, I'm on the delayed 17.46pm train to London but I'm locked in the loo."

In a public plea, Charles continued: "If anyone is on the train, I'll be grateful. "For some reason, when I press these buttons, nothing is happening. Hopefully I'll be ok."

"This could be a long journey," he concluded.

Charles continued to press the buttons on the door before calling out, "hello," in the hopes a passerby could hear him.

The auctioneer's 53,000 followers flocked to comment on the post, as one said: "Poor bloke."

Another remarked: "Unlucky Chap! Hopefully you get rescued soon! #freecharlesfromtheloo."

A third wrote: "Bless you Charles, hope someone let you out."

Another questioned: "@EastMidRailway have you saved this man yet?"

East Midlands Railway replied: "I'm already on it - I've contacted the Train Manager of the train I believe the unfortunate passenger locked in the toilet is travelling on. Thank you for tagging us, though - it's appreciated."

After asking his followers for help, he was eventually freed from the toilet, which turned out to have a sealant issue.

His "train toilet saga" was not over, though. On the way back the next day, most toilets on Charles's train were out of order once again.

"A bit of a nightmare today," he said. "In a funny way, it's a blessing in disguise because I don't dare go."