A pawn broker who featured in Channel 4's Posh Pawn has said Brits are selling off valuables as they move abroad. James Constantinou, who owns the pawnbroking chain Prestige Pawn, said Britain's cost-of-living crisis, stagnant jobs market and the lure of a better work-life balance elsewhere are some of the reasons his wealthy clients are leaving the UK.

He said: "Some antiques are too costly or problematic when it comes to shipping. Clients are choosing to sell off items as opposed to [transporting] them and are raising substantial sums which they can put towards travel costs or furnishing their new home.

"Others are simply selling their handbags or jewellery in order to pay for the cost of relocating."

James said it has become "a real phenomenon" in the past few months, with Brits getting fed up with the cost of living crisis seeking more security and long term certainty.

He added that his firm has been inundated with various valuables as a result of customers selling the antiques, which won’t fit inside their suitcases.

Most British expats are moving to English-speaking countries, such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, or sunnier European destinations, including Spain and Portugal.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics, released in November, showed that overall emigration, including both UK and non-UK nationals, has been on an upward trend over the past three years.

But in the year to June 2025, the level of emigration of British nationals was broadly unchanged, at around a quarter of a million each year.

Tax data reported by the Financial Times in August reportedly allayed concerns about an exodus of super-wealthy non-doms from Britain in the wake of the phasing out of non-dom status.

However, James said his firm has never seen such a "huge exodus" of clients who want to leave the UK and start anew in another country.

He said staff at his multi-million-pound firm hear the same story day after day, adding: "The uncertainty and taxation changes are forcing entrepreneurs to look abroad where they may receive more favourable tax breaks and a more optimistic forecast going forward."

Prestige Pawn operates eight stores, including in Hatton Garden, the City of London, Westminster and Chelsea.

Posh Pawn was a fly-on-the-wall docu-series about pawnbroking. It saw James offer an array of astonishing items, such as a mini submarine, a Swarovski crystal drum kit used on a Kylie Minogue tour.

James and Posh Pawn has been hailed as the go-to place of choice for rich people who want to raise extra money fast or dispose of luxury goods.