STORAGE Hunters' ever-smiling, ever-shouting auctioneer is now a Great Yorkshire Fringe comedy turn with a charity auction finale.

Where did you grow up and did you ever attend an auction as a youngster, Sean?

"Half of my childhood was spent in Reno, Nevada and the other half in Hanau, Germany. You’ve probably heard the slogan for Las Vegas, Nevada, 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas'. Well Reno, Nevada has its own slogan, 'What happens in Reno can’t always be cured by antibiotics'. Parts of it can be a bit seedy. As a kid, I went to several bull auctions at the yearly rodeos. That’s where I learned to sell bull."

What is your work background and how did you come to be involved in Storage Hunters?

"I’ve had a crazy work background from being an undercover store detective catching shoplifters, to having a top secret clearance working in military intelligence to selling caravans, being an auctioneer and a stand-up comedian. At one of my storage auctions, two customers got in a fist fight and I thought to myself, 'this would make a great TV show—its Antiques Roadshow meets WWF.”

How long did it take you to perfect your auctioneering patter?

"Because my wife would always have to listen to me practise, she would say that it’s taken a million years as she claims that she hears me doing that in her sleep. I learned the basics at auctioneering school, but the rest was self-taught, which worked out better than the time I tried to teach myself to skydive."

How do people assess what is in a box/container in such a short time?

"The real pros know in their heads what they can resell items for at a car boot sale or online. It's 20 per cent experience and 80 per cent good old-fashioned gambling."

Do contestants become heated when competing over boxes?

"Yes, and that’s why I have a security guard. At some of my auctions, it's like watching Punch and Judy bidding on units."

Why do you think so many boxes are unclaimed after so long?

"The main reasons are businesses going under, divorce, people going to prison, and death. Then there’s the really unlucky people who, after their business went under, got divorced and died in prison. Those auctions are usually in Blackpool."

Can you name any unusual items that have come out of storage cases?

"I have seen just about everything from a stuffed cow to an S&M torture chamber to a meth lab. If it's weird, it's probably in storage. If it's weird and it's in storage, it's probably in Hull."

What has been the most expensive thing that you’ve seen come out of storage cases?

"Rare art, helicopters, airplanes, coin collections, antiques, weapons..."

How will you entertain Saturday's audience in York?

"I’ve been a stand-up comedian for 19 years. So part of the show will be stand-up comedy about my life, part will be an inter-active charity auction where I encourage the audience to bring a cheeky item from home. I then invite some of the audience members on stage with me and we auction the items off, with the proceeds going to benefit Help for Heroes."

Sean Kelly Sold Your Way!, Great Yorkshire Fringe, The White Rose Rotunda, Parliament Street, York, Saturday 8.45pm.