Serrell was born in Worcestershire into a farming family and attended the Royal Grammar School in Worcester, where he was a schoolmate of the Pakistani cricket captain Imran Khan.

Dissatisfied as a teacher, Serrell changed careers to become an auctioneer, working in the local livestock trade until qualifying as a chartered surveyor in 1988, specialising in fine art and antiques.

[4] Serrell owns an auctioneers and valuers firm with offices in Worcester and a salesroom in Great Malvern, established in 1995.

He has also featured on other BBC series Antiques Road Trip and Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (where he is light-heartedly billed as Phil "The Fox" Serrell).

In 2018, Serrell performed a new Christmas song called "Rock With Rudolph" with Ross, Braxton and 24 celebrities, under the name The Celebs.