THE Repair Shop’s Jay Blades has been replaced by a star of The One Show in first look pictures from the Christmas Special .
Blades, 54, is due to stand trial next May after denying engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour between January 2023 and September 2024.
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He was arrested on May 3 this year following allegations by his wife Lisa Zbozen, 43.
Following the allegations, Blades was removed from repeats of The Repair Shop and was dropped from the show’s live theatre tour.
Now, The One Show‘s Roman Kemp has taken his place on the festive edition of the hit BBC One show.
Roman, 31, helps The One Show’s competition winner Kat give her tattered teddy bear an overhaul.
Read More on The Repair Shop
And it seems this isn’t Roman’s first experience of fixing a family treasure.
He said: “So last year, my mum’s favourite Christmas angel that she had had since the day that she was born, got absolutely torn apart by our family dog and I wanted to get it repaired, seeing shows like The Repair Shop and seeing how emotional people can get over those nostalgic things.
“So, I got it repaired for my mum and it made our Christmas, it was the nicest moment.
“On The One Show, we wanted to give that same feeling that I had with my family last year, to a deserving viewer, and that person was Kat from Oxfordshire whose incredible teddy bear that she has had since she was born… unfortunately also got attacked by a family dog and has a huge hole in the side of it.
“She wants to pass this teddy bear on to her wonderful son Freddie who has done incredible things and has been raising over £4,000 for his grandfather who sadly passed away.
“It will be the most special Christmas present that they could ask for as a family and something that becomes a constant in their life for even more years.”
Roman also spoke about what it was like to enter the famous barn for the first time.
He said: “It’s really special – it’s like going inside one of your favourite TV shows so it’s always a very cool moment.
“It’s one of those shows – you always see moments on television where you feel so good and the whole family are glued to it and The Repair Shop has been a show that does that a lot.”
The Repair Shop experts
The Repair Shop premiered in 2017 and sees family heirlooms restored for their owners by numerous experts with a broad range of specialisms. Jay Blades acts as the foreman, with a talented team at work in the restoration process. Let’s take a look at some of them.
- Jay Blades: Foreman of The Repair Shop and Furniture Restorer
- Will Kirk: Carpenter, Cabinet Maker and Wood Painter
- Steve Fletcher: Clock Restorer
- Suzie Fletcher: Saddle Maker and Leather Worker
- Dominic Chinea: Metal Worker and Signs Restorer
- Sonnaz Nooranvary: Upholstery Restorer
- Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell: Soft-toy Restorers
- Kirsten Ramsay: Ceramics Conservator
- Lucia Scalisi: Painting Conservator
- Brenton West: Antique Photography Specialist and Silversmith
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The Repair Shop Christmas Special airs on Tuesday, December 24 at 8.15pm on BBC One.