The Repair Shop star, Suzie Fletcher, previously made a brave admission about domestic violence.
The show’s resident leather expert revealed shocking details of her coercive marriage during an interview last summer. She also shared how The Repair Shop has helped her to recover from her trauma.
Suzie Fletcher breaks silence on marriage
Suzie bravely opened up about being trapped in a coercive marriage for over 15 years.
Pre- The Repair Shop, Suzie lived with American husband Rob in Colorado, where she ran a saddlery business.
The couple had a whirlwind romance, getting married within three months of meeting. But the relationship quickly turned abusive, Suzie told The Mail On Sunday.
She recounted shocking details of the domestic violence she endured. She spoke about being choked by her former competitive wrestler husband, tragically admitting, “I honestly thought I was going to die.”
On one occasion, he even apparently told her: “I’ve worked out how to have you killed.”
However, Suzie said she “went along with it for fear” and instead learnt “how to swerve a bullet” until Rob died of cancer in 2012.
‘The Repair Shop has healed me’
Following her husband’s death, Suzie returned home to England, feeling “physically, mentally and emotionally…exhausted”.
She sought comfort in the “safe environment at The Repair Shop”, where her brother was already working as a clock expert.
She gushed about the impact joining the show had on her life.
“Being part of The Repair Shop has healed me from the inside out.” She said, “Using my skills in such a positive way has brought me joy and confidence. I don’t think any of that would have been possible without such a caring group of people around me.”
In particular, Suzie spoke of the support she received from presenter Jay Blades.
“[Jay], along with my brother, really helped me to start believing in myself.” She said.
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The Repair Shop is on tonight (July 2) at 9pm on BBC One.
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