The BBC has thrown its support behind Jay Blades as a new Repair Shop spin-off is given the green light to go ahead.
It comes after his recent split from wife Lisa Zbozen, who he married in Barbados in November 2022, and the murder of his uncle forced him to take time out of filming the show.
Jay will be back on our screens after some time away
The Repair Shop On The Road is set to travel the UK in a bid to fix precious items around the country. However, there’s expected to be less emphasis on Jay himself, and more on the team of restorers. The show is expected to be filmed later on this year.
A TV insider told The Sun: “This is a great vote of confidence in The Repair Shop’s presenter, even if it does see the limelight shift from him somewhat in this spin-off. It’s also another sign of just how successful the show has become in the seven years it’s been on our screens.”
The Repair Shop first launched in 2017, and is filmed at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in West Sussex. While it began on BBC Two, its popularity meant that it moved to BBC One. And even the King made an appearance in 2022, when he was looking to restore a clock.
The news comes less than a month after Jay was reported to have made a “dig” at the show. He removed any mention of it from his social media accounts. Also in May, it was claimed that Jay hadn’t been present for any recent filming. A source said he was taking some time away following the death of his uncle and the breakdown of his marriage.
His wife revealed the split online
It was wife Lisa who first shared the news of their split when she posted a statement online.
It read: “I don’t know how to say this because it’s still really raw. I probably should be really angry but I’m just incredibly sad about the whole thing right now. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much. It just got worse and worse. The world got the best parts of my husband, and over time, I got a whole lot of everything else.”
She continued: “I will admit I’m crying as I type this as I can’t believe this is even real. I hope you don’t mind if I just have a few days trying to figure out my life as I’m currently in a spare room with a few essentials. I don’t know what else to say. All my love, a very broken Lisa-Marie.”
Read more: The Repair Shop fans rally round as Jay Blades says ‘so sorry’ over health news
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