'People trust us with their memories'

Siblings Suzie and Steve Fletcher on why they love being part of the Repair Shop family

- SEAN MARLAND

THE REPAIR SHOP NEW WEDNESDAY / BBC1 / 8PM / FACTUAL

When The Repair Shop first opened its doors without fanfare in a teatime slot on BBC2, who could have guessed that within the space of three years, it would become one of BBC1’s best-loved, prime-time shows.

But the combination of watching experts painstakingly restore cherished family heirlooms to their former glory and the emotional stories behind these treasured items has touched the hearts of millions of viewers.

This week, furniture restorer Jay Blades and his team of highly skilled craftsmen and women are back for a new series, and among the items brought into the workshop of dreams is a Romanian cross that saved a soldier’s life, a much-loved box kite, and one of Britain’s smallest working bicycles.

Here, in an exclusive joint interview with TV Times, the show’s clock expert Steve Fletcher and his sister Suzie, a master saddler, tell us why they love fixing things for other people…

Why do you think the show has done so well?