We will fix it!

As his feel-good series goes prime time, presenter Jay Blades tells TV Times why the nation has taken it to their hearts

- TESS LAMACRAFT

THE REPAIR SHOP

NEW WEDNESDAY / BBC1 / 8PM / FACTUAL

Jay Blades, the nation’s favourite furniture upcycler, couldn’t be prouder of his surprise smash hit series The Repair Shop, which returns this week in a new prime-time slot on BBC1. ‘What I love is that every single item brought in has a different story attached to it and is a little slice of history,’ smiles Jay, 49, as he joins TV Times for an exclusive chat.

For those yet to experience the show’s magic, it sees restoration experts lovingly give broken family heirlooms a new lease of life. Among the treasures being brought into the workshop of dreams this time are a nautical compass that helped saved the lives of a family in World War Two and a clock over 400 years old.

Here, Jay tells us why he thinks the series has struck such a chord…

A ratings-winning Christmas special, awards for Best Daytime programme, and now a new prime-time slot. What is the secret to the show’s success?