Furniture restorer and presenter Jay Blades delves deep into British history to restore the nation’s most treasured possessions.
50-year-old Jay who is a craftsman has presented the BBC show The Repair Shop since 2017. The popular daytime TV programme sees talented craftsmen restore heirlooms and treasured antiques such as vases, clocks and music boxes, will go a step further and delve deeper and offer a unique insight into the history of some of the most cherished family heirlooms to have been restored in the barn.
The programme will be narrated by Jay who says: ” I absolutely love working on The Repair Shop, and for me its always been about the personal stories behind the items. The new series has made me fall in love all over again, the history is just so powerful and if you close your eyes you actually feel like you’ve been transported back to a moment in time”.
The series will also offer audiences the opportunity to find out more about the experts including Jay Brown who has an exciting history of his own. Originally from Hackney, East London, Jay recently shared that he is one of 26 children born to his Jamaican father. He also set up a charity ‘Out Of The Dark’ which encouraged young people who struggled with school (like he once did) to get involved with practical jobs. Although he left school at 15 he decided to face his fear and re-enter the education system gaining a BA in Criminology and Philosophy at Buckinghamshire New University.
The Presenter is also known for his role on Money for Nothing, the BBC show that transforms trash into valuable pieces and has his own modern furniture restoration company Jay&Co the company helps disadvantaged and disengaged groups.