Jay Blades has spoken up about what it was like to be in Westminster Abbey during King Charles III’s coronation, saying that it was a ‘eerie’ experience.
On Saturday, May 6, the King and Queen Camilla were formally coronated after replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the event taking place at the ancient Abbey before they were joined on the balcony of Buckingham Palace by other members of the royal family.
Dame Joanna Lumley, Katy Perry, Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly, and Dame Emma Thompson were among the celebs that attended the occasion.
Jay, who just appeared on a special episode with the King (when he was still Prince Charles), was also invited to the crowning.
The 53-year-old told Lorraine Kelly on her ITV programme that he brought some food in with him because he had to be there at 7.30am and breakfast at his hotel didn’t start until 8am, so they prepared a doggie bag for him.
‘You had a great seat,’ Lorraine, 63, added, as Jay responded: ‘I had leg room, it was unbelievable. And you could see everything.’
The furniture restorer contrasted the atmosphere within the Abbey to if Disney, famed for its charming fairytales, had taken a gloomy turn.
It’s one of those things where… I explained it like this. I know it’s going to sound weird, but it’s like if Disney had done a horror movie,’ he explained.
‘It was beautiful, but at the same time it was eerie. Westminster I’ve been round loads of times before, and I’ve never seen it where it’s as empty as that. It was just unbelievable. There was nobody there. But everybody was in the church, it was just like… wow.’
‘What an amazing thing to be a part of,’ Lorraine remarked, as Jay described it as a ‘true honour’.
He continued: ‘It’s one of the most eeriest things you can ever experience,’ adding that while he wasn’t allowed to take any photos inside, he’s cherishing the memories in his mind.
During a special episode of The Repair Shop commemorating the BBC’s centennial, Jay and King Charles looked to get along like a house on fire.
The TV personality said that he suffered “a lot of sorrow” for touching the then-Prince of Wales, prompting accusations that he violated royal protocol.
‘Well, there was plenty of royal security there to say don’t touch the geezer, but they didn’t. He’s only a human and he touched me too. So I think everyone should pipe down,’ he stated.
Lorraine airs weekdays from 9am on ITV.