Jay Blades is claimed to be ‘taking a step back’ from The Repair Shop after learning that one of his family has died and that his marriage has ended.
Last month, the furniture restorer, who rose to national prominence after starring on the BBC series, disclosed in an Instagram video that he had just attended the funeral of his uncle, who had been “murdered a few weeks earlier.”
The 54-year-old admitted that his loss left him feeling “a little bit messed up,” and that he would be away from social media for a while.
A few days later, Blades’ wife, Lisa Marie Zbozen, announced on social media that their marriage had ended after 18 months.
In her message, she said that she felt ‘incredibly sad about the whole thing’, adding: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much’.
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.’
It’s now been reported that while The Repair Shop is continuing to film, Blades is ‘having a break’ from the production.
‘Jay has taken a step back and is having a break from filming The Repair Shop,’ a source told The Sun.
‘His uncle’s death in March and the breakdown of his marriage means he has decided to take some time out.’
The source claimed that the BBC series is ‘carrying on without him for now and the other repairers are hard at work’.
The insider stated that Blades’ colleagues were ‘shocked’ to find out about the end of his marriage, as it was ‘not well known at all among the people who work on the show’.
Blades has been on The Repair Shop since it debuted in 2017.
He was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the late Queen Elizabeth II’s 2021 Birthday Honours, and the following year he appeared in a special episode of the show alongside King Charles III, who was Prince Charles at the time the event was taped.
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
