WILL JAY NAIL IT AGAIN?

AFTER HIS SLEEPER HIT THE REPAIR SHOP, JAY BLADES IS HOPING TO CHARM VIEWERS WITH A NEW SERIES ABOUT MAKING MASTERPIECES FOR LOCAL HEROES

Having had his own spirit crushed several times, TV presenter Jay Blades feels indebted to those who have aided his astonishing turnarounds.

And in his new series, he’s aiming to repay those favours by helping others.

The host of The Repair Shop, which became a quiet success with seven million viewers, is switching from restoring treasured possessions to creating new ones in Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop. The recipients are deserving members of the community who have done someone a good turn. And creating the masterpieces are a team of volunteers who are all learning skills they can carry away with them, helping them transform their futures.

‘Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop is a place which changes lives. I’ve set it up because I believe everybody can achieve something they don’t believe they can achieve,’ says Jay. ‘Imagine having confidence to achieve anything with regards to making. That’s what the show’s about, as well as celebrating the uncelebrated. We want to give back and say thank you.’

Based in a community workshop in Bradford, the six-part series sees six volunteer apprentices take on intricate challenges as they are mentored by three expert furniture makers.

First up to nominate a deserving recipient is Sue of Doncaster, who wants to celebrate Anchor House Care Home, where her mother-in-law lives and where during the pandemic some staff moved in for two months, sleeping on camp beds away from their families, to keep the residents safe from infection. Expert woodworker Kieran leads his volunteer apprentices Les and Ant in making an arbour for the home.

Meanwhile, Caroline nominates Karen. ‘She has three adopted children with disabilities and runs a support group called the Ellis 29 Group for families like mine, who have children and young people with a disability,’ says Caroline. ‘Suddenly life doesn’t feel such a lonely place.’

As a tribute to Karen, furniture maker Isabelle mentors Becky and Graham as they create a sewing box with a personalised K on the lid.

The third project is suggested by Connor, who wants to thank Jack for a selfless act and has an exquisite sideboard made by expert Saff, a carpenter’s son, and his apprentices Kate and Jabbar.

‘I didn’t know Jack, but in October 2019, he donated half his liver to me,’ Connor says. ‘I had an autoimmune liver disease and had to find a donor quickly. I had family and friends getting tested, but we didn’t have any luck so my sister put a social media appeal out and Jack got in contact.’

Connor has made a brilliant recovery – and is planning to move in with Jack. ‘We stayed friends after the operation, and we’re in a relationship now. It’s like a fairy tale.’

Jay agrees. ‘How unreal can that be? It is beautiful. As for the apprentices, I think all of them came to the workshop with a lack of confidence. Sometimes they get emotional. Sometimes they get frustrated. But afterwards, they’ve got so much confidence. They’ve set up their own small businesses on site with their own specialities, which is fantastic.’

Jay knows plenty about starting afresh. Growing up in east

‘It’s given the apprentices so much confidence’

London, he left school at 15 without any qualifications and at one point was homeless. He received help and inspiration from hostel volunteers, which led him to volunteering himself. Eventually he went to university, where he studied criminology.

Jay married and set up a charity for disadvantaged young people. An effective way to give them a second chance, he discovered, was by teaching them how to restore furniture. ‘With a bit of care and attention, worthless things could become valuable. Just like them,’ he explains.

But in 2015 his life unravelled – the charity collapsed, his marriage broke down and he ended up sleeping in his car. Help came from his friend Gerald Bailey. He gave Jay a space in which to begin restoring furniture again and put a roof over his head, sending him to live with his own mum and stepdad. It was then that Jay’s TV career began to take off. After appearing on Kirstie Allsopp’s Handmade Christmas craft show, he went on to co-present the BBC’S Money For Nothing before joining The Repair Shop.

And it doesn’t stop there. He has two more shows in the pipeline. ‘Jay Blades: Learning To Read At 51 for the BBC is about me going back to basics, like learning my vowels,’ he says. ‘The other is called The Streets Where I Lived for Channel 5.’

In the meantime, he is thrilled to be back in creative circles. ‘Jay’s Yorkshire Workshop is about me getting back to community work. Meeting these people is like meeting old friends.’ n

Jay in his Yorkshire Workshop