From his early struggles growing up on a Hackney council estate after leaving school at the age of 15 with no qualifications, Jay Blades defied the odds to become one of TV’s unlikely stars.
The 55-year-old, known for his charming presence, became a household name after The Repair Shop launched on BBC One eight years ago.
Through his work with disadvantaged youth and his charity efforts and restoration work, he was awarded an MBE by the future King Charles back in 2022 for his services to craft.
But despite his rags to riches story, Blades was charged with two counts of rape by the police.
This comes after he was charged with engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour, with allegations coming from his estranged wife, Lisa Marie Zbozen.
From his role as a TV personality to his family life and recent allegations, Metro takes an inside look at Blades’ fall from grace.
When did Jay Blades begin hosting The Repair Shop?
Blades first hosted The Repair Shop in 2017 when it was launched by the BBC.
Members of the public brought their treasured possessions, some of which had been passed down through generations, to be fixed.
The show began in a daytime slot, but was later moved to primetime after it became a hit.
In 2023, The Repair Shop won a National Television Award and a BAFTA for its royal special, where the future King Charles took a clock and vase to the workshop.
This all came after Blades’ difficult childhood that saw him grow up in poverty in East London after his father abandoned his mother, before he was left homeless in his twenties.
When else has he appeared on TV?
As well as presenting The Repair Shop, Blades is known for Money for Nothing, Jay Blades’ Home Fix and Jay and Dom’s Home Fix.
Outside of presenting, the 55-year-old has appeared on a number of shows, including Would I Lie to You?, Celebrity Masterchef, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The Wheel, and The Graham Norton Show.
In 2021, he filmed a documentary for BBC One called Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51, which charted his journey with dyslexia and how he enrolled in university as a mature student to study criminology but was diagnosed with the reading ability of an 11-year-old.
Since then he has filmed several more documentaries about his childhood and where he grew up, including Jay Blades: No Place Like Home and Jay Blades’ East End Through Time.
Most recently, he has appeared alongside Sir David Jason and Dame Judi Dench in two separate series.
Who is Jay Blades’ wife?
Blades’ first wife was Jade, who is the mother of one of his three children, two of which he has had from previous relationships.
After meeting at university, he and Jade married and had a daughter before separating in 2015.
He then went on to have a four-year relationship with Christine Goodman before meeting his second wife Lisa Zbozen, who works as a fitness instructor.
They both married in November 2022 in Barbados, a year after their engagement.
In May 2024, however, Lisa revealed they had separated.
What are the charges against Jay Blades?
Back in September last year, Blades was charged with controlling and coercive behaviour against Zbozen, including physical and emotional abuse
He then appeared at Worcester Crown Court on October 11 and entered a not guilty plea.
The judge confirmed that Blades remained prohibited from approaching or contacting his wife under an existing exclusion order.
Originally, a trial was expected to take place in May this year, but it was moved to August.
Now, the presenter has been charged with two counts of rape.
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