The Repair Shop's Jay Blades has opened up about his past struggles, admitting that he had "hit rock bottom" the year before he landed his role on the beloved BBC programme.
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Appearing on The One Show on Wednesday evening to discuss his new memoir Making It, Jay spoke candidly about his life before The Repair Shop and admitted that the show helped get him back on his feet following a difficult period.
"The biggest repair job we've ever done on The Repair Shop is me," he told Alex Jones and new co-host Jermaine Jenas.
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"About five or six years ago, I felt down and I was in a really dark place. I hit rock bottom basically and mental health-wise, I couldn't see tomorrow," he said. "It was a case of there was no future for me, and when you can't see tomorrow, [you think] there's no need to exist today. And just going through The Repair Shop, they just all got me back to where I should be."
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As a snap of Jay and his The Repair Shop colleagues appeared on screen, he fondly added: "There's the family there. I do miss them dearly."
Jay and his The Repair Shop family
He continued: "They've all shared with me and supported me getting me back, and my family in Wolverhampton too, have helped me get back to where I need to be."
Making It by Jay Blades, £12.99, Amazon
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Jay began presenting The Repair Shop in 2017 and is now a regular face on the show alongside Will Kirk, Steve Fletcher and Dominic Chinea. The feel-good show recently returned for a new series and is currently airing weekly on Wednesday evenings.
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Jay also has another exciting TV project in the pipeline; it was recently announced that he is set to front a brand new solo TV show for BBC Two. The programme, titled Jay's Workshop, will air later this year and sees the 51-year-old combine his twin passions for restoration and community outreach to build one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture for "deserving people".
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