The Repair Shop is without a doubt one of the BBC's most-loved reality programmes, and the camaraderie between the show's experts is a huge part of its appeal.
Sitting down for an exclusive chat with HELLO! about the show, the barn's resident goldsmith Richard Talman opened up about the dynamic between the cast and the supportive nature of their relationships, revealing that while they enjoy friendships both on and offscreen, they refrain from chatting about their personal lives in the workshop.
"Most of us tend to keep our personal lives to our personal lives," explained the jewellery expert. "When we speak on set, it is mainly about our professional side because that's the correct circumstances at the time."
Richard, who owns bespoke jewellery company RTFJ, explained that most of the cast live outside of West Sussex, which is where the barn is located, and so when they stay overnight in a hotel, they'll often meet for dinner and talk about their lives outside of work.
© Steve Ullathorne"We'll meet for dinner in the evening and then our personal lives can come into it very much," he said. "So we very rarely talk shop when we're out of shop. But at that point, we very much indulge in our personal lives."
Like many of his co-stars, Richard is a doting parent and has two little girls, Emily, seven, and Alice, four. When asked if he exchanges parenting tips with his co-stars, Richard joked: "No one would want parenting tips from me, I'd be the last person to answer!"
© Richard TalmanHe added: "Will [Kirk] has got the youngest of all the kids, I think. Every time I speak to him I just sort of say to him, 'Yep, yeah, I remember that'. But everyone's different."
While the experts often collaborate on items for the show, they also help each other when it comes to their own businesses.
"I speak to Steve [Fletcher] a lot because with the jewellery and the watch-making, we're very much allies together," said Richard, adding: "There's a lot of things I help him out with outside of The Repair Shop and likewise for me."
© BBCAlongside his company RTFJ, which he founded in 2010, Richard is also working on a new venture, Emilice, an affordable new jewellery brand.
While RTFJ specialises in the manufacture of bespoke jewellery, Emilice aims to fill a gap in the market for affordable giftable jewellery, which is becoming increasingly expensive to make from scratch.
© Steve Ullathorne"As with a lot of other people out there, we're finding the cost of making a piece of bespoke jewellery has risen considerably," explained Richard. "Everything is in the thousands.
"When it comes to giftable jewellery, the budget is not there for most people," he continued, explaining that his new brand uses suppliers who can create jewellery "to unique styles and fit for purpose" which is then sold under the new brand name.
Emily and Alice, who inspired the brand's name, have taken a "massive interest" in their dad's work and often visit his workshop. But will they follow in his footsteps? "I'm not sure," said Richard. "I'll be there every inch of the way for them if they do but I think it's important for children to find their own way in life."
The Repair Shop is available on BBC iPlayer.
