The Repair Shop will make a welcome return to our TV screens in 2021, after it was announced that the popular BBC One series was being renewed for the next three years.

Advertisement

The factual show follows upholsterer-turned-presenter Jay Blades and his talented team of craftspeople as they lovingly restore sentimental treasures to their former glory.

Debuting on BBC One as a daytime show back in 2017, the series was bumped up to a primetime slot following the success of last year’s Christmas special.

The Repair Shop is currently in its sixth series, and fans can look forward to series seven next year.

When is the Repair Shop on TV in 2021?

There is no air date for series seven just yet, but viewers can expect the new show to return in the Autumn. The Repair Shop's one-hour Christmas special will air later this month.

More like this

What is the Repair Shop about?

Described by the BBC as "an antidote to throwaway culture", the series shines a light on all of the wonderful treasures discarded in people's homes across the country, with a team of Britain's most skilled and caring craftspeople on hand to rescue and resurrect these items that their owners thought were beyond saving.

The series sees host Jay Blades asking visitors about the stories behind their possessions, from heartfelt memories to jaw-dropping historical tales.

The Repair Shop is is filmed at Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, West Sussex, but is not open to the public.

Who is the host?

The Repair Shop is hosted by furniture restorer and presenter Jay Blades, who is also the face of spin-off show The Repair Shop: Fixing Britain, which takes a deeper look into certain repairs to examine how items shape the way we live now.

The “mainly self-taught craftsman” now runs Jay&Co, a business which sources vintage furniture and hoe accessories in order to turn them into contemporary design pieces.

The Repair Shop Fixing Britain star Jay Blades
Presenter Jay Blades (BBC) BBC

He co-founded High Wycombe-based charity Out of the Dark, which taught young people how to re-work old pieces of furniture, as well as Street Dreams, a youth charity which developed a number of community projects in the Buckinghamshire area.

He can also be seen hosting BBC trash-to-treasure show Money for Nothing, and has made guest appearances on Celebrity MasterChef and Richard Osman’s House of Games.

Who are the experts?

The series has featured a large number of different experts since it began in 2017, with new faces often being brought in to meet the needs of each specific case.

The regular team of restoration experts include metal worker Dominic Chinea, Clock restorer Steve Fletcher, leather worker Suzie Fletcher, carpenter and cabinet-maker Will Kirk, toy restorers Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell, ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay, painting conservator Lucia Scalisi, and antique photography specialist Brenton West.

The Repair Shop
The Repair Shop

Julie revealed: "If a bear or soft toy that needs fixing and an owner that needs our help, it's a dream fulfilled! However, we would love to find ourselves with the opportunity to care for and learn the stories behind the bears and soft toys belonging to people in the public eye such as the Royal Family or other influential figures. Who hasn’t got a teddy bear story to tell!?"

Rob Butterfield, head of factual at The Repair Shop’s production company Ricochet, explained to Radio Times: "Many of our huge pool of experts run their own businesses, but the Weald and Downland Museum [in Singleton, West Sussex], where The Repair Shop is filmed, doesn’t offer a repair service outside the show.

"In the case of some items, there are only a handful of people in the country who have the skills to fix them, so we’re lucky to have so many of Britain’s top craftspeople involved. It can get busy at times, with as many as 12 experts working in the barn, plus the occasional appearance of a barn owl!"

Advertisement

The Repair Shop is expected to return to BBC One in early 2021. If you're looking for more to watch see our TV guide.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement