BBC The Repair Shop star Jay Blades 'taking a step back' from TV after marriage split and family death
Jay Blades is reportedly taking a step back from TV work following the tragic death of his uncle and split from his wife. The presenter most well-known for The Repair Shop shared the harrowing news on Wednesday 1 May, that his uncle had been murdered after being stabbed on a peaceful residential road.
As Jay addressed his fans, he said: "Hope you're all well. This is kind of like a public service announcement. I've just been to my uncle's funeral, he was murdered a few weeks ago. Really, super nice guy, shouldn't have happened to him, but it really affected me." Jay also revealed that the incident had left him feeling "a little bit messed up."
Then, just a day later, Jay’s wife, Lisa Marie Zbozen announced the end of her marriage to The Repair Shop presenter Jay, who she wed 18 months ago. The pair married in an intimate ceremony on the beach in Barbados in November 2022 with just 15 guests present. Speaking to Hello! at the time, he said: "One word sums up the day: perfect. We had our closest family there, the weather held out and everything worked out so well."
But in a statement posted online early on Thursday 2 May, Lisa announced their split and said: "I don't know how to say this because it's still really raw." Lisa, 44, also added: "I will admit I'm crying as I type this as I can't believe this is even real. I hope you don't mind if I just have a few days trying to figure out my life as I'm currently in a spare room with a few essentials. I don't know what else to say. All my love, A very broken Lisa-Marie x."
Following the tough few days, Jay has reportedly not returned to the filming of The Repair Shop which started in Sussex this week. A source told The Sun: “Jay has taken a step back and is having a break from filming The Repair Shop. His uncle’s murder in March and the breakdown of his marriage means he has decided to take some time out.”
The source continued: “The Repair Shop is carrying on without him for now and the other repairers are hard at work. People who worked with Jay said they were shocked to hear his marriage to Lisa has ended. It was not well known at all among the people who work on the show."
OK! has contacted Jay's reps for comment.
