Fans of hit BBC show The Repair Shop are calling for it to be axed in light of the rape charges brought against star Jay Blades.
The show returned to screens on Tuesday night without its long-standing presenter, but many viewers feel the programme should no longer be aired.
Blades, 55, had fronted the much-loved restoration series since it launched in 2017. The show sees members of the public bring in cherished family heirlooms to be repaired by a team of expert craftspeople.
The furniture restorer, who was made an MBE for services to craft in 2022, stepped down from the programme in 2023 after being charged with controlling and coercive behaviour towards his estranged wife, Lisa-Marie Zbozen, spanning from January 2023 to September 2024. He denies the allegation and is currently awaiting trial.
Earlier this week, it emerged that Blades has now also been charged with two separate counts of rape.
Police confirmed he is due to appear at court next Wednesday in connection with the new charges.
Despite his departure, the BBC has continued airing the fourteenth series of The Repair Shop, but some viewers are now calling for the show to be pulled altogether.
Taking to social media, one concerned viewer wrote: “Surely you must take The Repair Shop off now if the presenter is accused of physical rape.”
Another added: “They’re putting #TheRepairShop on? Jay Blades cut out?”
A third commented: “Could never see the point of him being in The Repair Shop — he never restored anything but wore a new leather apron. The show is better without him now.”
Others questioned whether the BBC would continue airing repeats.
Blades appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday for a pre-trial review hearing.
Meanwhile, the episode itself struck an emotional chord as a pregnant woman broke down in tears after seeing a restored portrait of her late father.
Ruth, from Nottinghamshire, brought in a portrait of her late father, which had been painted onto a piece of stone for his 52nd birthday a decade ago.
Speaking to art expert Lucia Scalisi, she explained how the artwork had become weathered over time after her father proudly displayed it by his front door for nearly 12 years, exposing it to the elements.
Ruth shared that her father, a beekeeper, had died unexpectedly just four months before filming, from bronchopneumonia.
After seeing the restored piece, she broke down in tears and told Lucia: “It’s stunning, thank you so much. That’s my dad.”
