The TV presenter Jay Blades has been charged with two counts of rape, police have said, and will appear in court next week.
West Mercia police said in a statement: “Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape. He is due to appear at Telford magistrates court on 13 August 2025.”
Separately on Tuesday, Blades, who fronted the BBC primetime show The Repair Shop, appeared at Worcester crown court via video link for a preliminary hearing in relation to a charge of controlling or coercive behaviour.
He denied engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his estranged wife, Lisa-Marie Zbozen, between 1 January 2023 and 12 September last year.
Blades became a well-known figure thanks to The Repair Shop, in which members of the public take damaged but treasured family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts. His rise from furniture maker to TV celebrity was meteoric after he first featured on the show in 2017.
Raised in Hackney, east London, Blades got his break on programme after being discovered by TV producers who saw a short film about Out of the Dark, a charity he co-founded that taught young people how to restore and sell old furniture. He received an MBE in 2021.
In 2024, Blades stepped back from presenting The Repair Shop, according to the BBC.
