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TV presenter Jay Blades charged with two counts of rape | TV presenter Jay Blades charged with two counts of rape |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Former presenter of BBC’s The Repair Shop will appear in court in connection with charges next week | |
The TV presenter Jay Blades has been charged with two counts of rape, police have said, and will appear in court next week. | 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. | In 2024, Blades stepped back from presenting The Repair Shop, according to the BBC. |
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