Jay Blades is one of the UK’s best-known furniture restorers and television presenters. He became a household name as the original foreman and presenter of The Repair Shop, where his warm personality and passion for restoring treasured possessions helped make the BBC programme a major success.
But Blades’ story goes well beyond television. Before fame, he worked in community projects, studied criminology and philosophy, founded a furniture restoration social enterprise and experienced periods of homelessness and personal crisis. He later received an MBE for services to craft.
His public life has changed significantly in recent years. Blades stepped down from The Repair Shop in 2024 and has since faced serious criminal charges, which he denies. His trial is currently scheduled for September 2027.
Here is a detailed look at Jay Blades’ age, background, career, family, furniture business, books, net worth and current legal situation.
Who is Jay Blades?
Jay Blades, whose full name is Jason Blades, is an English furniture restorer, social entrepreneur and television presenter. He was born on 21 February 1970 in London, making him 56 years old in 2026.
He is best known for presenting The Repair Shop, which first introduced him to BBC audiences in 2017. The programme centres on skilled craftspeople restoring damaged or worn family possessions, often objects with considerable sentimental value.
Blades became particularly recognisable for his role as the show’s foreman, introducing the owners to the experts and helping guide each restoration.
His television work has also included Money for Nothing, Jay Blades’ Home Fix, Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Bake Off and other BBC programmes.
Jay Blades age and birthday
Jay Blades was born on 21 February 1970.
As of September 2026, he is 56 years old. His birthday is therefore 21 February.
His early life was spent in Hackney, East London, where he was raised by his mother alongside his brother. Blades has spoken publicly about experiencing racism and violence while growing up and about the difficulties he faced with dyslexia.
His education took an unusual route. After leaving school at 15 without qualifications, he later returned to education as an adult and studied at Buckinghamshire New University. He graduated in 2004 with a degree in criminology and philosophy.
Jay Blades’ background and early life
Blades did not begin his career as a television personality or professional furniture restorer.
As a young man, he worked in factories and as a labourer before moving towards community work. He became involved in projects designed to support young and disadvantaged people, eventually discovering that furniture restoration could be used as a practical way of teaching skills and building confidence.
His personal history has included some extremely difficult periods. The collapse of funding for one of his projects, the breakdown of his first marriage and homelessness contributed to a serious personal crisis. He has since spoken openly about how community support helped him rebuild his life.
That experience became an important part of the story behind his television career.
How Jay Blades became a furniture restorer
One of the most interesting parts of Jay Blades‘ history is that furniture restoration was not the obvious career path he followed from childhood.
He became involved with Out of the Dark, a social enterprise that used furniture restoration to give disadvantaged young people practical experience. Blades and his then wife Jade were involved in establishing the organisation.
The project combined two of his growing interests: craftsmanship and helping people who had struggled to find opportunities.
A film about his community work eventually attracted the attention of television producers. That exposure helped open the door to television, including Money for Nothing and, later, The Repair Shop.
Jay Blades and The Repair Shop
Jay Blades joined The Repair Shop when it launched in 2017 and quickly became the face most closely associated with the programme.
The concept was straightforward but powerful: members of the public brought damaged possessions with emotional or historical significance to a team of specialist restorers. Instead of throwing those objects away, the experts carefully repaired and conserved them.
Blades’ role was different from that of many of the specialists. He acted as the show’s presenter and foreman, helping tell the stories behind the objects and connecting viewers with the craftspeople.
The programme was sometimes compared with Antiques Roadshow, but the two shows have very different purposes. Antiques Roadshow focuses heavily on identification and valuation, while The Repair Shop is about restoration and the emotional value of an object.
Why did Jay Blades leave The Repair Shop?
Blades stepped down from presenting The Repair Shop in 2024. This was not simply a case of the BBC announcing that he had been “axed”.
His departure came amid serious personal and legal circumstances. Later reporting confirmed that he would not be returning to his previous presenting role, while the programme itself continued without him.
By 2026, The Repair Shop was still running, with Will Kirk and Dominic Chinea taking on foreman responsibilities after Blades’ departure.
Is Jay Blades back on The Repair Shop?
There is currently no reliable evidence that Jay Blades has returned to his former presenting role on The Repair Shop.
The programme has continued without him, and recent coverage of the 2026 series still describes Blades as a former presenter.
Jay Blades and Suzie Fletcher
Fans of The Repair Shop will also remember Jay Blades working alongside Suzie Fletcher, the show’s leatherworker and saddlery expert.
Suzie Fletcher became one of the programme’s familiar faces, specialising in leather restoration and saddles. She and Blades appeared together regularly during his time on the programme. BBC programme records, for example, list both Blades as presenter and Fletcher as an expert on episodes of the show.
Their relationship was a professional one as fellow members of The Repair Shop team. There is no reliable basis for treating online speculation about them as a romantic relationship.
Jay Blades’ wife: who is she?
Jay Blades has been married twice.
His first wife was Jade, with whom he helped establish Out of the Dark. The couple later separated. They have a daughter together. Blades has also said that he has two sons from previous relationships.
His second wife was Lisa-Marie Zbozen, a fitness professional. The couple married in Barbados in November 2022. Their relationship ended in 2024, and Zbozen announced that they had separated in May of that year.
Therefore, searches for “Jay Blades’ wife” can be confusing because they may refer either to his former first wife, Jade, or his more recent wife, Lisa-Marie Zbozen.
How many children does Jay Blades have?
Jay Blades has three children.
Public accounts of his family life identify:
- One daughter with his first wife, Jade
- Two sons from previous relationships
Blades has generally kept his children’s lives away from the celebrity spotlight, so there is limited publicly verified information about them.
Jay Blades height
Jay Blades’ height is frequently searched online, but there is no widely available official measurement from a primary source.
Some celebrity-height databases estimate him at around 6 ft 3 in (191 cm), but this should be treated as an estimate rather than a confirmed official figure.
For that reason, it is safer to describe his height as reported or estimated at around 6 ft 3 in, rather than present the measurement as an established fact.
Jay Blades’ furniture business
Furniture restoration remains central to Blades’ professional identity.
He has worked through furniture-related businesses and social enterprises, using restoration not only as a craft but also as a way of helping people develop practical skills.
A company registered as JAY BLADES LIMITED had business activities covering furniture manufacture, furniture retail and furniture repair. Companies House records show that this company was dissolved on 14 April 2026.
That corporate record should not, by itself, be interpreted as meaning that Blades has abandoned furniture restoration altogether. Company structures can change, and his career has included several different enterprises and projects.
Jay Blades net worth
There is no reliably verified public figure for Jay Blades’ net worth.
Various celebrity websites publish estimates, including figures of around $3 million, but these are not accompanied by audited accounts or authoritative financial documentation.
It is therefore better not to present a specific net-worth number as fact.
Blades’ income over the years has come from several areas, including:
- Television presenting
- Furniture restoration
- Furniture-related business activities
- Books
- Public and media appearances
- Other professional projects
His exact salary from The Repair Shop has also not been publicly confirmed by the BBC. Claims online about a precise annual salary should therefore be treated cautiously.
Jay Blades’ books
Blades has also written about his experiences.
His best-known book is Making It: How Love, Kindness and Community Helped Me Repair My Life, published in 2021. The memoir explores his childhood, career, personal struggles and eventual move into furniture restoration and television.
He later published DIY with Jay: How to Repair and Refresh Your Home in 2022, reflecting his practical interest in repairing and improving furniture and interiors.
His books help explain why restoration means more to Blades than simply making an old chair or cabinet look new. His career has consistently connected the idea of repairing objects with rebuilding people’s confidence and opportunities.
Jay Blades and Buckinghamshire New University
Jay Blades has a particularly strong connection with Buckinghamshire New University.
He studied criminology and philosophy at the university and later became its first Chancellor. In March 2023, he was formally invested as Chancellor and received an honorary doctorate for his contribution to furniture-making, craft and community work.
His appointment was especially notable because his educational journey began after he had left school without qualifications.
Blades subsequently resigned from the chancellorship in September 2024.
Jay Blades’ MBE
In 2021, Jay Blades was awarded an MBE for services to craft.
The honour recognised his contribution to furniture-making and the wider promotion of traditional craft skills. His work with disadvantaged young people has also been a major part of his public profile.
Jay Blades trial: what is happening now?
One of the biggest reasons people are searching for Jay Blades in 2026 is his ongoing court case.
In September 2024, Blades was charged with controlling or coercive behaviour relating to his estranged wife, Lisa-Marie Zbozen. He denied the allegation.
In August 2025, he was separately charged with two counts of rape. He appeared at Telford Magistrates’ Court and was later granted conditional bail.
At a hearing at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 10 September 2025, Blades pleaded not guilty to both rape charges. The court scheduled his trial for September 2027, with the delay attributed to the court backlog.
Because these are allegations that have not yet been determined at trial, they should not be described as established facts. Blades remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty.
Is Jay Blades still working?
Blades’ television career has been significantly affected by his legal circumstances and his departure from The Repair Shop.
His earlier career was built around television, furniture restoration and community work, but recent years have been very different from the period when he was one of the BBC’s most recognisable daytime personalities.
As of 2026, there is no reliable evidence that he has returned as the presenter of The Repair Shop. The show has continued with other members of its restoration team.
Jay Blades’ career in perspective
Jay Blades’ career is unusual because his route to television fame came relatively late.
He did not start as a conventional celebrity. His background in community work eventually led him towards furniture restoration, and that restoration work led to television.
His story includes several distinct chapters:
- A difficult childhood in East London
- Early employment in factories and manual work
- Community and social work
- Higher education at Buckinghamshire New University
- Furniture restoration and youth projects
- Television work with Money for Nothing
- National recognition through The Repair Shop
- An MBE for services to craft
- His appointment as the first Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University
- His departure from The Repair Shop and ongoing legal proceedings
That background explains why Blades became such a distinctive television personality. His appeal was never based solely on knowing how to restore furniture. His own life story became closely connected to the programme’s broader message about giving damaged things—and sometimes people—a second chance.
Frequently asked questions about Jay Blades
How old is Jay Blades in 2026?
Jay Blades is 56 years old in 2026. He was born on 21 February 1970.
What is Jay Blades famous for?
He is best known for presenting The Repair Shop, as well as for his work as a furniture restorer, social entrepreneur and television personality.
Is Jay Blades still on The Repair Shop?
No. Blades stepped down from presenting the programme in 2024. The series has continued without him.
Who was Jay Blades’ first wife?
His first wife was Jade, and the couple had a daughter together. They were also involved in the furniture restoration social enterprise Out of the Dark.
Who was Jay Blades’ second wife?
His second wife was Lisa-Marie Zbozen. They married in Barbados in November 2022 and separated in 2024.
How many children does Jay Blades have?
Jay Blades has three children: one daughter and two sons.
What is Jay Blades’ net worth?
There is no independently verified public figure for his net worth. Online estimates vary considerably, so specific numbers should not be treated as confirmed.
When is Jay Blades’ trial?
His trial on the two rape charges is currently scheduled for September 2027 at Shrewsbury Crown Court. He has pleaded not guilty.
Did Jay Blades get fired from The Repair Shop?
It is more accurate to say that he stepped down from presenting The Repair Shop in 2024 rather than simply describing him as having been “axed”.
Final thoughts
Jay Blades’ rise from community worker and furniture restorer to one of Britain’s most recognisable television presenters was an unusual one. His education, work with disadvantaged young people and passion for restoration all played important roles in shaping his career.
His time on The Repair Shop made furniture restoration accessible to a huge television audience and turned him into a familiar face in British homes. His MBE and former role as Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University reflected the reputation he had built around craft and community work.
His circumstances are now considerably more complicated. He is no longer presenting The Repair Shop, and his future remains affected by ongoing legal proceedings. With his trial scheduled for September 2027, it is important to distinguish confirmed court developments from speculation and unverified claims about his personal or professional life.
For readers searching for Jay Blades in 2026, the clearest picture is therefore one of a highly successful former Repair Shop presenter and furniture restorer whose career has entered a very different chapter.
