BBC presenter Jay Blades – who appears on The Repair Shop – has been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour against his estranged wife, police have said.
The 54-year-old appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court earlier today and was bailed to appear at Worcester Crown Court on 11 October.
The alleged coercive behaviour includes physical and emotional abuse, according to court documents.
The couple married in November 2022 but in an online statement in May she described being “broken” after grabbing a bag of things and leaving.
Blades – a furniture restorer – is the face of the popular BBC show, which features people having treasured objects repaired and rejuvenated by experts.
The Repair Shop first aired in 2017 and its 14th series is due to air later this year.
His other TV work includes David and Jay’s Touring Tool Shed, alongside Sir David Jason, and Britain’s Best Beach Huts on Channel 4.
The presenter was raised by his mother on a council estate in Hackney in east London, according to his website.
It says he left school with no qualifications before studying criminology and then finding his “true vocation in restoration and supporting vulnerable people”.
Blades took a break from social media earlier this year but returned in June for an Instagram post to honour his grandmother and aunt who were part of the Windrush generation.
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