Jay Blades’ marriage split puts The Repair Shop Christmas special in crisis as furniture restorer tells bosses he will not be able to take part in planned recording, sparking ‘genuine fears’ it may never be finished

Filming of The Repair Shop Christmas special has been halted following the collapse of Jay Blades’ marriage.

Production has been thrown into chaos after the furniture restorer and presenter told bosses he would not be able to take part in last week’s planned taping, raising ‘genuine fears’ that the show might not be completed.

Filming had already started at the Weald & Downland Living Museum in Chichester when 54-year-old Blades pulled out, sources revealed on the popular BBC programme, with work suddenly suspended last Monday.

Fitness instructor Lisa-Marie Zbozen left Blades last weekend, saying their 18-month marriage “just got worse and worse until I packed a bag with a few things and left.”

Now the employees of The Repair Shop are waiting to hear whether they have to return to work tomorrow.

One told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It’s become really problematic. It’s been very difficult for Jay. His relationship imploded last weekend and he clearly didn’t feel like he could work.

“He’s known as a professional, so if he has to do this, it means things must be bad. He must have had a pretty terrible time.’

There are now concerns that the festive episode of The Repair Shop, which is regularly watched by 7 million viewers and has previously featured the King, may not be completed. One staff member said: ‘None of the bosses have told us if filming will go ahead.’

Ms Zbozen announced in the early hours of Thursday in a surprising social media post that she had ended her marriage to Blades.

She wrote, “I don’t know how to say this because it’s still very raw. I should probably be really angry, but I’m just incredibly sad about the whole thing right now. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much.

“I have to admit I’m crying as I type this because I can’t believe this is even real. I hope you don’t mind if I take a few days to make sense of my life, as I’m currently stuck in a spare room with a few essentials. I don’t know what else to say. All my love, a very heartbroken Lisa-Marie.”

The couple tied the knot in an intimate beachside wedding in Barbados in 2022, with just 15 guests. Blades told Hello! magazine at the time: ‘One word sums up the day: Perfect.

“We had our immediate family there, the weather held up and everything went so well.”

It is understood Blades is currently at the marital home in Shropshire, while Mrs Zbozen, 44, is staying with her sister in Nottinghamshire.

Blades informed the program that he would not be able to take part in the planned recording following his split from wife Lisa

News of his divorce came just after Blades announced he would be taking time away from social media to deal with his grief following the death of his uncle, Richard Brathwaite, 72, who was stabbed to death on a quiet residential street in north London in March. . The Old Bailey has heard the murder took place following a ‘long-running neighbor dispute’.

Dad-of-three Blades shot to fame overnight when The Repair Shop launched seven years ago and was awarded an OBE in 2021 for manufacturing his services.

He met Charles – then Prince of Wales – when he and his team visited Dumfries House in Scotland to mark the BBC’s 100th anniversary and were asked to repair a clock and a vase.

Charles had become king by the time the show was shown and viewers noted how the pair had built a strong bond.

Blades later said, “He’s just a normal guy. He’s fine. He’s my rich friend. He runs the country!’

Before Lisa, he was married to Jade, whom he met in college. They have a 17 year old daughter.