Jay Blades’ wife Lisa Marie Zbozen cuts a sombre figure during a dog walk after announcing shock split from The Repair Shop star following 18-months of marriage

The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades’ estranged wife Lisa Marie Zbozen cut a somber figure as she was spotted taking a dog walk near her sister’s home in Nottinghamshire on Sunday.

The fitness instructor, 43, announced on Thursday that she has left the TV star, 54, saying their 18-month marriage “just got worse and worse until I packed a bag with a few things and left.”

Lisa cut a casual figure during the outing in a light blue top and loose black cargo pants with a sweater around her waist.

She seemed dejected as she walked down the street juggling keys, a drink and her four-legged friend on a leash.

The outing comes amid cryptic claims from Lisa’s sister Teresa Zbozen about “keeping secrets” and using “code words” during the now-ended relationship.

After the split announcement, Jay’s sister-in-law referred to “the use of code words in messages and calls to ensure it is safe to call.”

She also wrote about “keeping it a secret,” adding, “Right now, I’m nothing but grateful, relieved, and hopeful for my sister’s future outside of her marriage.”

Lisa announced in the early hours of Thursday that she had ended her marriage to Jay with a surprising social media post.

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. Jay said 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 Jay is currently at the marital home in Shropshire, while Lisa is staying with her sister in Nottinghamshire.

Meanwhile, MailOnline reported on Saturday that The Repair Shop Christmas special has been axed following the breakdown of the host’s wedding.

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 Jay pulled out, sources revealed on the popular BBC programme, with work suddenly suspended last Monday.

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.’

The divorce comes after Jay’s beloved uncle was allegedly stabbed to death by a neighbor on a quiet residential street following a long-running dispute over a shared alley, MailOnline revealed this week.

He announced on Monday that he would take time away from social media to deal with his grief following the death of his uncle, telling fans that the shocking death had left him feeling “confused.”

Richard Brathwaite, 72, was found dead on Cromwell Road in Wembley at around lunchtime on March 21 after his neighbor Derek Brown, who lived on the same street, allegedly stabbed him with a knife.

Brown, also 72, is said to have launched the attack on Braithwaite after accusing the victim of leaving items in the shared alleyway between their homes.

During the fatal incident, Jay’s 71-year-old aunt Annetta was also injured, suffering lacerations to her head and face.

Jay’s uncle’s funeral is said to have taken place on Monday, with the BBC presenter paying tribute to his uncle, who he called a ‘really, super nice guy’, adding that the alleged murder ‘should never have happened to him’.

In an emotional video, still wearing his black suit after the service, he told his Instagram followers: ‘I hope you’re all doing well. This is a kind of public service announcement. I just went to my uncle’s funeral […].

‘Really, super nice guy, this shouldn’t have happened to him, but it really affected me. I feel a little confused. So what I plan to do is this.

‘I’m going to take a break from social media and come back soon. I’m going to get some therapy and just relax. Please take care of each other, take care of yourselves, and I will see you again soon.”

Emergency services were called to the north London property in March but tragically Mr Brathwaite was pronounced dead at 12.30pm. A man was later arrested outside Wembley police station.

A special post-mortem examination carried out two days later revealed the victim’s cause of death: stab wound.

On March 26, a man appeared in court where he was charged with murder, wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the Old Bailey in March that the alleged murder took place following a ‘long-running neighborly dispute between the suspect and the deceased’.

Judge Sarah Whitehouse QC entered a plea on June 11 and scheduled a three-week preliminary trial from January 27 next year.

Neighbors living on the street told MailOnline they did not know much about Mr Braithwaite, who ‘kept to himself’.

Mr Blades’ video, captioned ‘Good evening everyone, see you soon’, sparked an outpouring of support from fans and those within the television community.