Dame Judi Dench and Jay Blades ‘filming new Channel 4 show’ after he fixed the veteran star’s late husband Michael Williams’ treasured watch in moving live session of The Repair Shop
Dame Judi Dench and Jay Blades will reportedly star in their own Channel 4 after he fixes her late husband’s watch.
Actress Dame Judi, 89, has said she loves restorer Jay, 53, after he helped repair her late husband Michael Williams’ watch and engrave it with his initials during a live session of The Repair Shop at the Edinburgh TV Festival in 2022.
It’s claimed the pair have already started filming a fly-on-the-wall program for Channel 4 with Hungry Bear productions, which was founded by Holly Willoughby’s husband Dan Baldwin.
A TV source told the newspaper Mirror: ‘Despite cutting jobs and axing shows, Channel 4 is splashing out with a new fly-on-the-wall series.
‘It’s the couple we’ve all been waiting for after viewers in the Repair Shop were left in tears.’
Dame Judi Dench and Jay Blades will reportedly star in their own Channel 4 after he fixed her late husband’s watch (pictured in 2022)
It’s claimed the pair have already started filming a fly-on-the-wall program for Channel 4 with Hungry Bear productions (Dame Judi pictured in October 2022)
MailOnline has contacted Channel 4 and Hungry Bear for comment.
Dame Judie previously said she loves Jay after he helped fix her late husband Michael’s watch at The Repair Shop.
She had the sentimental item repaired and engraved with Michael’s initials as part of a special live session of the BBC One show held at the Edinburgh TV Festival in 2022 to mark the programme’s fifth anniversary.
Speaking to Gyles Brandreth at a Christmas edition of I Remember It Well at London’s Garrick Theater in December 2022, Dame Judi said about the show according to the Mirror: ‘I’ll look into it. I love Jay Blades. What are Jay’s qualities? Do you have a week or two? We are big fans of The Repair Shop.’
She added: ‘I can’t help but see people making things and I love restoring things so people recognize it’s theirs. So it doesn’t look brand new, but the condition they first had it in.’
During the live version of The Repair Shop this summer, Dame Judi told furniture restorer and program presenter Jay, 52, that she had given Michael the watch while they were in a play together and that he had used it during the production.
She said he then carried it in his pocket and “cherished” it before dying of lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 65, after they had been married for just under 30 years.
A video showed horologist Steve Fletcher disassembling the watch so he could thoroughly clean it and repair the mechanisms.
Actress Dame Judi, 89, has said she loves restorer Jay, 53, after he helped repair her late husband Michael Williams’ watch (Dame Judi and Michael pictured in 2000)
The veteran actress had Michael’s watch repaired and engraved with his initials as part of a live session of The Repair Shop at the 2022 Edinburgh TV Festival (L-R: Dame Judi seen with Jay and horologist Steve Fletcher)
When Dame Judi received the repaired watch live on stage at the TV festival, she made an emotional impression, describing the work as ‘sublime’ as she held it to her ear and heard it tick again after many years of silence.
The team also pointed out that they had engraved her husband’s initials for her on the back of the watch, to which she responded, “Oh my word, that’s more than I could ever hope for.” Thank you so much.’
She added that she was “full of admiration” for the work they do and is an avid viewer of the show.
When asked what she wanted to do with the watch, she said she would like to pass it on to her daughter Finty or grandson Stanley.