FIX-IT SHOW GAVE DOM NEW PERS

STARRING on The Repair Shop isn’t just a job for Dom Chinea – it has given him a whole new perspective on life too.

As one of the resident experts, he hears moving stories from people who bring items to be restored.

Many have lost loved ones and want to honour their memory.

Hearing those stories has made Dom appreciate life more than ever.

He said: “The situations these people have been through are all terribly sad. It’s tough to hear some of their stories. It’s emotional sometimes.

“But it makes you appreciate your own life and what you have got.

“We all have problems. But speaking to these people and hearing about what they’ve been through makes you think. It puts your own life into perspective.”

Dom, 34, thinks the show brought him closer to his own family. He added:

“You finish the week of filming and you think twice about things. It makes you want to pick up the phone.

“Quite often on a Friday night I’ll call my mum on the way home. It makes you think you should see family members who live far away a bit more often, like your nan and grandad.”

Dom never dreamed of being a TV star when he was growing up.

The Kent lad only ended up on The Repair Shop because he was spotted by the series producers when he was hired to create its familiar sign.

Over the years, Dom has fixed everything from a toy bus to an old sausage machine. And although he has been honing his skills since he was just 14, he still gets nervous about whether or not he’ll get it right.

Not every item is worth loads of cash, but they all have plenty of sentimental value.

Dom said: “It is a huge pressure mentally when you’re working on something that is so important to someone.

“Every single thing we work on is precious in its own way.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s only 10 years old and made of plastic. To the people that own these things they’re all important.

“There are memories attached to them – it’s because of these items that stories get passed down through the generations.

“There is no rule book, because each situation is very different. There are so many things that dictate what I do on an item. And sometimes I h accept an item is broken, but I c improve it.”

And despite his unplanned jo into TV, he is thrilled with how have turned out because he has f dream job.

Dom said: “I’m very luck grateful. It doesn’t feel like a job. absolute dream.

“On this show we all love what and I think that comes across.

“It’s a very genuine show. can really connect to the thin talk about. And that’s why I th a success.”