It’s coming together and doing stuff for other people

Ahead of new episodes which mark the NHS and Windrush’s 75th anniversary, NAOMI CLARKE dives into how The Repair Shop pays tribute to the past

THE Repair Shop is “love, heritage crafts and communities – that’s what it’s all about and that’s why it’s so popular”, says host Jay Blades as he reflects on how the show has captured hearts across the nation over the last six years.

The BBC1 show has been a hit since it first aired in 2017 with its team of experts crafters admired for their abilities to restore precious personal items and for putting viewers at ease.

“You know what you’re going to get when you watch the show. You’re going to get community working together and doing something for people and it’s just going to be a nice feeling”, he adds.

“We’re like a blanket, we just wrap a blanket around you, we’re blanket TV.”

Following the show’s recent success at the Bafta TV Awards, where they took home the best daytime prize for their special which saw King Charles pay the barn a visit as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, Jay and his team are back for four new episodes.

Among them will be two specials which mark the 75th anniversary of both the arrival of the Empire Windrush to the UK and the birth of the NHS.

What should viewers expect?

“Magic, magic and then one more thing – magic,” Jay boasts during our video call. The experts, who have more than 600 years of experience collectively, will transform another batch of pieces of family history including four items which celebrate the contribution of the Windrush generation and their descendants.

A British passport that tells the

Jay Blades tale of a father’s heritage, a suitcase which holds memories of a momentous journey and an antique clock are among the beloved items which will be getting The Repair Shop treatment.

Patrick Vernon, who led the campaign for Windrush Day to be recognised annually, also makes an appearance in the barn with a radiogram that once belonged to his late friend Eddie Noble, a Second World War veteran who was born in Jamaica and settled in the UK following his service in the RAF.

Jay admits he was a bit starstruck when meeting Vernon as he regards him as a “really important” figure within the history of Windrush.

“What he’s done for the Windrush is just unbelievable. He’s gone out there tirelessly, constantly pushing the message, making sure there’s

Buzzer acts like Ghetto Kids and Olivia Lynes triumph this evening, or will another act pip them to the post?

VICKY McCLURE: MY GRANDAD’S WAR

Monday, ITV, 9pm monuments in certain places,” the TV host says.

“So within the black community he’s a legend because he’s done so much.

“To meet him was just like ‘wow’, there are not many people I take my hat off to and he’s one of those.”

Former Children’s Laureate and bestselling author of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Michael Rosen, also brings the team a significant piece of Covid pandemic documentation during the special NHS-dedicated episode.

Michael, 77, was one of the many patients who became seriously ill with the virus after contracting it in March 2020. He was in a coma for 40 days, intensive care for 48

Michael Rosen

World War he was a member of the Royal Navy who played a role in D-Day. This touching documentary sees Vicky visit Ralph at his Nottinghamshire home, where he regales her with extraordinary tales. She also retraces his steps in northern France, reunites him with former comrades, and tours the last-remaining landing craft used at Normandy in 1944 with Ralph.

THE BRITISH SOAP AWARDS 2023

and in hospital for three months.

During this time, NHS staff kept a detailed record of his care, the only documentation he has of this difficult time as his family were unable to visit.

These, along with the many letters, drawings and notes that his young fans sent to him while he was in hospital, will be transformed from a messy bundle into a poignant capsule of this time.

Jay admits it is a particularly emotional renovation as “you could see how big this book was, the time that he spent and the care that the NHS workers did for him and also his family who were unable to see him at the time. “If anybody who has gone through something very

We’re like a blanket,

we just wrap a blanket around you,

we’re blanket TV

although the event has been somewhat overshadowed by the news host Phillip Schofield stepped down after finding himself starring in a real-life soap opera of his own over the past few weeks, culminating in him resigning from ITV.

However, there’s still plenty of soapland drama to celebrate, as viewers get the chance to pick the Best Dramatic Performance (where the nominees include Danielle Harold, who has recently had fans in tears as EastEnder Lola), and Best Soap, which Emmerdale won last year.

Other categories include Villain of the Year, and Best Young Performer.