Jay Blades’ estranged wife Lisa Marie Zbozen has finally broken her silence after he was charged with engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his estranged wife.
The Repair Shop presenter appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court Friday morning after being charged by West Mercia Police with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.
Sharing a post about his charges on Instagram, Blades’ estranged wife Lisa Marie Zbozen penned a note to her 158,000 followers on social media.
Following the news, the BBC dropped a repeat from today’s schedule of David & Jay’s Touring Toolshed, in which Blades appears with actor Sir David Jason.
The episode had been due to air on BBC One at 8pm this evening but was swiftly replaced by a ‘shortened version’ of Charlie Dimmock’s show Garden Rescue.
MailOnline understands the BBC is currently further reviewing its schedules.
The broadcaster does not have a blanket policy about removing content from iPlayer but this is thought to be unlikely in the case of Blades at the moment.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.’
Blades was last on air on The Repair Shop on Wednesday.
The show was nominated for the National Television Awards, which took place on the same night.
The Repair Shop won the award for best daytime show at last year’s event – but was beaten this year by The Chase.
News of the case emerged the day after The Repair Shop’s social media account announced ‘an exciting new live tour’ for the show, featuring Blades.
The Repair Shop – Secrets From The Barn tour 2025, is due to see Blades and other experts from the show appearing around the country from February, including in Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield and Salford. Tickets are on sale for about £40.
Also today, Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) revealed Blades had resigned from his role as its chancellor ‘with immediate effect’, having been appointed in May 2022.
A statement from BNU thanked the furniture restorer – who studied criminology and philosophy there as a mature student – for ‘his loyal service to the university’.
According to court documents released today, the charge against Blades relates to his fitness instructor wife Lisa Zbozen, who said on Instagram in May that their relationship was over.
The couple married in the grounds of a beachfront villa in Barbados on November 22, 2022.
The charge sheet against Blades revealed the charges related to a period between January 1, 2023 – just 40 days after their wedding – and September 12 this year.
The presenter will appear at Worcester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on October 11.
In a statement, West Mercia Police said: ’54-year-old Jason Blades of Claverley in Wolverhampton has been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour.
‘He appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates Court this morning (Friday, September 13) and has been bailed to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Friday 11th October.’
Police also confirmed Blades was charged yesterday following the launch of an investigation after they were called to an address the day after Ms Zbozen’s Instagram post, May 3.
Blades left school at 15 with no qualifications but got back on track studying for a degree in criminology and philosophy at Buckinghamshire New University from 2001.
Following his graduation, Blades co-founded the Out of the Dark charitable social enterprise that recycled and revamped furniture to train, educate and employ young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
And he found fame on the BBC restoration programme The Repair Shop – which sees members of the public take worn-out family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts – starring on the show since its launch in 2017.
In 2022, a special one-off episode to mark the BBC’s centenary saw Blades and the repair team visit the King, when he was still the Prince of Wales, at Dumfries House in Scotland.
During The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit, a bracket clock and a piece made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee by British ceramics maker Wemyss Ware were both fixed – and the broadcast later won a daytime Bafta TV award.
Blades was made an MBE by Charles in May 2022 for services to craft and in recognition of his work promoting heritage craft and restoration in the UK.
He was later invited to the King’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May last year.
Blades is a trustee of the Heritage Crafts Association, a charity which aims to safeguard craft skills, of which the King is patron.
And Blades appeared in a Channel 4 documentary last month about his friendship with actress Dame Judi Dench, called ‘Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple’.
Blades also presented ‘Jay Blades: The West End Through Time’, a series that aired on Channel 5 in July about the history of London’s West End.