The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades has announced the devastating death of his uncle.
Sharing the heartbreaking news with fans in a video posted to Instagram, the presenter and furniture restorer revealed that his uncle was tragically murdered.
"This is kind of like a public service announcement. I've just been to my uncle's funeral, he was murdered a few weeks ago," he began.
"A really nice guy, it shouldn't have happened to him but it really affected me and I feel a little bit messed up."
Related: The Repair Shop stars announce "exciting" career move away from show
Blades continued: "So I'm coming off social media for a bit. I'm going to go and get some therapy and just chill out because when things happen, sometimes you really need to take stock and just relax."
After assuring fans that he'll be back "soon", he added: "Take care of each other, take care of yourself."
Blades' comments section was soon flooded with condolences and support from fans and friends, including BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin, who wrote: "I’m so sorry to hear this, sending you love xx".
First Dates' Fred Sirieix also shared his support by commenting a red heart emoji, while 5News presenter Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije said: "Look after you bro. So sorry for your loss."
Related: Repair Shop's Jay Blades shares update about new episodes
Blades, who has been hosting The Repair Shop since 2017, recently returned to screens for another season of the BBC One show alongside his team of expert crafters.
The new batch of episodes also introduced a new expert in skilled textiles conservator Rebecca Bissonnet.
"If you're super excited about The Repair Shop coming back, you're not the only one. We work really hard to make sure people's dreams come true, so to be able to show you guys what we've done is so exciting," Blades said ahead of the show’s return.
The Repair Shop airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.
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Content Production Intern, Digital Spy
After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In this role, Iona writes across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. During her time at Digital Spy, she has interviewed multiple Love Island stars, reported from the Black Adam red carpet and, most recently, interviewed the cast of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid.
