The Repair Shop star Jay Blades has pulled out of a planned public appearance at the last minute following his marriage breakdown to fitness trainer Lisa Zbozen
The Repair Shop host Jay Blades has pulled out of a public appearance at the last minute.
It comes after the breakdown of his marriage to Lisa Zbozen. He was due to make a scheduled appearance at the Hay Festival as he “continues to take time out”. Jay was due to speak to journalist Sarfraz Manzoor at the Welsh literary festival on Thursday about his book Life Lessons: Wisdom And Wit From Life’s Ups And Downs, in which he shares inspirational words for making the very best of life.
A statement from his team said: “We wanted to confirm that as Jay Blades continues to take time out, he won’t be attending the session as advertised at this year’s Hay Festival. We’re sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment that this may have caused and we hope you enjoy the rest of the festival.”
The festival confirmed that ticket holders will be refunded. Last week Jay was seen out for the first time since his split. He was spotted in his black Range Rover in a white shirt and a dark waistcoat, completing the attire with his signature pair of black glasses. Lisa issued a message that read: “I don’t know how to say this because it’s still really raw. I probably should be really angry but I’m just incredibly sad about the whole thing right now. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much. I wanted my husband to love me and keep me safe, and I would love him right back, but it just got worse and worse, until I grabbed a bag of a few things and I just left.”
Just days before news of their split broke, Jay shared that his his uncle was “murdered a few weeks ago”. His uncle Richard Brathwaite, 72, was reportedly stabbed to death by a neighbour in March, amid a longstanding row over a shared alleyway on a quiet residential street. The TV star said: “Hope you’re all well. 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. Really, super nice guy, shouldn’t have happened to him, but it really affected me.”
He revealed the incident had left him feeling “a little bit messed up.” “So what I’m intending on doing is this… I’m coming off social media for a bit, and I’ll be back in a bit. Going to go and get some therapy and just chill out”, he declared, highlighting the importance of “taking stock” after recent events. In conclusion, Jay urged: “Please, take care of each other, take care of yourself, and I’ll see you guys soon.”
Jay decided to take a break from filming the Repair Shop, with one source claiming to The Sun: “Jay has taken a step back and is having a break from filming The Repair Shop. His uncle’s murder in March and the breakdown of his marriage means he has decided to take some time out.
“The Repair Shop is carrying on without him for now and the other repairers are hard at work. People who worked with Jay said they were shocked to hear his marriage to Lisa had ended.” Jay has been on the show since 2017 and tied the knot with Lisa in November 2022.
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