16 February 2024 , 19:28
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Dame Judi Dench and Jay Blades are reuniting to film a fly-on-the-wall series for Channel 4.
The pair formed a bond in 2022 when the furniture restorer helped fix her late husband Michael Williams’ watch on his hit show The Repair Shop. Now Hungry Bear productions, founded by Holly Willoughby’s husband Dan Baldwin, has snapped up the duo.
The show, which has a working title of Judi Dench and Jay, has already started filming. A TV source said: “Despite cutting jobs and axing shows, Channel 4 are splashing out on a new fly-on-the-wall series.
The pair are reuniting for a brand-new show (PA)“It’s the pairing we’ve all been waiting for after they had viewers in tears on the Repair Shop.” Judi, 89, and Jay, 53, hit it off on a live session of the BBC One show to mark its fifth anniversary. Presented with the watch live on stage at a TV festival, Dame Judi seemed emotional and said the repair was “sublime”.
Afterwards, Jay, who is married to Lisa Zbozen, shared a picture online of himself and Dame Judi, writing: “Good morning all. Sometimes in life you meet people that make you feel so proud because of their Achievements, Grace, Presence and of course Manners. I just want to say thank you to everyone I’ve met and who is in my life right now. You know who you are.”
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It comes after Dame Judi previously revealed she “dotes” on The Repair Shop Mr Fixit Jay. Judi said of The Repair Shop: “I do watch it. I dote on Jay Blades. What are Jay’s qualities? Have you got a week or two? We are huge fans of The Repair Shop.
Dame Judi appeared on the BBC show in 2022 (Ricochet/PR)“I can’t resist seeing people making things and I like mending things to the state that people recognise that it is theirs. So it does not look brand new but the state when they first had it.”
The Repair Shop team worked on a watch Dame Judi had originally given her husband Michael Williams in 1972. The couple were married for three decades until Michael died of lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 65.
She said after it was restored: “Oh my! That’s sublime. And ticking! How brilliant. I’m full of admiration.”