The Repair Shop viewers stunned as Jay Blades’ replacement revealed as narrator Bill Paterson

Bill made a surprise on-screen appearance

On Wednesday night’s episode of The Repair Shop (October 30), fans were not greeted by the familiar face of Jay Blades but by the show’s narrator, Bill Paterson.

Known for his distinctive voice, Bill took centre stage in a special episode.

Repair Shop narrator Bill Paterson made an unexpected onscreen appearance (Credit: BBC)

The Repair Shop: Jay Blades replaced

Scottish actor Bill Paterson is known for his roles in films and series such as The Witches, The Killing Fields, Fleabag and House of the Dragon.

His transition from the voice behind the scenes to the face in front of the camera for this special episode sparked conversation on social media.

One viewer expressed their surprise on Twitter. “Wow, that’s REALLY strange seeing the voice of #therepairshop on screen.”

Meanwhile, another fan connected his appearance to his past roles. “Voice of #therepairshop also played Bruno’s dad in the 1990s film of The Witches, if you’ve seen that.”

The special episode featured Bill taking viewers down memory lane with four favourite fixes related to childhood.

And this change of host also spurred discussions.

Another viewer noted on Twitter: “I’m going to put it out there, Jay’s absence isn’t even noticed. The lovely skilled craftspeople are perfectly able to meet, greet and console when the sad stories and waterworks start. #TheRepairShop.”

“The BBC having to cobble together old footage to fill the gap left by episodes removed it seems. I kinda wish they did it like they did with the ‘Fixing Britain’ spin-off during the pandemic, but I’m guessing they had to think fast. Seeing Bill on screen is a surprise,” a fourth viewer remarked.

Presenter Jay Blades has been accused of ‘controlling behaviour’ (Credit: ITV)

Jay Blades

This aired special comes in the wake of The Repair Shop host Jay Blades’ legal controversies.

According to The Times, the BBC has taken careful steps to avoid broadcasting any episodes featuring Jay Blades after the 54-year-old presenter was charged with coercive and controlling behaviour against his estranged wife, Lisa Zbozen.

Since the show’s debut in 2017, Jay has been a familiar face. However, his future on the show became uncertain after these allegations came to light.

In May 2024, Lisa broke the news of their breakup via social media.

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much. I will admit I’m crying as I type this, as I can’t believe this is even real,” she wrote.

She then added: “I hope you don’t mind if I just have a few days trying to figure out my life, as I’m currently in a spare room with a few essentials. I don’t know what else to say. All my love, a very broken Lisa-Marie.”

Soon after, West Mercia Police launched an investigation. Jay has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled for trial in May 2025.