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The popular UK TV host, Jay Blades, best known for the show 'The Repair Shop', has been charged with two alleged counts of rape, reported Variety.
According to the outlet, West Mercia Police confirmed the allegations against the 55-year-old broadcaster, who is now due to appear in court next Wednesday. "Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape. He is due to appear at Telford magistrates' court on 13 August 2025," a police spokesperson said as quoted by Deadline. The show "The Repair Shop," made by Warner Bros. Discovery-owned production company Ricochet, launched in 2017 and sees members of the public bringing their treasured possessions and heirlooms to be fixed. The show proved to be a hit, moving from a daytime slot to primetime on BBC, with Blades becoming a household name in the process, as per Deadline. In 2023, it won a BAFTA award for a royal special edition in which King Charles (then Prince Charles) was a guest and brought a clock and a vase to be fixed. Host Blades has also appeared on 'Celebrity MasterChef,' 'The Great Celebrity Bake Off' and 'Strictly Come Dancing,' and fronted a BBC documentary, 'Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51.' He was honoured with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2021, reported Deadline. According to the outlet, the host is currently awaiting trial on a separate charge of controlling and coercive behaviour against his estranged wife. He pleaded not guilty to the charge -- which relates to the period between Jan. 1, 2023 and Sept. 12, 2024 -- at a court hearing last October, reported Deadline. Blades stepped back from presenting "The Repair Shop" last year. (ANI)
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