Jay Blades' doomed final TV appearance revealed - with axed Repair Shop host just weeks away from filming star-studded reality show before domestic violence arrest
The BBC presenter, 55, appeared in May to deny the coercive control of his estranged wife over a 20-month period.
The television presenter is alleged to have left Lisa-Marie Zbozen in fear of violence on at least two occasions while in an intimate or family relationship.
During the brief hearing, Judge James Burbidge KC refused a defence request to hear part of the hearing in private.
Jay was charged with a single count of 'controlling and coercive behaviour' between January 1 2023 and September 12 2024. He has entered a plea of not guilty.
The charge resulted in Jay being dropped from The Repair Shop 's live tour and the show's Christmas special.
However, it's now been reported Blades was signed up to star in ITV's new big budget reality show Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters.
A TV insider told The Sun how he was considered a 'big win for bosses' but 'given the boot' once news of his charge was revealed.
They said: 'Producers got lucky as they hadn't started filming or doing any promotion yet so were able to replace him with someone else.
'There were travel plans in place for the cast taking part in the show so it caused a lot of upset and disruption behind the scenes.'
MailOnline has contacted ITV and representatives for Jay.
Starting tonight, viewers will see Countdown's Rachel Riley, Amandaland's Lucy Punch and McFly's Dougie Poynter take part in Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters.
Also joining them is Ade Adepitan, 52, Helen George, 40, Sir Lenny Henry, 66, and Ross Noble, 48.
Before being charged, Jay was the lead star of The Repair Shop, having anchored the BBC daytime show since its launch in 2017.
It even beat This Morning to scoop best Daytime TV Show at the National Television Awards in 2023.
In 2022, a special one-off episode of The Repair Shop for the BBC's centenary saw Blades and the repair team visit the King, when he was still the Prince of Wales, at Dumfries House in Scotland.
Blades was made an MBE by Charles in May 2022 for services to craft and in recognition of his work promoting heritage craft and restoration in the UK.
He was later invited to the King's Coronation at Westminster Abbey in May last year.
Blades is a trustee of the Heritage Crafts Association, a charity which aims to safeguard craft skills, of which the King is patron.
And Blades appeared in a Channel 4 documentary last year about his friendship with actress Dame Judi Dench, called 'Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple'.
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