Jay Blades 'just weeks away from starring in new reality TV show' before arrest
Axed BBC star Jay Blades was reportedly set to appear on a brand new reality TV show before his arrest came to light. The former Repair Shop host pleaded not guilty following being charged with engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his estranged wife last year.
Blades, who rose to fame on the hit BBC show, was arrested on May 3. It was the same day his wife Lisa Zbozen publicly announced her split from the presenter after 18 months of marriage.
He was said to have signed up to new ITV show Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters before his arrest. However, the show was reportedly thrown into chaos after allegations emerged with bosses taking swift action to remove Blades.
'Attracting a popular BBC star to be in the new ITV series was a big win for bosses," a source told the Sun. 'But as soon as Jay Blades was arrested in March 2024, they knew they had to make a quick decision about the future of the show.
'He was given the boot. Producers got lucky as they hadn't started filming or doing any promotion yet so were able to replace him with someone else."
They added travel plans had been put in place for those taking part, so his exit caused "upset and disruption" behind the scenes. Blades became a household name when he began hosting The Repair Shop in 2017 when the show first aired on BBC Two.
In October 2022 the dad-of-three was the lead presenter for a special edition of the BBC series featuring the newly crowned King Charles. He then worked on a 15-part restoration series with Only Fools and Horses star Sir David Jason.
David and Jay's Touring Toolshed aired at the start of last year and was a hit with viewers. However, recent episodes were pulled from the BBC schedule and catch-up programmes.
Blades was due to head to the Bahamas alongside the likes of Sir Lenny Henry and Call the Midwife 's Helen George to overcome their fear of sharks in the ground-breaking new show premiering this week.
Ross Noble, Countdown's Rachel Riley, McFly's Dougie Poynter, Amandaland's Lucy Punch and TV presenter Ade Adepitan also took part in the series that marks 50 years since the release of iconic film Jaws.
They were taught to dive by an instructor with missing limbs and challenged to confront their greatest fear and flown to the island on Bimini in the Bahamas, home to around 10 different species of shark.
Weeks after the series was announced, Blades was arrested and charged. He appeared at Worcester Crown Court in October where he spoke to confirm his identity and entered his not guilty plea. The trial begins on August 26 and is expected to last two weeks.
The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.
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