Roman Kemp makes an appearance in Repair Shop in the Christmas special after Jay Blades’ exit

Roman Kemp will make an appearance in The repair shop annual Christmas special.

Former host Jay Blades, 54, was dropped from the BBC series after being accused in September of controlling and coercive behavior towards his ex-wife Lisa Zbozen. Blades has denied the allegations.

The presenter has been working on the series since its launch in 2017, where he welcomes people who bring in their family heirlooms to have them restored by artisans at the repair shop located in West Sussex.

Kemp, the son of Spandau Ballet bassist Martin and Pepsi And Shirlie singer Shirlie Holliman, appeared for the festive special as part of the collaboration between The repair shop And The only show. Kemp joined the latter as co-anchor in 2023.

Earlier this year, The only show put out a call to its viewers for submissions for The repair shop. In the episode, which will air on Christmas Eve, Kemp will bring teddy bear experts Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell a special bear, which is a Christmas present for a four-year-old boy, after cycling 100 miles to raise money for the hospital that treated his sick grandfather.

In the first images released showing Kemp in the studio at the Weald & Downland Living Museum in Singleton, the presenter smiles at the camera while wearing a festive red scarf in front of the show’s logo.

Kemp said: “It’s really special – it’s like walking into one of your favorite TV shows, so it’s always a really cool moment.”

In the episode, the team goes to repair the teddy bear belonging to a A show viewer named Kat, two puffin sculptures from a bookstore with a moving story and a special century-old spotlight in a family’s Christmas Eve tradition.

Kemp is best known for hosting Capital FM’s Breakfast show for more than six years, but left the show earlier this year and was replaced by Jordan North. In addition to his weekly appearances on The only showKemp hosts BBC One game show The finish linewhich he co-presents alongside Sarah Greene.

At the beginning of May, filming of the new series of The repair shop began without Blades as he said he was taking a break to “take stock” following the alleged murder of his uncle and as headlines swirled about his separation from Ms. Zbozen, which he married in Barbados in 2022.

In September, Blades pleaded not guilty to engaging in controlling or coercive behavior towards his wife at Worcester Crown Court.

The TV star, who was awarded an MBE in 2021 for services to the craft, is accused of behavior which had a “serious effect” on his partner, “namely causing her to fear at least twice that violence is used. against her.”

Blades rose to fame after being named host of The repair shop in 2017. In an interview with The IndependentBlades said landing the presenting gig saved his life after an acute mental health crisis.

The furniture restorer grew up in Brent, north London, working as a laborer and in factories until he enrolled at Buckinghamshire New University as a mature student to study criminology.

He then set up a charity supporting disadvantaged young people in furniture restoration, based in High Wycombe, before moving to Wolverhampton to launch a social enterprise helping disengaged groups.

After filming a documentary program for the BBC called Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51it became the anchor point of The repair shop.

He also presented the BBC show Money for nothing until 2020, appeared on Celebrity chef And Celebrity in the oven as well as Comic Relief and delved into the history of the West Midlands and East End for two Channel 5 documentaries.

He has appeared with many television personalities in one-off programmes, including with Dame Judi Dench for Dame Judi and Jay: the odd couple and Sir David Jason in David and Jay’s Touring Tool Shed.

In 2021 he was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the craft. In March 2023, he became the first chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University.

In a statement on its website, Buckinghamshire New University said: “Jay Blades MBE has resigned as Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University with immediate effect. We thank Jay for his loyal service to the University and will make no further comment.

The repair shop Christmas Special airs on Christmas Eve at 8.15pm on BBC One.