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Jay Blades is the nation's no-nonsense furniture upcycler who inspires individuals, companies, and charities to transform dusty old furniture into contemporary design works.
Jay divides his time between being a presenter on TV shows, such as "Money for Nothing" and "The Repair Shop," and working on furniture projects for commercial and individual clients. He also runs workshops and motivates disadvantaged people in the community.
From his first appearance on TV with Kirstie Allsopp, then with Phil Spencer and Gok Wan a few years ago, to now becoming one of our favourite faces on screen, Jay encourages us all to rummage through our homes to find a piece of furniture to transform into a work of art.
Though a recognisable face across much of the country today, Jay grew up a struggling young man in eighties East End London. His dyslexia proved severely challenging throughout his education, in addition to bullying and police brutality. He eventually became an upholsterer, fixing furniture and other complex household objects, and so cultivating the skills that would later secure him the role of welcoming people into the bbc’s repair workshop. Five years ago however, at the age of 40, Jay was homeless, and living out of his car. Now Jay shares his story about over coming adversity to get to where he his today, speaking about community, the importance of making and fixing things, resilience, and the art of asking for help in a society that pressures men to cope alone.
