King Charles III visits The Repair Shop, but what does he bring?

The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit (BBC1, 8pm)
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It may have only been on our screens for five years, but The Repair Shop is now a national TV institution – and here’s the proof.

Not only is it getting a special episode to mark the BBC’s centenary, it’s also been given the royal seal of approval as King Charles III makes an appearance.

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As filming took place between autumn 2021 and spring 2022, he was technically still the Prince of Wales, but it is a huge coup for the show. No wonder presenter Jay Blades was excited, as he found he had more in common than he expected with his very special guest.

The presenter says: “You’ve got someone from a council estate and someone from a Royal estate that have the same interests about apprenticeships and heritage crafts, and it is unbelievable to see that two people from so far apart, from different ends of the spectrum, actually have the same interests.”

However, perhaps he shouldn’t have been surprised. His Majesty has long had an interest in traditional skills and has supported them through the Prince’s Foundation’s Building Craft Programme, which helps to train budding blacksmiths, stonemasons and wood carvers. He’s also well known for his environmental reviews.

So, it stands to reason that he would be a fan of a show that not only showcases craftspeople but also encourages viewers to repair beloved items rather than replace them or throw them away.

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We get to see the results of their collaboration tonight, as Jay, ceramics expert Kirsten Ramsay, horologist Steve Fletcher and furniture restorer Will Kirk head to Dumfries House in Scotland to meet the-then Prince and learn about The Prince’s Foundation’s work to train the next generation of craftspeople.

Collections manager, Satinder Kaur, also gives Will, Kirsten and Steve a tour of the collection of eighteenth-century furniture and decorative arts that are housed at Dumfries House.

There’s a chance for the team to show off their own skills, as they are asked to work their magic on two very special items – an 18th-century bracket clock and a piece that legendary British ceramics line Wemyss Ware made for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

The team take the treasures back with them to the Repair Shop, along with Jeremy, a graduate from the Building Craft Programme.

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He’s on hand to help with another special repair – a fire set in the shape of a soldier, which comes with a poignant backstory.

So, Jeremy joins forces with resident metal expert Dom to restore it to its former glory.

BBC Commissioning Editor, Julie Shaw, believes the results will show just why The Repair Shop, which started out with relatively little fanfare on BBC2, has become such a favourite. She says: “This is an incredibly special programme which has the magic that Repair Shop viewers have come to know and love. People will see the former Prince of Wales as you rarely see him – and he is as captivated by the skills of the team who work on his items as any of our Repair Shop visitors.

“The episode is a real treat and we hope that people enjoy it as much as we do.”