Jay Blades charged with rape… here’s all you should know
From TV Fame to Courtroom: Jay Blades Charged with Rape. Credit: Jacob King
Jay Blades, the well-known presenter of BBC’s The Repair Shop, has been charged with two counts of rape, police have confirmed. The 55-year-old, who resides in Claverley, Shropshire, is set to appear before Telford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape. He is due to appear at Telford magistrates’ court on 13 August 2025.”
Blades, who was awarded an MBE for his services to craft, is already awaiting trial in connection with previous charges relating to controlling and coercive behaviour against his estranged wife, Lisa-Marie Zbozen. The couple, who married in Barbados in 2022, split the following year.
The presenter was arrested in May 2024, and formally charged in September. Court documents allege that between January 2023 and September 2023, his actions caused Lisa “to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence would be used against her.” Blades has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a pre-trial review.
Zbozen, a fitness instructor, announced their separation via Instagram in May 2024, saying the relationship had come to an end.
Following the initial charges, Blades stepped back from his long-running role on The Repair Shop, a position he had held for seven years. He also resigned as an ambassador for The King’s Foundation (formerly the Prince’s Foundation), having previously featured in the BBC special The Repair Shop: A Royal Visit alongside King Charles, then the Prince of Wales.
Blades was part of the Repair Shop team that won a Daytime Bafta TV award, and the programme also received the Daytime prize at the National Television Awards.
Beyond The Repair Shop, Blades has hosted BBC’s Money for Nothing, and appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Bake Off, and Comic Relief. He also fronted historical documentaries for Channel 5 exploring the West Midlands and East End.
In 2023, Blades was appointed the first chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, where he once studied criminology and philosophy. However, he resigned from the role in 2024, with the university issuing a brief statement thanking him for his service.
The recent charges mark another dramatic turn in the public life of the once-celebrated TV personality.