BBC Presenter Jay Blades Charged with Coercive Behaviour

BBC presenter Jay Blades has been charged with engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife. The 54-year-old appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday after being charged by West Mercia Police. The charge pertains to one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.

According to court documents, the charge is related to his wife, fitness instructor Lisa Zbozen, who announced the end of their relationship on her Instagram page in May. Mr. Blades and Ms. Zbozen were married on November 22, 2022, in the idyllic location of a beachfront villa in Barbados.

Following the announcement of their separation, West Mercia Police conducted an investigation after being called to an address on May 3, the day after Ms. Zbozen’s announcement. Mr. Blades, known for his role on The Repair Shop, is scheduled to appear at Worcester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on October 11.

Mr. Blades has garnered recognition in the UK, having been awarded an MBE for services to craft in 2022. He gained fame as the host of The Repair Shop, a programme that showcases the restoration of family heirlooms by experts. Additionally, Mr. Blades has appeared on other BBC productions until 2020, including Money For Nothing and has featured on celebrity editions of popular shows such as Masterchef and Bake Off.

In March 2023, Mr. Blades was appointed as the first chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, his alma mater, where he studied criminology and philosophy starting in 2001. More recently, he and his colleagues at The Repair Shop won a daytime Bafta TV award for a special episode that featured the King, then Prince of Wales. This special episode highlighted a royal visit to Dumfries House in Scotland.