Jay Blades, the former host of BBC One's The Repair Shop, will face trial in 2027 after pleading not guilty to two counts of rape. The 55-year-old appeared via videolink at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Wednesday, September 10, for a plea hearing lasting 23 minutes.
Blades, of Claverley in Shropshire, was granted conditional bail. Judge Anthony Lowe adjourned the case for trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court on September 20, 2027, citing a backlog of cases as the reason for the long wait. A case management hearing has been set for May 15 next year, which Blades will not be required to attend in person.
Defence counsel Susan Meek told the court that Blades has been unable to work since the allegations were made, describing the wait as 'an extraordinarily long time for him not to be able to work'. Blades began presenting The Repair Shop in 2017 and stepped back in 2024. He has also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, Celebrity Bake Off, Comic Relief, and presented the BBC's Money For Nothing until 2020.
