The Repair Shop Teddy Bear Ladies: Are Julie Tatchell and Amanda Middleditch Related?
The Repair Shop stars Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell are fan favourites on the BBC show. Known as the 'Teddy Bear Ladies', they dedicate themselves to restoring childhood bears and other beloved soft toys. The beloved duo work together to breathe new life into visitors' most prized possessions on the BBC hit show.
Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell have been close for over 15 years, but are they related? Given how closely the pair work together, countless viewers have wondered whether Julie and Amanda are actually family members. While they undeniably share a close bond, the teddy bear experts aren't related at all. They have remained firm friends and professional partners for at least 15 years.
How Did They Meet?
The pair first joined forces in 2006, brought together by their shared passion for encouraging others to get into needlework. They subsequently merged this with restoring teddy bears and soft toys by running workshops with children and their parents at creative birthday parties. Julie and Amanda eventually decided to focus solely on teddy bear restoration as their full-time profession, leading to the launch of their business Bear It In Mind, now well-established in the New Forest.
Their Journey on The Repair Shop
It was in 2017 that they joined The Repair Shop, hoping the show would further inspire people to pick up a needle and thread. The duo joined The Repair Shop in 2017 and have continued to work on the show together since then. They shared on the Bear It In Mind website: 'There may even be a new generation of repairers developing as we speak, together with growing interest in the history and stories behind the once flourishing manufacture of soft toys in Britain.' Sadly, Bear It In Mind no longer takes on new restoration projects, having opted to focus their efforts on championing and preserving the traditional craft instead.
Other Projects
Away from their online platform, Julie and Amanda host their podcast Bearly Begun and released their children's book Bartie Bristle last year. The tale revolves around a delightful teddy bear shop and follows the adventures of Bartie and his beloved cuddly companions.
The pair are set to appear on Love Your Garden with Alan Titchmarsh today (June 14) and the host may quiz the duo on their close bond. Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh airs Sundays from 9.30am and you can stream The Repair Shop on BBC iPlayer.
