The TV presenter Jay Blades has been charged with two counts of rape, West Mercia police have confirmed. The 55-year-old, from Claverley in Shropshire, is due to appear at Telford magistrates court on 13 August 2025.
Separately, on Tuesday, Blades appeared at Worcester crown court via video link for a preliminary hearing in relation to a charge of controlling or coercive behaviour. He pleaded not guilty to engaging in such behaviour towards his estranged wife, Lisa-Marie Zbozen, between 1 January 2023 and 12 September 2024.
Blades, who fronted the BBC primetime show The Repair Shop, rose to fame after being discovered by TV producers who saw a short film about his charity Out of the Dark, which taught young people to restore and sell furniture. He received an MBE in 2021.
