Suzie Fletcher, a leather specialist on BBC's The Repair Shop, has faced significant personal challenges, including an abusive marriage and the loss of her husband. She joined the show in 2018 and has since become a beloved figure on the programme.
Famous Family Connection
Suzie's brother, Steve Fletcher, also appears on The Repair Shop as a clock and watch repair expert. According to Suzie, Steve inspired her to join the show. She told the BBC: "Every time [Steve] called, he looked to be having such a good time. I jokingly said, 'If they need anyone to do leather I'm your gal.' I really was joking but after several phone calls and a lot of reassurance from Steve I agreed to give it a go and joined the team. I'm so happy I did as this is one of the most enjoyable things I've ever been involved with [and] it's also helped me through some very dark days."
In an interview with The Times, Suzie described Steve as "my rock all my life." She added: "Every step. I really didn't think I was confident enough to be on The Repair Shop, but I had the saving grace of Steve being there."
Abusive Marriage to Late Husband
Suzie married her second husband, Rob, in her early 30s after moving to the United States for work. She said she was "swept off her feet," and they wed within three months of her arrival in Denver. However, the marriage turned abusive. Suzie bravely shared her experiences, recalling a terrifying incident when Rob lifted her off the ground by her throat. She told MailOnline: "I honestly thought I was going to die. He was choking me and could easily have killed me. I don't know why but eventually he let go."
Suzie also revealed that Rob once told her a "cruel" lie that her brother Steve was terminally ill. She said: "He tried [to turn me against my family]. He did try and that was not going to happen. He also was very cruel. On one visit we came back to the UK and I'm incredibly close to my brother Steve. And he and Steve were spending a lot of time together. We'd got back to the US and he said: 'I'm going to tell you now, your brother is seriously ill, probably terminal. He's told me this in confidence so you can't tell anybody.'"
Husband's Death and Aftermath
Rob died of pancreatic cancer in 2013 after 15 years of marriage. His illness was unknown to Suzie until the end. In her 2013 memoir, The Sun Over The Mountains: A Story of Hope, Healing and Restoration, Suzie described his final moments: "On Monday morning, Rob became quite lucid and started talking. 'Baby blue,' he repeated a few times, 'Brum, brum, brum, drive.' The words were clear, but the meaning was not. And while he was speaking, his arms were going up and then down." She recounted how Rob's lungs filled with fluid, and as he passed away, he locked eyes with her before being gone.
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
