The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn, the BBC spin-off of the hit restoration series, is narrated by Scottish actress Ashley Jensen, known for her roles in Agatha Raisin, Shetland, and Extras. The original Repair Shop series, airing since 2017, is narrated by Scottish actor Bill Paterson and Welsh actor Robert Pugh.
Beyond the Barn returns with new episode
The spin-off series resumes tonight, October 14, with another episode. In the upcoming episode, expert Mark Stuckey restores a family's portable record player bought in Uganda in 1972. Elsewhere, Richard Talman rebuilds a delicate signet ring that once belonged to the owner's grandfather, and Pete Woods repairs a giant crack in a Ghanaian djembe drum.
Later in the episode, camera expert Pierro Pozella examines a 1950s Rolleiflex camera once owned by royal photographer Jack Barker, the man behind a famous image of the Royal Family at Balmoral.
Ashley Jensen's career and personal life
Jensen, 57, is best known for playing Maggie Jacobs in Extras, a role that earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2008. She has also lent her voice to Channel 4 medical documentaries Embarrassing Bodies and Embarrassing Illnesses, as well as a number of TV and radio adverts.
She has a son with her previous husband, actor Terence Beesley, whom she met in 1999 while working on a stage production of King Lear. Beesley died by suicide in November 2017. In August 2023, she married actor Kenny Doughty, known for his roles in Vera and Stella.
New roles and original series narrators
Jensen recently took on a new role in the BBC sitcom Rambling, alongside actor Mark Bonnar. Set in rural Scotland, the series follows mismatched pair Gerry and Cat. Jensen said of the project: “It’s smart, honest, poignant, moving and funny. It’s about loss, loneliness, and our need for connection.”
Bill Paterson, 81, has narrated the original series for most seasons, with Robert Pugh, 77, narrating seasons two, three, and four. Paterson is known for roles in The Witches, Sea of Souls, Wives and Daughters and Criminal Justice, while Pugh is known for playing Craster in Game of Thrones and roles in Torchwood, The White Queen, Doctor Foster and Mr Selfridge. The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn airs on Wednesdays on BBC One at 8pm.
