The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn concludes its eight-episode series on Wednesday, 21 October, with the BBC confirming that Celebrity Race Across The World will take over its slot from next week. Viewers have already voiced their excitement about the replacement, with one saying they "can't wait."
Final Episode Features Emotional Restorations
The closing instalment of the spin-off, which follows experts restoring cherished possessions and reveals what happens to them after filming in the barn, will feature Pernilla de Bellis from Glasgow. She brings her family's 1869 edition of Dante's Divine Comedy, previously owned by her great-great-great-grandfather Giuseppe Fermini and handed down to her grandmother, who passed away during the pandemic.
Other contributors include Mikey Akers from Coventry, joined by his mum Louisa. The BBC synopsis notes that Mikey received the Pride of Birmingham award aged 16 for raising awareness of verbal dyspraxia, a neurological speech disorder he has lived with since childhood. His poem I Am the Boy became the foundation of his advocacy. Years later, Louisa accidentally knocked the award from a shelf, shattering the angel statuette.
More Restorations in the Finale
Justina Sebag-Montefiore from Cornwall presents her grandfather Michael's handcrafted tsymbaly, a Ukrainian stringed instrument. Michael was raised in the Carpathian Mountains before being transported to a labour camp in Germany during the Second World War, eventually settling in England following liberation, where he constructed a new tsymbaly using post-war materials.
Arcade specialist Geoff Harvey is presented with a vintage fruit machine, commonly known as a one-armed bandit, by Maxine Armitage and her daughter Ella. The device belonged to Maxine's late husband Ian, whose life centred around amusement and gaming machinery. She uncovered it following his death in 2018, noting that Ian had kept the machine partly because the manufacturer's initials, IA Limited, matched his own.
Celebrity Race Across The World Takes Over
The new series of Celebrity Race Across The World launches at 8pm on Wednesday, 28 October. It features Katie Price and Peter Andre's children, Junior and Princess, alongside Ella Eyre and her childhood friend Nana, sports broadcaster Jeff Stelling and his son Matt, and singer Sam Ryder with his best friend and tour manager Kaz.
The celebrity participants will undertake a 7,500km journey, abandoning smartphones, credit cards and home comforts as they rely on a modest budget and their personal survival skills. The BBC teased: "Leaving luxury behind them, these household names will be tested; emotions will run high, and relationships will be transformed on an adventure as challenging as it is rewarding."
The teams will need to rely on their own resourcefulness, local transport, and the kindness of strangers, equipped with only a map and a budget of just £26 per person a day. They will depart from Kuching in the Malaysian state of Sarawak in North West Borneo, traversing the island's wilderness and interior to reach five checkpoints spanning three nations and two continents, aiming to cross the finish line in Melbourne, Australia.
Audiences previously expressed enthusiasm for Celebrity Race Across The World, which was claimed last year by Roman Kemp and sister Harleymoon. Following the trailer's release, one viewer commented: "Cannot wait!! What a cast." Another remarked "Eek so excited!!", while a third reflected "Can't wait!". "Counting down the days!!" someone else declared, as another contributed "Love this series."
The Repair Shop: Beyond the Barn airs from 8pm tonight on BBC One and iPlayer.
