BBC The Repair Shop expert recalls tense moment they feared item would 'blow up'

Since its debut in 2017, The Repair Shop has delighted audiences with a vast array of beloved belongings being restored to their former glory. Each episode showcases the remarkable talent of BBC's restoration experts as they rejuvenate everything from dilapidated footwear and fragile antique teddy bears, to crumbling paintings and timeworn jewellery. Yet, not every repair is as simple as it appears on screen, as fan-favourite Steve Fletcher confessed.

In an Instagram story from a few years ago, the skilled horologist responded to a query regarding his most memorable restoration. Steve nostalgically remembered the challenging task of mending an intricate antique steam boat. He said: "It was beautiful, it was so well made I didn't think I was going to get it going.



I was a bit worried about it." Revealing his childhood experience with steamboats, Steve noted that this particular model posed unusual concerns. The BBC star added: "I didn't know if it was going to blow up or anything like that.

It was a lovely, lovely thing to work on, I had to be really careful as I was doing it up, because I didn't want to affect the pattern at all." He fondly described the moment of success, as he said: "Then, when I got it going eventually, we launched it on the water; it was just something else; we were like kids!" In a more recent chat, the show's beloved 63-year-old horologist discussed yet another complex challenge presented to him on the show, reports Gloucestershire Live. During an appearance on Morning Live last month, host Kimberley Walsh prompted a discussion about a particularly tricky project involving an old rusty cash register that Steve triumphantly revived.

He admitted: "I did! This was an absolute joy to do. It was a lovely thing, really rusty. I had real problems, I almost had to break into it! "I tried every key that I've got, and none of them fitted.

Then getting it to work and finding this treasure inside." Steve described the process of restoring a particularly challenging item as a laborious yet rewarding experience, especially when he witnessed the owner's delight upon seeing their restored till. A core member of The Repair Shop team since its inception in 2017, Steve hails from a lineage of skilled horologists, a craft passed down from both his grandfather and father, with him naturally taking up the trade.

Continuing the family tradition, Steve's son Fred is also treading the same path and has appeared on the show. In addition to Steve, the barn features his sister Suzie who specialises in leather restoration. The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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