BBC presenter Jay Blades has been charged with engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour towards his wife.

The 54-year-old appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday (September 13) after being charged by West Mercia Police with one count of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship.

According to court documents, the charge relates to his fitness instructor wife Lisa Zbozen who announced that their relationship was over on her Instagram page in May.

On November 22, 2022, the couple married on the grounds of a beachfront villa in Barbados.

The broadcaster presents the BBC show The Repair Shop and will appear at Worcester Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on October 11.

In a statement, West Mercia Police said: “54-year-old Jason Blades of Claverley in Wolverhampton has been charged with controlling and coercive behaviour.

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“He appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates Court this morning (Friday 13th September) and has been bailed to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Friday 11th October.”

Furniture restorer Blades was made an MBE for services to craft in 2022 and found fame on The Repair Shop, the restoration programme he has presented since 2017.

The series sees members of the public take worn-out family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts.