Jay Blades cancels appearance at Hay Festival as he ‘continues to take time out’

Jay Blades has cancelled a scheduled appearance at the Hay Festival as he “continues to take time out”.

The Repair Shop star, 54, was due to speak to journalist Sarfraz Manzoor at the Welsh literary festival on Thursday about his book Life Lessons: Wisdom And Wit From Life’s Ups And Downs, in which he shares inspirational words for making the very best of life.

A statement from his team said: “We wanted to confirm that as Jay Blades continues to take time out, he won’t be attending the session as advertised at this year’s Hay Festival.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience or disappointment that this may have caused and we hope you enjoy the rest of the festival.”

The festival confirmed that ticket holders will be refunded.

Blades announced last month that he would be taking a social media hiatus following the death of his uncle, saying he was taking time off to “take stock and just relax”, but confirmed he would be “back soon”.

Earlier this month Blades’ wife Lisa Zbozen announced the end of their short-lived marriage.

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

Filming on the new series of the BBC’s The Repair Shop commenced without Blades at the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Chichester, West Sussex.

The TV star first found fame on the restoration programme, which sees members of the public take worn-out family heirlooms to be restored by a team of experts.