Jay Blades, the former factory worker who established himself as a firm favorite on British television, has been charged with two counts of rape.
In a statement on Monday evening, West Mercia Police said that Blades, 55, will appear in court to face the charges on August 13.
A West Mercia Police spokesman said: “Jason Blades, 55, of Claverley in Shropshire, has been charged with two counts of rape. He is due to appear at Telford magistrates’ court on 13 August 2025.”
The rape allegations follow a separate charge against Blades last year relating to controlling and coercive behavior, which he has denied. Blades is currently awaiting trial on these separate allegations and will appear at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday for a pre-trial review, per court listings.
Blades has established himself as a household name after first appearing in The Repair Shop in 2017. Produced by Warner Bros. Discovery-owned Ricochet, the show follows a group of experts who lovingly restore people’s treasured possessions. Blades has not appeared on the show since last year.
King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) appeared on The Repair Shop in 2021, while the show has also hosted Dame Judi Dench. Blades and Dench struck up a rapport and went on to make Channel 4 show Dame Judi and Jay: The Odd Couple.
Blades has also appeared on Celebrity MasterChef and The Great Celebrity Bake Off, while in 2020, he launched production company Hungry Jay Media in collaboration with Hungry Bear Media, producer of BBC series Gladiators and Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel.
The charges against Blades come at a time when there is significant scrutiny on the conduct of male presenters on British television.
Most recently, Gregg Wallace and John Torrode were removed as the hosts of MasterChef after an independent investigation substantiated allegations of misconduct against the two men. Wallace apologized for using “inappropriate language,” but denied more serious allegations.
Torrode was accused of using racist language, later reported by The Times of London to be the n-word. Torrode said he had no recollection of the incident.
The BBC has been contacted for comment regarding Blades. The broadcaster previously said it would not be “appropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”