‘The Repair Shop’ Charges a Nice Price for the Reality Show’s Incredible Fix-Ups

As it charms U.S. viewers on Discovery+, The Repair Shop is back on television in its native United Kingdom. The reality show — or “factual” show, as they’re called across the pond — returned to BBC one for its ninth series on March 14. And because The Repair Shop is such a hit, producers are always on the lookout for damaged keepsakes that the show’s restoration experts can spruce up. Do you want to be on the show? Are you curious whether The Repair Shop charges for repairs? We’ve got the details!

And in case you’re not familiar with The Repair Shop, you’re in for a binge-ready treat! The show, which made its debut on BBC Two in 2017 before moving to BBC’s flagship channel in 2019, features “a team of Britain’s most passionate and skilled craftspeople” as they “rescue broken objects and restore them to their former glory.”

You can apply to be on The Repair Shop through a form on the website for Ricochet, the production company behind the show. For starters, the application form asks for your contact information, your biographical details, and your social media handles.

Further on in the application, you have a chance to discuss the object in question — what it is, how old it is, to whom it belongs, what its backstory is, et cetera. And the form asks you to describe the object’s emotional significance to explain what it would mean to have it repaired and working again.

Applicants are also required to submit photos of their items, and they’re encouraged to upload a video, too, to “fast track” their application. “We receive a great many applications, so please do help yours stand out by giving as much detail as possible about the item and what it means to you,” Ricochet says. “If you are able to include a short video as part of your application, that will also help your item get noticed.”

Restorations on The Repair Shop are on the house — or the barn, as the case may be. “We don’t charge for repairs,” Rob Butterfield, the head of factual at Ricochet, explained to Hello! last month. “If people wish to make a donation to a charity, we’re very happy with that, but it’s by no means necessary.”

Unfortunately, though, you can’t just show up at the Repair Shop barn and expect a free repair. In fact, when the show isn’t filming there, Court Barn is part of the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, West Sussex.

“Many of our huge pool of experts run their own businesses, but the Weald and Downland Museum, where The Repair Shop is filmed, doesn’t offer a repair service outside the show,” Rob added.

That means you might be able to find the stars of The Repair Shop — like furniture restorer Jay Blades or leather worker Suzie Fletcher — in their day jobs. Just know that if you do, you’ll probably have to pay their going rates!