Blades, 50, was born in Hackney, where he grew up on a council estate. He left school without qualifications aged 15, but later studied criminology and philosophy at Buckinghamshire New University and discovered a passion for furniture restoration. He has appeared on TV shows such as Money for Nothing as well as The Repair Shop, while running a restoration business in Shropshire. He has three grown-up children and lives with his partner, Christine, near Telford.
I get up at 5am and do 60 press-ups, sit-ups and squats, partly to warm up my bad back. Breakfast is boiled eggs and avocado.
Because I wear a cap and cool glasses on the telly, people think I hang out in a trendy London loft apartment. I’m actually
