Jay Blades to put region in spotlight
Jay Blades will delve into the history of his West Midlands home following the success of another Channel 5 history series.
The 53-year-old presenter and furniture restorer – best known for the BBC’s The Repair Shop – will travel through Wolverhampton, locations in Birmingham and Coventry for Channel 5’s Jay Blades: The Midlands Through Time.
He previously took part in the series Jay Blades: East End Through Time, which finished airing this week and explored his life growing up in London as well as the past of this part of the capital.
Blades, who lives in Ironbridge and has a workshop in Wolverhampton, said: “Everyone thinks of Cadbury’s chocolate, canals and Peaky Blinders when you say Birmingham and those things are true but also so much more.
“I’ve lived in the West Midlands since 2015. It’s often overlooked but the reality is that without the humble West Midlands, the history of the UK, indeed the world, would not have been the same. Filming has been fascinating, surprising and eye-opening in equal measures - I love Birmingham and the Black Country. Sharing this series with you will be an utter pleasure and a tribute to the place I am proud to call home.”
In the three-part series, the show said he will find out the area is “the birthplace of the industrial revolution, the home of Wedgwood, the Olympic Games, the theory of Evolution and even the Balti”.
The programme is made by Hungry Jay Media, with executive producers Dan Baldwin and Melony Smith and series producers Adrienne Doyard and Lauren Bennie.
Daniel Pearl, commissioning editor, non-scripted UK originals, at Channel 5/Paramount+, said: “Jay has the most incredible ability to unpack history in a way that brings stories alive for the viewer.
“His friendly charm and insightful exploration of the areas so close to him personally make him hugely popular with viewers and we’re delighted to be exploring the powerhouse region of the West Midlands with him.”
