The Repair Shop’s Jay Blades describes learning to read aged 51: ‘Like having a book of ants’

The Repair Shop star Jay Blades has opened up learning to read at the age of 51.

The TV presenter and furniture restorer struggled with reading as a child and never shared that he couldn’t read until he was in his 30s.

Blades has now documented his journey learning to read for a BBC documentary airing later this month.

Speaking to the Press Association, Blades compared looking at words on a page to “a book of ants”.

“The letters are all ants, and they just keep on moving around. So you try and hold them down,” he said. “It’s insane, I’m telling you. And it gives you a headache because imagine trying to see something that’s constantly moving.”

The host said that he hadn’t previously felt embarrassment about not being able to read, which he pinned down to “too much confidence and a lot of naivety”.

“Just telling people, ‘Yeah, I can’t read, read this for me.’ And they’re just like, ‘What?’” he said. “People find it amazing that somebody can’t read… Some of us can’t do these things.”

However, he added that he wanted to use his platform to “inspire and make people better”, saying: “[Reading means] more opportunities for me. Anything is possible.”

The Repair Shop follows professional craftspeople as they restore beloved items and family heirlooms to their original form.

Jay Blades: Learning To Read At 51 airs on Wednesday 26 January on BBC One.

Additional reporting by Press Association.