The loyal spouse who saved Jay Blades from his troubled previous

The devastated wife of Repair Shop star Jay Blades told friends ‘I really don’t want this day to come’ after she revealed she had left him when the marriage started getting ‘worse and worse’. 

Fitness instructor Lisa Marie Zbozen, 43, announced in an emotional social media post on Thursday that she had left the TV star, 54, who she married in November 2022.   

She told friends she had been devastated by the marriage ending and agreed she may need counselling to get over the split.

She told one: ‘You have no idea how much I didn’t want this day to come.’

The fitness instructor helped Jay battle back from his troubled past that saw him homeless and struggling from a mental breakdown. 

Their shock split came just a day after it was revealed that Jay’s beloved uncle was allegedly stabbed to death by a neighbour following a long-running dispute over a shared alleyway. 

Richard Brathwaite, 72, was found dead in Wembley, north London, in March after allegedly being stabbed to death by a neighbour following a long-running dispute over a shared alleyway.

A man, also aged 72, has been charged with murder, wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Before their marriage broke down, seemingly-besotten Jay and Lisa enjoyed a whirlwind romance.

Lisa surprised fans on Friday when she confirmed she’d split from the BBC star after just 18 months of marriage. 

Fitness instructor Lisa – who also goes by Lisa Marie – addressed her 141,000 Instagram followers with a lengthy post in which she admitted she’d never ‘cried so much’ and that she felt ‘broken’. 

Jay was raised in Hackney with his mother Barbara and his maternal half-brother.

He grew up in poverty after his father abandoned his much-loved mother Barbara.

He left school at the age of 15 with no qualifications and by the time he was in his twenties, he ended up homeless and wondering ‘is this what my life has come to?’

The future TV star could fit all his belongings in one carrier bag when he lived in a hostel before he was given social housing on the Victorian Peabody estate in central London. 

After running community groups for youngsters, the furniture maker by trade co-founded a charity that taught young people how to restore and sell old furniture.

A short film about the charity’s work, Out of the Dark, was seen by TV producers who spotted his talent.

However, he once again became homeless when his relationship disintegrated with his ex-wife Jade in 2015, with whom he shares 17-year-old daughter Zola.

He is also father to Levi, 32, and Dior, 28, from previous relationships. 

Speaking about when he was homeless, Jay said: ‘At 21 I was all over the place, I had no direction, I left London because I was getting into loads of fights and there were people after me.

‘My mum moved to Luton and I lived up there with her for a bit.

‘I had my first child, and then split up with the missus, and moved back to London, then I ended up homeless and went into a hostel.’

When he was 31, in 2001, he started studying for a degree in criminology and philosophy at Buckingham New University (BNU).

It was there that his dyslexia was identified, with the University tailoring digital learning support to help him in his studies. 

Jay said: ‘BNU creates community champions, and that’s what they did for me because I started my first charity back then.

‘When I got my degree it created a power in me that was just unbelievable, and it hasn’t stopped.’

He was propelled to TV stardom by fronting The Repair Shop on its debut in 2017.

Jay has also appeared on Location, Location, Location, Gok’s Fill Your House For Free and was a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef 2018. 

The Repair Shop has gone from strength to strength and is currently in its 13th season.

The next episode of the beloved is scheduled to air on May 15, when the barn will take a look at a ‘rare piece of James Bond movie treasure’.

Dyslexic and unable to read, it wasn’t until the star reached aged 51, in 2021, that he began to tackle to the illiteracy problem that had haunted him all of his adult life – after he’d found fame on the show that tapped into the nation’s obsession with heritage crafting.

Jay was appointed an MBE in the 2021 Birthday Honours for services to craft, with King Charles even appearing in a special episode.

While it’s not clear when the couple first met, Lisa, 43, knew instantly she had found The One in Jay, 54, sharing in an Instagram post seven months before their wedding: ‘The very first time I met him, I said: ‘I’m going to marry that man.”

Appearing to speak directly to Jay, she added: ‘Thank you for challenging me to be better every day. I’m not perfect by a long way, but working together, we make it as perfect as it could be. I love you completely.’

Jay and Lisa gave fans a glimpse into their relationship shortly before their wedding during BBC documentary Jay Blades: Learning to Read at 51. 

The programme followed Jay – who received a late dyslexia diagnosis at the age of 31 – as he detailed his journey to learn how to read and write, having not been taught in childhood. 

Lisa featured in the show and was seen helping him with his studies, with Jay admitting: ‘I’ve mainly got by from the help from those around me, people like Lisa.’

The couple’s whirlwind marriage saw them tie the knot in November 2022 with an intimate Barbados ceremony with loved ones. 

Lisa is usually spotted wearing workout gear – but she swapped her sports bra and leggings for a classic, classy bridal gown from Birmingham-based store Romantic Dreams Bridal for her exotic wedding with Jay.

Speaking about their intimate ceremony of just 15 guests, Lisa told Hello magazine: ‘Once you get to a certain age, you realise what’s actually important on the day – and that is having the people around you that love you for who you are. So we made the day our day.’

During the ceremony, the couple exchanged bespoke wedding rings which had been created by The Repair Shop’s Richard Talman – which Lisa said was one of her favourite touches.

She said the rings, inspired by the Egyptian imperfect circle and containing each person’s birthstone, meant more to her because they had been designed and made with ‘care and ‘love’. 

Following their dream wedding, Lisa changed her name on her personal Instagram account to read ‘Lisa ”Tiny” Blades’ – reflecting her married surname and her nickname.

In 2023, Jay received an Honorary Doctorate from BNU for his community work supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and his significant contribution to furniture-making and crafts. He also became BNU’s first ever Chancellor.

This year, Lisa doubled down on her declarations of love for Jay when she posted a sweet Valentine’s Day tribute to the BBC presenter. 

Alongside a black and white image of the pair passionately embracing, Lisa penned: ‘My heart is where my husband is. Happy Valentines @jaybladesmbe.’

In response, Jay shared a picture of the pair on a photoshoot that he captioned: ‘Happy Valentines Day @lisamariezbozen ❤️

‘I’m far from perfect, but I’ll be perfect for that imperfect person that’s perfect for me. True Love is supporting others to grow.’

When not posting tributes to Jay, Lisa kept her followers entertained with a slew of challenging workout videos. 

The trainer posts tough, high-intensity workouts on Instagram daily which show her lifting kettlebells, lunging and squatting. 

She runs on-demand fitness app The Wkout, which offers programmes for fat burning, strength training and yoga.

A biography of Lisa on The Wkout’s website describes her determination as ‘no joke’.

It reads: ‘Lisa brings the FIRE every-time. Lisa’s workouts are dynamic, powerful & no two workouts are the same.’

The fitness company also describes itself as: ‘No Fad Diets, No Gimmicks & No Excuses. Just hard work & sweat.’

On her Instagram profile Lisa shares her approach to fitness with her followers, proving she’s a fan hard work, but also encourages people to be themselves.

Yet now Lisa has left the marital home and revealed why she had to ‘grab her things and leave’ in an emotive social media post. 

It came just a day after it was revealed that Jay’s beloved uncle was allegedly stabbed to death by a neighbour following a long-running dispute over a shared alleyway.

In a statement posted on Instagram, Lisa said: ‘I have been quiet until now, but the papers seem to be picking up this story, but some parts have been definitely missed, so it’s forced my hand…

‘This was the whole post on a private forum: I don’t know how to say this because it’s still really raw.

‘I probably should be really angry but I’m just incredibly sad about the whole thing right now. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much.

‘I wanted my husband to love me & keep me safe, and I would love him right back, but it just got worse and worse, until I grabbed a bag of a few thing’s & I just left.

‘Anyway, That’s why there’s been no new wkouts [workouts]. (I would never miss a wkout [workout] – I’d do it on the pavement bare foot & naked if I had to).’

In another post, she said: ‘I will admit I’m crying as I type this as I can’t believe this is even real. I hope you don’t mind if I just have a few days trying to figure out my life as I’m currently in a spare room with a few essentials.

‘I don’t know what else to say. All my love, A very broken Lisa-Marie x.’