The Repair Shop returned to our screens on April 10, as season 13 kicked off on BBC One and iPlayer.
Made up of six hour-long episodes, three of which have aired so far, the brand new series sees Jay Blades and his crafty team of experts return to the famous barn to fix up more treasured possessions.
Among the usual line-up, which includes the likes of Will Kirk, Suzie Fletcher, and Dominic Chinea, is a fresh face joining the group.
Rebecca Bissonnet is a skilled textiles conservator with an impressive backlog of work, such as an incredible link to both Kate Middleton and the late Queen Elizabeth.
From working on the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, to taking care of the state beds and throne canopies at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace, read on for everything you need to know about The Repair Shop’s newest textiles expert…
Rebecca Bissonnet is a skilled textiles expert with an impressive backlog of work, such as an incredible link to both Kate Middleton and the late Queen Elizabeth
What is Rebecca Bissonnet’s career history?
Rebecca Bissonnet began her career by completing an apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework, before going on to study a Masters of Art in Textile Conservation, graduating in 2004.
The expert, who is based in Hampshire, has over twenty years of experience in her trade.
After graduating, she continued to work on a variety of textiles such as tapestries, dresses, and furnishings – including a number of highly valuable items.
The embroidery expert worked on short term contracts and on a freelance basis for eleven years, before securing a permanent position as Textile Treatment Supervisor at Historic Royal Palaces.
She spent seven years in the position, where her day-to-day work consisted of managing a team of conservators in the care of furnishings, tapestries, and canopies at Hampton Court and Kensington Palace.
However, the role involved ‘more managing than hands on’ so Rebecca decided she wanted to go back to what she thought she was better at, which was the hands-on work.
The expert said: ‘So, a couple of years ago I went self-employed and set up my own business. A year, into my business I got my first studio – after twenty years! I was pretty happy.’
The Repair Shop actually got in touch with Rebecca personally, as they were on the look out for a textile expert to join their team of fixers
The Repair Shop returned for a 13th series which began in April. Pictured: Experts Renton West, Dominic Chinea, Jay Blades, Suzie Fletcher, Will Kirk, Kirsten Ramsay
She revealed that The Repair Shop actually got in touch with her personally, as they were on the look out for a textile expert to join their team of fixers.
Rebecca explained: ‘They had found my details through my website and I actually missed the call because I had just popped next door to the village shop to buy cherry cake.
‘I rang back and had a good chat followed by a Zoom call and that was it!’
What are Rebecca Bissonnet’s links to Kate Middleton and the late Queen Elizabeth?
Amongst Rebecca Bissonnet’s very impressive career history, are two standout links to the royals.
The textiles conservator was part of the team that worked on Kate Middleton’s gorgeous Alexander McQueen wedding dress.
At the 2011 royal wedding, the Princess of Wales stunned in the £250,000 intricate look, which included a lace bodice hand-stitched by the world’s best seamstresses at the Royal School of Needlework.
Kate’s famous gown influenced thousands of people to mimic the long-sleeved lace and satin style, including some of the most famous brides of the last decade.
And it’s not the only royal connection the expert has in her portfolio of work over the years.
During her time working for the Historic Royal Palaces, as well as the beds and throne canopies, she oversaw the care of a host of other invaluable items.
Most notably, Rebecca also helped to look after Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation dress, which is managed by the Royal Collection Trust.
The textiles conservator was part of the team that worked on Kate Middleton’s gorgeous Alexander McQueen wedding dress
Rebecca also helped to look after Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation dress, which is managed by the Royal Collection Trust
What is Rebecca Bissonet’s favourite repair shop fix so far?
After just a few weeks on the show, Rebecca has faced a number of intricate tasks that are putting her skills to the test.
In the second episode of the popular BBC One show, she had to repair a damaged Irish dress.
However, she revealed that her favourite fix so far was actually her first – an ‘incredible’ green velvet and gold brocade ceremonial robe.
Rebecca said: ‘The velvet was fragile and worn as it was, over 100 years old, and then on top of the velvet was this heavy gold brocade. It had been folded up and had at some point got wet so was also stained.
‘The story behind its existence was really moving. The gentleman that brought it in was really lovely and he had this robe hanging up in his room with a picture of his grandfather above it, so he looks at it every day.
‘To have him stood there and be so thankful and to see that he was really appreciative, really thankful, to see how much it meant to him, was very rewarding. And I just thought yeah, this is what I think I’ve been missing in my day job.’
She added: ‘I think at The Repair Shop some of the stuff brought in would be so expensive to fix, as it’s so time heavy – hands-on work is so intensive.
‘So, we’re helping restore, repair and conserve items, giving conservation to people that may not necessarily have the resources to have them restored themselves – and it means they’ll now be future-proofed and be around for years to come.’