The Repair Shop's Suzie Fletcher recalls family's 'worry' after husband's tragic death

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

The Repair Shop expert Suzie Fletcher has been a mainstay of the BBC show for a number of years, but her time on the series has been fraught with heartache
The programme's leather and saddle specialist has previously opened up about the heartbreaking death of her husband prior to joining The Repair Shop.
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The Repair Shop remains a BBC One favourite with Jay Blades and his team aiming to bring joy to fresh faces visiting the workshop. Suzie and Steve Fletcher are set to appear on Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh to discuss their journeys.
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Suzie, who has offered plenty of behind the scenes insight, became part of the programme at the beginning of series two and has thrived ever since, though her initial period proved challenging. She lost her spouse in 2013, five years prior to her debut on the programme, describing it as among the most shocking experiences she had ever faced.
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Suzie initially encountered her husband in Colorado after relocating to America to work as a master saddler in Illinois.
She had originally planned to remain in America for just two years, yet ended up living there for 22 years before returning to Britain. Her husband died after fighting cancer, having received his diagnosis whilst they were residing together in America.
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Speaking on the Relatively podcast, she explained: "My family were great, but I was very aware that they didn't need to be overly worried and I did have a really good support group in my friends in the States as well.
"I suppose I tried to protect them from too much information, particularly because my mother was still alive and she would worry desperately if she felt like I wasn't going to be able to cope.
"To be perfectly honest, when we got that diagnosis, I knew that my focus was to provide my husband with everything that he wanted, no matter how impossible it seemed. If he wanted to fly to the moon, I'd try and make that happen."
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She chronicled the heart-wrenching final days of her late husband Rob in her 2023 memoir, The Sun Over The Mountains.
Despite his death leaving her shattered, she used The Repair Shop as a means to progress in her life.
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She detailed how the show had assisted her through numerous bleak days and it was partly what motivated her to join the programme.
She stated: "Every time [Steve] called he looked to be having such a good time I jokingly said, 'If they need anyone to do leather I'm your gal.'
"I really was joking but after several phone calls and a lot of reassurance from Steve I agreed to give it a go and joined the team.
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"I'm so happy I did as this is one of the most enjoyable things I've ever been involved with. It's also helped me through some very dark days."
During one episode of The Repair Shop, Suzie became emotional while filming as she remembered her husband's death. She was mending a rocking horse when she discovered a name written on it.
Suzie explained: "I too, lost my husband to cancer. It seems so insignificant, someone's name that they wrote."