The Repair Shop star Jay Blades' wife of eighteen months Lisa-Marie Zbozen confirmed they were ending their marriage this week, but there were a couple of telltale signs that all was not right behind the scenes.
Jay described his beachside Barbados wedding as "perfect" during an interview with HELLO!, as he shared exclusive photos of the couple's low-key ceremony in November 2022 in front of just 15 guests. See exclusive footage...
Since then, the couple have taken every opportunity to share gushing tributes and wedding photos, which is why fans were shocked when Lisa revealed she was "very broken" and "raw" over the end of their marriage. See the hints we might have missed...
Wedding photos
Jay is very active on Instagram, regularly updating fans with his thoughts, his 'Sunday School' learnings, and, until recently, his wife.
The restoration expert posted throwback photos of his special day to mark their first anniversary in November 2023, when he hinted that qualities such as patience were important in their union. Discussing what the traditional paper gift means to him, he wrote: "Paper = Patience, Action, Partnership, Evolving, Respect. That’s Paper, for us."
© David Fisher/Shutterstock for NTAMeanwhile, Lisa had shared a supportive message weeks earlier which could have been an indication that they were experiencing difficulties. "If I love you... I will always love you. Nothing will ever be too much for me to handle, no problem [too] big, no request unanswered, if I have it... it's yours to take, borrow or keep.
"I will look after you always. No matter how far away I am, or how much, or how little you need me, I'll always be there."
In 2024, these regular tributes seemingly reduced in frequency. Jay's last reminiscent wedding photo was posted on Mother's Day, which the father-of-three captioned: "Happy Mother’s Day. To All Mums Here and not Here." The snap simply showed the bottom of the fitness professional's tulle wedding dress and her yellow and white bouquet.
Social media silence
© S Meddle/ITV/ShutterstockHowever, Jay made it clear recently that he had been suffering from a family tragedy and announced his planned break from social media.
The 54-year-old revealed that his uncle's passing had "really affected" him, telling fans: "This is kind of like a public service announcement. I've just been to my uncle's funeral, he was murdered a few weeks ago. A really nice guy, it shouldn't have happened to him but it really affected me and I feel a little bit messed up.
"So I'm coming off social media for a bit. I'm going to go and get some therapy and just chill out because when things happen, sometimes you really need to take stock and just relax."
Workouts paused
Lisa had also previously shared heartfelt photos of the couple for special occasions, including on his 54th birthday in February where she stated: "I love you."
While announcing their split, Lisa explained that her lack of workout videos recently resulted from her situation at home.
The fitness instructor wrote: "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," she began.
© GettyLisa added that she has moved out of her shared home with Jay and is staying in a friend's spare room. "That’s why there’s been no new wkouts. (I would never miss a wkout - I’d do it on the pavement bare foot & naked if I had to)," she added.
"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."
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