Skip to main contentSkip to footer

The Repair Shop's Will Kirk reveals heartbreaking story behind early restoration career 

The 37-year-old is a woodwork expert


will kirk insta new© Photo: Instagram
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
July 6, 2022
Share this:

The Repair Shop star Will Kirk has revealed the heartbreaking story behind his early career as a woodwork restoration expert. 

MORE: The Repair Shop fans react after last-minute change to the show

Chatting on The TV Carpenter Podcast, Will revealed that he used his inheritance money following his father's death to set up his own business. 

WATCH: The Repair Shop's Will Kirk surprises fans with epic transformation video

After completing a course in antique restoration, Will went on to work at a furniture restoration company in London for a year before setting up his own business. 

"I started my own business," he explained. "My father had passed away and I inherited a bit of money but not too much that I could go wild but enough for me to get a workshop and print out some flyers."

MORE: Will Kirk reveals the surprising way he landed role on The Repair Shop

MORE: The Repair Shop's Jay Blades shares extremely rare photo of sons

However, things didn't go exactly to plan for the first year. "I just spent months handing flyers out and hearing nothing," said Will. "I think I made £890 in my first year.

will kirk fixing new© Photo: BBC

Will set up his own business following his father's passing

"That went down well with my girlfriend. Nice, solid man to future marry," he jokingly added.  

He went on to reveal that as time went on, his business began to grow. Eight years later, he was offered a job on The Repair Shop

Explaining how his role on the BBC show came about, Will said in the same interview: "I actually fit a piece of furniture for someone who worked for the production company. He picked up the furniture, he was very pleased with what I did and then he said, 'Do you mind if I come down to your workshop with a camera and a few cans of beer and we can have a chat about your furniture, restoring furniture and everything else?'

suzie fletcher and repair shop team© Photo: BBC

Will has starred on The Repair Shop since it first began in 2017

He continued: "So he recorded me on camera, I didn't hear anything for about five, six months and then I got a phone call saying 'We're developing a show. Do you mind if we come with you to drop off some furniture, film the people that you're dropping off for and record you fixing things,' and then two months later, 'Do you want to be on the show?'

"It was really weird," he added. 

Like this story? Sign up to our What to Watch newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.