With the new season of The Repair Shop hitting our screens on Wednesday 10th April, there will be plenty of new people streaming through the famous barn doors in the hope of seeing a beloved object brought back to life.
Since its debut in 2017, the show has produced many memorable moments over the years, including one that required expert Will Kirk to “walk away” and another that left Chris Shaw fighting back tears. The team that makes these transformations possible includes Dean Westmoreland, the show’s cobbler.
Originally from Yorkshire, Dean began his career as a shoe specialist at JJB Sports before training as a shoemaker. After a decade of experience in the industry, he opened his shoe repair business Yorkshire Sole in 2017.
Four years later, in 2021, the TV star joined the show. Although he was a huge fan of the series before joining, he assumed that the work was done by the professionals in their own workshops and not in the barn itself.
“I thought it was all staged, but it’s as real as a TV show can be,” he said OK!.
As a result of his appearance on “The Repair Shop,” Dean says fans often come to his shop to learn more about the show, but admits that being noticed in public was “disturbing” at first.
“I’ve been recognised quite a lot in the last six to 12 months. It was a bit unsettling at first because I’m quite private, but everyone’s been really nice. I haven’t had to deal with any criticism yet. People love the show and what we do. I’m lucky to be a part of it, so I try to embrace it,” he explained.
Because Dean’s job involves repairing shoes, he is physically demanding and occasionally gets his thumb caught on machinery, which has resulted in a permanent deformity of the thumb.
“I have a flattened thumb,” he revealed. “That thumb got caught on the machine so many times that it’s now flattened.” Not surprisingly, he added that he gets some hand pain after a long day of shoemaking.
Away from the show, Dean is a loving father to his two young sons, who he says are his biggest fans. “They’re still pretty young, so it’s still exciting for them,” he said. “They’re proud, but I think as they get older they’ll be a little embarrassed.”
