BBC The Repair Shop expert makes confession over difficult and emotional fix: 'Never as bad as this'

Olivia Gantzer
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:22:42 +0000

The Repair Shop star Steve Fletcher faced one of the most demanding challenges of his career on the latest episode of the BBC favourite, admitting he'd never worked on anything "as bad as this."

The tricky task came when a weather-beaten model watermill arrived at the programme's barn in a state of near-total disrepair.

The horologist and restoration specialist, who has been a fixture on the beloved show since its launch in 2017, was visibly taken aback by the condition of the item placed before him.

Examining the crumbling structure alongside fellow expert Sonnaz Nooranvary, Mr Fletcher made a striking admission about the scale of the task ahead.

"Yeah, I've done up old buildings, and I don't think any of them were as bad as this," he remarked, acknowledging the severity of the deterioration.

Ms Nooranvary had already quipped: "I'm no builder, but needless to say, this looks like it's seen much better days."

The miniature watermill was brought to the workshop by Dawn Shrives from West Sussex, who arrived with a deeply personal story behind the dilapidated model.

Her late father had constructed the intricate piece entirely by hand back in 1996, crafting each individual brick himself.

The model had been designed to sit outside the family home, its red brickwork intended to mirror the house itself.

Dawn's father had ambitious plans for his creation, wanting it to function as a genuine working watermill with an underground chamber to power the wheel.

Tragically, he passed away in 2014 before fully realising his vision, and the model remained outside, exposed to the elements.

When Dawn's mother subsequently moved to a smaller bungalow, the deteriorating watermill became an increasingly painful sight.

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"He's touched every single piece of this. He's crafted this, and she looks out her front window and sees this deteriorating; it's just so sad to see," Dawn explained.

The emotional weight of the restoration was clear as she described what it would mean to have the piece restored.

"So to have it brought back to life for the family, for mum, would just be amazing. Just to see it put back together and whole again, I think, is almost- we can't even think of that," she added.

Mr Fletcher committed to doing everything in his power to revive the treasured family heirloom, though the enormity of the undertaking was apparent.

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The expert painstakingly recreated bricks to replace those that Dawn's father had originally fashioned by hand decades earlier.

His meticulous work ultimately proved successful, with the depleted model transformed back to its former glory.

Most remarkably, Mr Fletcher managed to fulfil the original dream that Dawn's father never completed, adding water to make the wheel turn as intended all those years ago.

The emotional reveal saw Dawn return to the barn with her mother Pam to witness the finished restoration.Both women were moved to tears upon seeing what Mr Fletcher had accomplished with the cherished family piece.Pam expressed her gratitude immediately, while Dawn exclaimed: "Look at that! Isn't that lovely?"Her mother added: "Gosh, that's amazing. You've done all of these (roof tiles). Gosh, thank you."