Foxtel has announced that production has commenced for The Repair Shop for the LifeStyle channel. Filming started in Sydney this week and the cast announced for the series include host Dean Ipaviz, responsible builder and sustainability expert in his field. Dean leads a team of seven highly skilled craftspeople. Together they come to the rescue of treasured possessions which are broken or damaged and deserve to be returned to their former glory.
The Repair Shop UK is often referred to as ‘one of the loveliest, feel-good, heart-warming shows on television’ and will now enjoy a uniquely Australian flavour for this format.
Everybody has something that means too much to them to be thrown away, and the Repair Shop team not only restores these items, but also the memories they hold. From family heirlooms to loved ones’ treasured possessions, they’re painstakingly restored so they can be passed down to future generations.
Host Dean Ipaviz is a qualified builder, project manager and carpenter by trade and is passionate about the environment and committed to sustainability. His role as host on The Repair Shop is a great fit for Dean, who has a love of second-hand furniture, restoration, and upcycling. Dean runs his own building business, Verdecon, dedicated to educating people around greener building principles and helping them understand that by taking active steps to reduce their carbon footprint, they can have a significant and positive impact on the environment. Dean’s company is the first B-corp certified and Carbon Neutral residential builder in Australia. Dean’s previous television roles include co-host of Escape From The City (ABC TV), Best Houses Australia on 7two and Dream Home Ideas on The Home Channel.
Brian Walsh, Foxtel’s executive director of television, said: “Foxtel is delighted to have scored the exclusive format rights to The Repair Shop, the most successful new franchise to come out of the U.K. in recent years. It is the right show for the right time, uplifting, inspirational, entertaining, and heart-warming. Feel good television at its best!
“Along with this exciting new format we also welcome a fresh cast of passionate artisans and repair enthusiasts who we know will click with audiences of the LifeStyle channel. As with all our Lifestyle shows, our talent are the real deal, authentic, entertaining and experts in their field. Like our established hits, Gogglebox, Selling Houses Australia, Grand Designs Australia, Love It Or List It Australia and The Great Australian Bake Off, we know that Australian viewers will fall in love with The Repair Shop.”
Dean Ipaviz said: “I’m unbelievably excited to be involved in a show that I’ve followed (and loved) for a few years now. We’re taking a peek back into Australia’s history on some pieces and getting a bird’s eye view into how things used to be done, before mass production and the “throw away culture” that we live in today.
“I can’t wait to work with a group of artisans that live and breathe restoration and repair. For me there is something really unique about taking old items that are really precious to us as people and restoring them to their former glory. It ties into my beliefs around a circular economy and I hope it will be the impetus for others to look into the restoration of their own heirlooms.”
The Repair Shop is produced by Warner Bros International Television Productions (WBITVP) exclusively for Foxtel’s LifeStyle Channel and premieres in 2022.