Dame Helen Mirren and Gavin & Stacey icon confirmed for The Repair Shop 2025 Christmas special with an historical twist

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The Repair Shop is back for the holidays, and this year they’re welcoming some heartwarming Christmas guests.

Helen Mirren, Julia Donaldson, and Rob Brydon are all bringing cherished items to be repaired by skilled craftspeople, hoping to have them restored in time for the holidays.

I’m so excited to hear that Helen Mirren is bringing a truly special cello to the event! It’s a beautiful instrument from the Second World War, and it actually belongs to Denville Hall, a wonderful care home for people who’ve dedicated their lives to entertainment. She’s a huge supporter of theirs, which makes it even more meaningful to me.

Martin Landau, a theatre director who escaped Germany as a child on the Kinder transport, bequeathed a cello to Denville Hall. Tragically, the instrument had been damaged by the Nazis before he could leave his homeland.

I recently heard about this amazing cello that hasn’t been played in over eighty years! A local care home is hoping to get it restored, and I think it’s a wonderful idea. They already have a piano, and imagine how lovely it would be to have live music – a cello and piano duo – for the residents to enjoy during the Christmas season. It would really bring everyone together, and I’m hoping they can make it happen.

Mirren will look to expert Becky Houghton to help give the cello some much needed care.

Denville Hall is a truly special place, and we’ve been wanting to fix Martin’s cello for quite some time. Being able to restore the beautiful sound of his cherished instrument and hear it played again would be the best possible Christmas gift for everyone at Denville Hall.

Julia Donaldson and Rob Brydon are trying to fix a toy farmhouse, a cherished gift from Julia’s grandmother.

Julia and her sister spent countless hours playing with their toy farm, and it holds many cherished childhood memories. It even sparked the imagination behind the settings in some of her books.

I was so touched to hear about Julia Donaldson donating her family farmhouse! She’s giving it to Chestnut Tree House, a children’s hospice she’s worked with for years – she often reads her stories there, which is just lovely. And it’s not just the house itself; Will Kirk, the furniture restorer, and Kirsten Ramsay, a ceramics expert, are helping to restore it, making it a really special place for the children and families who will benefit. It’s a beautiful way to inspire a new generation, honestly.

Julia Donaldson fondly remembers how playing and creating stories was a cherished part of her childhood, especially while growing up on a farm with her sister. She’s thrilled that the farm is being restored so new generations of children can experience the same joy and imagination. She expressed her gratitude to Will, Kirsten, and Rob, and is eager to see the finished project.

Beyond helping out our celebrity guests, we’re also tackling a really cool project – fixing up a full-size mechanical Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! It actually belongs to the Leicestershire Fire Service, and it’s quite a sight. It’s a fun challenge for the team and a great cause, of course.

The team will repair an old sledge, used by a Northern Irish family for eighty years, and a worn-out carol book that’s important to a unique and beloved local tradition in Sheffield.

Julie Shaw, a commissioning editor at BBC Factual, described this year’s Christmas special of The Repair Shop as truly magical. She said it’s full of the warmth viewers expect from the show’s experts, making it a heartwarming and enjoyable experience – and perhaps even a bit emotional – this Christmas.

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2025-11-21 14:07