Repair Shop's Suzie Fletcher admits she 'had to escape' filming after personal struggles

The Repair Shop's Suzie Fletcher has opened up about the emotional challenges she faced on set, revealing that she "had to escape" after being overwhelmed by grief.

Suzie, who spent 22 years in America as a saddle-maker, returned to the UK following her husband's death. It was her brother Steve who convinced her to join The Repair Shop team, a decision she says has aided her through some incredibly tough times.

In her memoir, 'The Sun Over The Mountains', Suzie expresses how the BBC show has been therapeutic: "Being part of The Repair Shop has healed me from the inside. Using my skills in such a positive way has brought me joy and confidence."

She is full of praise for the crew, acknowledging their unwavering support: "If I've ever been worried or run into a problem, their very first words have been 'What can we do to help? What do you need?' This changes the dynamics of everything."

Despite the support, Suzie has faced some challenging moments, such as when she worked on a wooden rocking-horse owned by a woman named Julie, which held sentimental value, and had been previously restored by her husband, Paul.

Paul had tragically died before he could complete a second round of repairs. Julie entrusted the item to the Repair Shop star Will, with a heartfelt plea to preserve Paul's signature inscribed under the saddle.

"The handwriting of a loved one after they have gone is something very special," Suzie writes. "I have precious notes and cards from my late husband Rob. Some of the words were scribbled on scraps of paper, but I cherish and take comfort from them when I look at them from time to time, so I understood Julie's request."

To everyone's relief, Paul's inscription was perfectly preserved. Upon seeing it, Suzie struggled to contain her emotions: "As soon as I saw Paul's signature, I was biting my lip to keep back the tears.

"But sometimes there is no holding back grief, and that's when I revealed on camera the tragedy of my own life and how I had lost my husband to cancer."

In a moment of vulnerability, she expressed her gratitude for Steve's support: "Thank goodness Steve was there to hold me as I felt the waves of loss pass through my own body.

"I didn't expect to break down like this, but the trigger was enormous and I'd kept things bottled up for so long."

After the emotional scene, Suzie had to leave the barn to compose herself, and, upon returning, she found solace in her work: "After the tears, I felt some relief and was able to get on with the job."

"I was soon back in the zone, lost and completely absorbed in my work. I made an entirely new saddle and embellished it with gold foil embossing. I got on with the matching bridle and leather straps.

"By the time it was ready for Julie, it looked beautiful. On the day she came back to the barn, she didn't know about the date and Paul's signature.

"When I took the saddle off to show her, she was absolutely stunned and quite emotional. I understood how she felt, as a widow myself I had that extra layer of sensitivity, but at the time she didn't know about my own loss."