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Will Kirk reveals the surprising way he landed role on The Repair Shop

The woodwork expert joined the show in 2017

will kirk repair bbc shop
Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
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The Repair Shop star Will Kirk has opened up about the surprising way he landed his job on the beloved heirloom-fixing show. 

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Chatting on The TV Carpenter Podcast earlier this month, the woodwork expert revealed that he was offered the role after coming across someone who worked for the programme's production company. 

WATCH: Will Kirk surprises fans with epic transformation video

"I actually fit a piece of furniture for someone who worked for the production company," Will explained. "He picked up the furniture, he was very pleased with what I did and then he said, 'Do you mind if I come down to your workshop with a camera and a few cans of beer and we can have a chat about your furniture, restoring furniture and everything else?'

"I think he found it quite strange that someone so young was restoring antique furniture because whenever I go to someone's house to fix something and they open up the front door, they expect to see a wizard with a long beard, but no, it's just me. 

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"So, then I felt like I really had to prove myself to people to let them know that even though I was younger than what they'd expect, I can still do what I need to do." 

will kirk fixing new© Photo: BBC

Will landed the role after fixing furniture for someone at the production company

He continued: "So he recorded me on camera, I didn't hear anything for about five, six months and then I got a phone call saying 'We're developing a show. Do you mind if we come with you to drop off some furniture, film the people that you're dropping off for and record you fixing things,' and then two months later, 'Do you want to be on the show?

"It was really weird," he added. 

Prior to joining the much-loved BBC show, Will studied a course in antique restoration.

He told podcast host Wayne Perrey: "When I started on the course, I was the youngest person. I think a lot of people had signed up as a kind of later-in-life thing to do in retirement.

will jay repair© Photo: Instagram

Will joined the show back when it first started in 2017 

"Freshers Week was quite wild," he joked. "Lots of tea, lots of cake. Maybe that's a good thing, maybe that's why I completed my course."

Will then went on to work for a furniture restoration company before starting his own business. Eight years later he was offered a job on The Repair Shop

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