Expert craftsman Dominic Chinea, a familiar face on the much-loved BBC series The Repair Shop, has shed light on his personal struggles after making a huge decision with his wife.
Dominic Chinea has disclosed he’s been battling an injury after enduring “nightmare” difficulties at his new home and workshop, which left his “life’s collection” in ruins. The expert craftsman and metalworker is a familiar face to viewers of the BBC’s beloved programme The Repair Shop, celebrated for restoring cherished family heirlooms to their former glory.
Over nearly a decade on the show, audiences have watched Dom employ his exceptional skills to revive treasures. Outside the programme, he’s broadened his following via his personal YouTube channel, showcasing his expertise on projects ranging from vintage motorbikes to classic vehicles.
He’s also fronted his own five-part Channel 4 series, Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop, chronicling his move with wife Maria from Kent to a rural farmhouse in Cornwall, where he’s set up his working space.
Yet, things haven’t been entirely plain sailing for the metalwork expert, who’s faced some difficult circumstances.
He disclosed that the pair’s new property still “needs a lot of work” and, compounding matters, Dom’s workshop was hammered by the “scary, nightmare” storms Goretti and Chandra, which ripped off portions of the roof and inflicted damage on vehicles he was restoring, including a VW Caddy and a Porsche 356.
Dom told The Telegraph‘s Helen Brown: “My life’s collection: all my precious tools and machinery were out in the elements going rusty, whilst I was desperately, desperately trying to get some walls built, the floor poured and the roof repaired so I could bring them inside.
“They’re my babies almost, you know? And they were just getting ruined. After a year of digging and moving concrete blocks and repairing the roof, I’d just about got things watertight and was starting to unpack stuff to get the workshop running. Then, bang, I hurt my hand. It got pulled into a drill when I was making a wheeling machine for my YouTube channel.”
When Helen observed that the injury seemed to be healing, Dom made clear that the cuts weren’t the main issue.
He pointed out that the real problem was the “deep bruises”, saying he had “sausage fingers” and was unable to move two of them. In comments made last year, he discussed how he was “plotting” the new programme.
His remarks emerged on the We Are Makers’ YouTube channel, where he admitted he “never thought” he would produce content for the enormously popular video platform, though he acknowledged this was similar to his journey into television. He characterised it as a “very interesting shift”.
Dominic explained: “It sort of started, partly lockdown, at the start of lockdown, we finished filming Repair Shop, and I was just like, we’ve been talking about it. I mean, Dan, who…Dan Cross, super talented guy. He filmed Repair Shop for years, and he edits all the videos for me.”
He continued: “Films when he can; he’s busy, but he edits every single video for me. So, it’s both; we’re kind of in it together, basically. We’d sort of be plotting at lunchtimes at Repair Shop. We’d be like, ‘Oh, should we do a YouTube channel? We should do a YouTube channel. We should do it’, because he loves filming; I like creating. We like making stuff. It’s creative; it is a very creative experience.”
Last month, reports emerged covering the installation of a new two-post vehicle lift in his workshop.
Later on in the video, Dom expressed his delight that his garage looked far better than before. He explained: “I can’t wait to get stuck into some projects now in the workshop.
“Life is going to be a lot easier. All the windows are in, the roller shutters are in, the roof is bolted down, not leaking as badly, and I’ve got my nice flat concrete floor, and now a beautiful new two-post lift. The only issue is I’m now in Chichester, where it’s starting to film Repair Shop tomorrow, but I do kind of wish I was there able to use that new lift, but that’s going to have to wait until next week.”
