BBC’s The Repair Shop confirms Helen Mirren will star in “magical” Christmas special

The popular show The Repair Shop has announced some exciting guests for its Christmas special. Dame Helen Mirren will be appearing, bringing with her a cello from the Second World War that needs restoring.

This special episode will feature a visit from Julia Donaldson, the author of The Gruffalo, and Rob Brydon, known for Gavin & Stacey.

Helen Mirren, an Academy Award winner, has donated an item from Denville Hall, a care home for retired entertainment professionals. The item is a cello that once belonged to theatre director Martin Landau, who escaped Germany as a child on the Kindertransport shortly before the start of World War II.

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The Nazis damaged the instrument before it could be transported, and it hasn’t been played for over eighty years. Now, the care home is hoping to restore it so residents can enjoy live Christmas carols.

Donaldson and Brydon are working together to fix a toy farmhouse that belonged to the author as a child. Her grandmother gave it to her, and it actually inspired the setting in several of her stories.

Plus, the Repair Shop team will be fixing a full-size mechanical Rudolph for the Leicestershire Fire Service, along with an eighty-year-old sledge and a carol book.

Helen Mirren described Denville Hall as a cherished location and explained that restoring Martin’s cello has been a long-held goal. She said being able to revive the beautiful sound of his beloved instrument and hear it played again would be a wonderful Christmas present for everyone at Denville Hall.

Julie Shaw, a commissioning editor at BBC Factual, says this year’s Christmas episode of The Repair Shop will be especially heartwarming, bringing the magic of the season to viewers.

Viewers familiar with and fond of the heartwarming atmosphere of The Repair Shop will find this a delightful and relaxing Christmas watch – it might even bring a tear to your eye.

The Repair Shop airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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2025-11-21 18:49