The Repair Shop’s Dominic Chinea announces rival show away from BBC after sparking concern with major life update
BBC Repair Shop expert Dominic Chinea has revealed he will star in a new factual series whilst making a major life change.
The 39-year-old metalwork specialist is currently filming Dom Chinea’s Cornish Workshop after relocating from Kent to Cornwall with his wife Maria and their dog Wendy.
The five-part series, set to air next year on U&YESTERDAY and streaming platform U, will document Chinea transforming a rundown farmhouse and converting an agricultural barn into his new workshop.
The property includes two acres of land which he plans to develop into a garden.
“I’m so excited by the projects we’ve got going on,” Chinea said in a statement about his new venture.
Each episode will feature Chinea undertaking automotive, engineering and construction projects whilst racing to weatherproof his workshop before autumn storms arrive.
He will be joined by Sam Lovegrove and local tradespeople throughout the series.
The programme promises to showcase community involvement, with Chinea helping neighbours on various projects. These include assisting his local church with their bells and constructing a bespoke ice cream vehicle for a resident.
“But on top of the engineering, I’ve also got to get my Cornish workshop built and weatherproof before the autumn storms hit. There’s a lot of pressure!” Chinea added.
The series has been described as containing “big and little stories” in each episode, combining the workshop transformation with his community projects.
The announcement comes after fans expressed worry about Chinea’s wellbeing following a YouTube video he posted last month.
In the video, filmed from a hotel room near Whitby whilst shooting The Repair Shop on location, the craftsman appeared visibly tired.
“It’s been a long day. It’s been a long week, but I didn’t want to let you down,” he told viewers whilst attempting to film a “Mukbang” style video.
Concerned fans flooded the comments section urging him to slow down. “Dom! You look frazzled and tired, please don’t burn yourself out,” one viewer wrote.
Another commented: “Everyone here loves what you do, and I am sure we all say SLOW DOWN.”
Several viewers suggested he should consider hiring an assistant to help manage his demanding workload.
Chinea recently explained his decision to relocate in a YouTube Q&A video. When asked why he chose to move to Cornwall, he simply responded: “Why not?”
The Repair Shop star revealed that owning rather than renting workspace was a key factor in the move. “Previously, I rented my old workshop, and every month was giving a lot of money to a landlord to rent the space,” he explained.
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“Now it’s my space, and whatever I do to it, it’s mine, and that is enough of a reason for me.”
He also highlighted the benefits of his new property, saying: “Moving to Cornwall has meant I’ve got the house, a lovely field that I can turn into a nice garden, and most importantly a big barn that is now mine, that is my workshop.”