The Repair Shop star talks about an injury that permanently damaged his hand

The Repair Shop star Dean Westmoreland has revealed that one of his hands has been permanently damaged by his work.

The experienced cobbler has been helping Jay Blades restore beloved family heirlooms since joining the BBC One show in 2021. Although he finds the work “really fulfilling,” it is not without risks.

In a new interview with OK! Magazine, Westmoreland said the shape of one of his thumbs was permanently changed after he repeatedly got it caught in a machine.

Related: Stars of ‘The Repair Shop’ announce ‘exciting’ career change away from the show

“I have a flattened thumb,” he explained. “This thumb has caught on the machine so many times that it now has a flattened thumb.”

The injury, however, does not dampen Westmoreland’s passion for his craft. He continues: “I learn something new every day and that drives me to get better. You learn more in the shoe business than a lifetime. I’m hungry for it.”

He shared how it feels to return a repaired item to its owner, adding: “It’s really fulfilling. You know the history of the item, you get insight into people’s lives. So that’s an extra responsibility.”

“When you give it back and they are happy, it is a huge feeling of relief.”

Related: Jay Blades of The Repair Shop discovers he has 27 siblings

It was recently announced that Westmoreland’s Repair Shop co-star Jay Blades will continue his series Through Time on Channel 5.

While the previous series focused on the East End and the Midlands, in West End Through Time Blades speaks to historians and experts about the history of London’s West End.

“I love these series that bring to light eye-opening, surprising and extraordinary facts about the area we live in,” Blades said when announcing the show.

“London is fascinating and there is so much history to discover in the West End, with spectacular stories that many people have never heard. I think that audiences, like me, will be a little overwhelmed by some of the revelations that are coming their way.”

“The Repair Shop” airs on BBC One.

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