Dominic Chinea has become one of the most beloved stars of BBC One’s The Repair Shop since its debut in 2017. The show sees Dominic and other experts including Jay Blades, Suzie Fletcher and Will Kirk restoring old legacies to their former glory.
Prior to his television life, Dominic’s specialty was graphic design and car restoration.
He also worked as a set designer on celebrity photo shoots and music videos for many years.
Her resume includes building a London rooftop for Lewis Hamilton, working on a perfume campaign for Cheryl in Los Angeles and putting Miley Cyrus in a milk bath for a music video.
As a fully equipped metalworker, Dominic initially wanted to turn down a major television opportunity.
He explained in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk: “If you had met me before The Repair Shop, I would be the last person you would expect on camera.
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“Although I was very used to being on set, I was usually standing behind the set holding the pieces together.
“When the opportunity presented itself, my first reaction was to say ‘no way, it’s not for me!’
“I’m usually pretty quiet, so having six million people watching me work and listening to what I say is pretty daunting.”
After about six years on the show, Dominic says he’s “slowly getting used to it”.
Nevertheless, he admits that the barn can be a “difficult place sometimes”.
He said: “Hearing the emotional stories behind articles isn’t always easy. I feel enormous pressure to do the right thing for the owners and for the objects themselves.
It comes as Dominic will appear at this year’s Ideal Home Show in partnership with NatWest.
The steelworker said he was “so excited” to attend the event for the first time.
On what guests can expect, Dom said: “I’ll be on stage talking about my love of salvage yards and upcycling, sharing my tips and tricks to make people feel more confident to try things at home.”
The Ideal Home Show, in partnership with NatWest, the world’s longest running home and interiors exhibition, returns to Olympia London from Friday 11th to Sunday 27th March 2022.
Dominic will be at the show on Monday March 21.
A host of experts and celebrities will host Q&As on stage throughout the 17 days of the show. For more information and tickets, please visit idealhomeshow.co.uk.
