THE Repair Shop host Jay Blades had admitted to making "terrible mistakes" in his love life and "losing his way catastrophically".
The furniture repairman admitted that at one point, things got so bad he contemplated whether or not to "carry on living at all" after a relationship went sour.
In his book, Making It: How Love, Kindness and Community Helped Me Repair My Life, Jay, 51, opened up about his troubles before TV.
The host revealed how he had made some big and "terrible mistakes",in his life and relationships before starring in the show in 2017.
He wrote: "I’ve been more than a little bit naughty and I could have turned into a proper wrong ’un, but I’m relieved to say that I managed to turn my life around.
“And the impulses that helped me to do that are the same ones that power The Repair Shop – love, and family and community."
He explained that "before TV" had had "quite a few" others lives, including working with homeless people and would-be delinquent teenagers.
"I was a community worker and a philosophy student," he added. "And after being on the wrong side of the law, I even found myself policing the police."
Intimately opening up about his love life, Jay added: "Like everybody, I’ve fallen in love and seen relationships go wrong. I’ve done things that I’ve been proud of, and made terrible mistakes.
"I even, not all that long ago, lost my way so catastrophically that I broke down and wondered if I wanted to carry on living at all."
Jay has found success as a TV host on The Repair Shop, with millions of viewers flocking to watch it week on week.
He recently told HELLO magazine of the secret behind its success, putting it down to the "very personal" stories from the guests.
"I think [the show] is so popular because it represents a community of experts working on behalf of someone we don't really know.
"I feel fortunate that people come in with these items and some of the stories and the history related to them are quite raw and very personal."
Jay has been hosting the show, which sees experts craftsmen and women use their talents to repair priceless heirlooms, since its debut in 2017.
The Repair Shop is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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