Suzie Fletcher, the leather expert on BBC’s The Repair Shop, has shared a moving moment with her late husband, Rob when he ‘accepted’ his terminal illness diagnosis
Suzie Fletcher, The Repair Shop’s leather expert, has shared a poignant memory of her late husband, Rob, who battled pancreatic cancer. The couple were married for 15 years before he suddenly passed away from the disease. She recalls how, while struggling to park his motorcycle, Rob revealed his diagnosis to fellow bikers as he admitted: “Look, man, I got cancer.” This moment marked a turning point for Rob as he accepted his condition, reports the Mirror.
In her memoir, The Sun Over The Mountains, Suzie wrote: “I saw the humiliation in his face.” She continued: “From that moment, I started to see a different look on his face. I’ve seen the same thing in other people who are terminally ill. You see it in their eyes and you can trace it along their brow. It registered with me that this was a new beginning for Rob. An acceptance.”
Suzie is a British master saddler and leather expert with nearly five decades of experience. She specialises in repairing and restoring leather goods, such as saddles and furniture, but is best known for her appearance on BBC One’s The Repair Shop. After 22 years of seeking thrills in America, Suzie found true love when she bumped into her future husband, Rob, soon after landing.
Tragically, their story reached a painful conclusion after a 15-year marriage when Rob died suddenly of pancreatic cancer in 2013, an event Suzie recalls as “one of those bolts out of the blue that you never expect is going to happen to you.” In an earlier heartfelt chat with Radio Times, she recounted the shock of her husband’s cancer diagnosis and his death just eight months later.
“He wasn’t the type to rush to the doctor, so by the time he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, it had already metastasised, and there was no chance of him surviving,” she shared tearfully. “It was eight months from that diagnosis to him passing away.”
The Repair Shop, a heart-warming staple of British TV, brings together skilled craftspeople who lovingly restore treasured family belongings and antiques back to their former glory. In episodes brimming with nostalgia, viewers watch experts proficient in trades like leatherwork, metalwork, and carpentry as they revive objects laden with cherished memories.
Suzie has won over fans with her exceptional talent in leather restoration, easily becoming a fan favourite on the series. The show also stars clock restorer Steve Fletcher, Suzie’s brother, showcasing family skill at its finest.