Dame Helen Mirren gasps as she makes ‘iconic’ Repair Shop debut

Dame Helen Mirren was overwhelmed by the ‘beautiful and iconic’ Repair Shop barn as she stepped inside to film this year’s Christmas special. 

The legendary actress, 80, is appearing on the uplifting TV show to support a charity close to her heart – and give them a Christmas to remember.

Namely, Denville Hall, a care home for people who have worked in the entertainment industry.

In a first-look clip, the actress says: ‘Oh my goodness, this is beautiful! Oh My God, this is exactly the same as it is on the TV. What an Iconic place to find myself.’ 

‘Thank you. It’s sort of a lot of people’s dream to be here so thank you so much for having me.’

Dame Helen is bringing an old cello belonging to the care home for restoration in the hope that it can be fixed up for Christmas carols. 

Upon entering the festively decorated barn in the first-look clip, Dame Helen described the restoration of the cello – which dates back to World War Two – as a ‘big challenge’. 

The cello was left to Denville Hall by theatre director Martin Landau. Originally from Germany, Martin fled the country on the Kinder transport, but unfortunately his cello was broken by the Nazis before he was able to get on the train. 

In terms of the cello, it’s not been played in over 80 years, and the care home would love to have it restored so that it can be used alongside the piano they have, to perform Christmas songs, uniting their elderly residents.  

The first-look clip comes after Dame Helen revealed that she’d love to get her late mother’s old sewing machine fixed on the Repair Shop ahead of the show’s Christmas special. 

Ahead of the episode airing, Helen has told how there is one sentimental item she’d love to get fixed at the repair shop if she was visiting in a personal capacity: her late mother’s sewing machine. 

She told The Mirror: ‘I still use it although it’s getting a little bit on its last legs. I would just love to bring it back.

‘One of my earliest memories was of my parents sewing things. My father originally worked in a tailor’s shop in the East End. I remember them making sails for a sailing boat.

‘I make clothes with it now as well, so I would love to see that repaired.’

Dame Helen previously explained: ‘Denville Hall is a very special place and we’ve long talked about repairing Martin’s cello.

‘As you can imagine to be able to restore the voice of his prized possession and hear it play once more’ will be the greatest Christmas gift for the community at Denville Hall.’ 

Also visiting the magical barn this Christmas is Julia Donaldson, the author of the BBC’s forthcoming Christmas animated adventure The Scarecrow’s Wedding.

Actor Rob Brydon, who has voiced a character in every one of Donaldson’s animated adaptations, will join Julia as they seek to a repair a toy farmhouse that was given to Julia by her granny.

The Repair Shop Christmas special will air on Boxing Day at 7:30pm on BBC One and be available to stream on iPlayer.