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Dame Judi Dench tears up after late husband’s watch mended on The Repair Shop-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro
Dame Judi said the restoration was ‘sublime.’
Dame Judi was thrilled with the restoration (Picture: PA/Getty)
Dame Judi Dench was overwhelmed with emotion when her late husband’s pocket watch was restored by The Repair Shop team.
The James Bond actor had gifted the timepiece to Liverpudlian actor Michael Williams one year after they tied the knot in 1972.
The 87-year-old revealed he carried it in his pocket and ‘treasured it’ before he died from lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 65.
As part of a special live session of the BBC programme at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Wednesday, the veteran star had the sentimental item mended.
Before the Iris star appeared on stage, a clip was played which showed her presenting the team with the pocket watch.
Dame Judi told furniture restorer and presenter Jay Blades that she had given Williams the present while they were starring in a play together – and he had used it during the production.
The Belfast performer described her late spouse as ‘wonderful’, saying it would be ‘lovely’ if she could hear the pocketwatch work again as a reminder of the times they shared.
Dame Judi married Williams in 1971(Picture: Getty)
When presented with the spruced-up ticker, Dame Judi looked emotional, describing the restoration work as ‘sublime’ and holding it up to her ear to listen to it hum after many years of silence.
The team also pointed out that they had engraved her husband’s initials on the back of the watch for her, to which she replied: ‘Oh my word, that is more than I could possibly hope for. Thank you so much.’
Williams ‘treasured’ the pocket watch (Picture: Getty Images)
Dame Judi added that she was ‘full of admiration’ for the work they do and is an avid viewer of the show.
Last month, the veteran actor even revealed that she has named a teddy bear after Jay as she joked she had a crush on the furniture restorer.
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Dame Judi met Jay in the one-off The Repair Shop sketch for Comic Relief where she went to restore an old China doll and had to pretend that she fancied the host.
Afte revealing the programme makers sent her another teddy bear, Dame Judi revealed: ‘All my teddies have names and, of course, I’ve named this one. He’s called JB. After Jay Blades. He is really a remarkable man.’
The Repair Shop airs Wednesdays at 8pm on BBC One.
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