The Repair Shop viewers all make the same Only Fools and Horses joke

What did you miss?

The Repair Shop made a welcome return this week - but viewers were all making the same Only Fools and Horses joke about a broken down gate that used to belong to Roald Dahl.

One guest brought in the gate from a house she had just bought which used to belong to the late author's family, but it needed so many parts fixing that viewers thought it would end up "like Trigger's broom" in the classic sitcom.

BBC One favourite The Repair Shop was back for the second episode of the new series after fans were left disappointed last week when an old repeat aired just one week after season 13 began.

What, how, and why?

The Repair Shop was back with a new episode on Wednesday, featuring guest Hannah who had just bought a Buckinghamshire cottage that used to belong to Roald Dahl's mum and where the children's author had lived with her after returning from war.

Restorer Will Kirk was tasked with bringing the cottage's dilapidated gate back to its former glory – but it was in such a bad state that viewers all made the same joke about a classic moment from Only Fools and Horses.

In the hit sitcom, hapless character Trigger claims he has been maintaining the same broom for 20 years - but admits it has been through a number of different heads and handles in that time, meaning no part of the original is left.

Those watching The Repair Shop joked that the gate could go the same way as one person commented on X: "Reminds me of that bit in Only Fools and Horses, where Trigger says he had the same brush for 20 years, with 10 different heads, and 5 different handles."

Someone else agreed: "Watching #TheRepairShop on TV - There's something about that manky old Roald Dahl gate that reminds me of Triggers Broom Luv it when Will said "it looks like it was made from old banister posts" perhaps that lady is a little bit "too" obsessed."

Another viewer wrote: "I have a feeling that this gate is going to end up like Triggers broom." While someone else added: "That gate is going to be like Triggers broom." One person suggested: "Just get a new gate at this point."

However, Hannah looked delighted with the restoration which was unveiled back in place at her cottage, as she asked: "How did you transform all those pieces into a gate?"

Villagers turned out en masse to view the gate and one of them asked Kirk: "How much of the original gate is in there?" as the restorer replied: "Pretty much all of it."

Viewers were also impressed in the end as one person commented: "The Roald Dahl gate that Will fixed up... What a brilliant job on such a tremendous piece of history. Fabulous."

What else has been happening on The Repair Shop?

Last week, fans of the show were disappointed to find that BBC One was airing an old episode as a repeat just one week after the new season launched.

One viewer remarked on a youthful-looking Jay Blades, writing on X: "How old is this? Jay looks like a boy #therepairshop and where’s the new 1hr episode?"

Fans realised that the episode, which featured an old radio with huge sentimental value and a giant 6ft teddy bear, was actually years old.

One person wrote: "Not for the first time, @BBCOne starts a new series of #RepairShop only to revert to repeats part way through. In this case at episode 2!"

Another person wrote: "Wow, this episode of #TheRepairShop is as old as Gods dog!" while someone else added: "Unfair showing these old episodes that we have all seen before."

The Repair Shop airs on BBC One at 8pm on Wednesdays.

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