Repair Shop's Suzie Fletcher reveals she suffered breakdown after filming hit BBC series

Suzie Fletcher, celebrated leather and saddle expert from The Repair Shop, has opened up about her past life across the pond in her tell-all memoir titled 'The Sun Over The Mountains'.

Having lived an adventurous 22 years in America, Suzie's love story began shortly after she arrived there when she met her soul mate Rob. Their marriage, a journey of 15 years, ended in heartbreak when Rob died of pancreatic cancer in 2013.

In her compelling autobiography, Suzie details her emotional departure from her farm in 2017, making her way back to British shores. She admits to letting go of numerous belongings that held memories, including "shredded" photographs and letters, along with other sentimental mementos she had "thrown away". Suzie disclosed: "I was travelling light but my heart was heavy. It's funny how we say someone has 'baggage' - I definitely did."

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Her narrative also covers a period of intense personal struggle when she said: "I don't think I realised just how laden down I'd become until I had a breakdown sometime after filming the first series of The Repair Shop. Even after experiencing moments of panic in the US, I didn't know what was happening."

'It's taken time to rationalise what I've been through and even longer to repair the damage'
(Image: BBC)

Drawing back the curtain further, she noted how years of enduring stress had their toll: "My body had been flooded with cortisol and adrenaline for so long that I had to retrain myself how to breathe and keep calm. It's taken time to rationalise what I've been through and even longer to repair the damage."

She recounted the loneliness of post-filming life, saying she was "suddenly confronted" with her past ordeals while feeling stuck in limbo. There were even moments when Suzie felt the pull of America again, as settling back in the UK seemed daunting and left her feeling "so unfamiliar" and "fragile". She also expressed how she was pining for her animals and felt "completely lost and rootless". But, the moment came as a "relief" when The Repair Shop's production team reached out to enquire if she'd fancy returning for another season of the show.

Suzie's sense of "fright and flight" began to fade after she agreed to come back, and over time, with a new routine in place and the support of friends and family, she found herself on the mend. Furthermore, she shared that she gave Rob "all of my heart" and is "pleased" that she could support him during his "final months of life", describing it as a "privilege to be with him until the end".

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