A TV presenter from The Repair Shop has spoken out about his dyslexia and mental health in men at a talk in Bolton.

The event hosted by Bolton Library and the Manchester City Of Literature saw Jay Blades at the Bolton Library lecture theatre talking to the audience about his life.

Jay talked to the stunned audience about living with dyslexia after revealing last year he was learning to read aged 51.

He said: “Reading at the library was like kryptonite. I didn’t know at the time is was dyslexia and in the 70s, if you went to class and couldn’t read, you were dumb.

“But all of these experiences have led to me being here.

“I don’t hold resentment towards people that were racist at school or to the police that beat me up.”

The audience were in fits of laughter as Jay spoke about how underwhelming Father’s Day was and how men would also like flowers.

He said: “Vulnerability is true masculinity.

“On Father’s Day we get tools and told to go fix it. Ladies, buy your gentleman flowers too.

“Men’s mental health is a huge thing now and suicide rate is 40 per cent, that’s a massive rate.”

Jay enjoyed talking to the audience about his time on BBC’s The Repair Show and the people that grace its episodes.

He said: “There’s so many memorable moments so picking my favourite is like picking my favourite child.

“People bring something in and it’s not just an object it’s memories to them. There’s history attached to what they bring and you don’t realise it until you hear the story.

“Then you don’t even want to touch the furniture out of respect, you almost feel like you have no right.”

Jay made everybody laugh as he recounted his time at a criminology lecture and didn’t see eye to eye with a professor as he didn’t understand.

The TV star’s learning journey is also to be documented in a one-off BBC One film, Jay Blades: Learning To Read At 51.

Jay a furniture restorer and designer, was given his MBE honour by the Prince of Wales in May for services to craft and in recognition of his work promoting heritage craft and restoration in the UK.

His book, Jay’s DIY Bible, is out now available at all major retailers.