The Repair Shop's Suzie Fletcher has shared why facing "problems" presented on the BBC programme genuinely brings her happiness. Initially, it was her sibling, the show's clockmaker, who recommended her for the role as she prepared to return to the UK.

Suzie met her late husband in Colorado after travelling to the United States to work as a master saddler in Illinois. While she had only planned to stay for two years, she ended up remaining in America for a further 20 before finally coming back to Britain.

Suzie credits The Repair Shop with helping her navigate difficult times after she left America following her husband's death, which had extended her stay across the Atlantic.

Speaking to Horse and Hound magazine, Suzie said: "I went to the USA in the 1990s as a master saddle maker – I only intended to stay for a few years but I met a fella and got married."

Her brother Steve, the clockmaker on The Repair Shop, recommended her for the role and she landed the job shortly thereafter. Suzie remarked: "Problem-solving is something that really fires me up, which is why I enjoy the problems that come into me on the show."

"I'm really pleased the programme has such a good following. It promotes things that we care about and keeps skills and crafts alive."

In her memoir, The Sun Over The Mountains, Suzie detailed how The Repair Shop played a vital part in her recovery journey. She wrote: "Being part of The Repair Shop has healed me from the inside. Using my skills in such a positive way has brought me joy and confidence.

"If I've ever been worried or run into a problem, their very first words have been 'What can we do to help? What do you need?' This changes the dynamics of everything."

The BBC star has endured not only the heartache of loss but also the torment of a troubled relationship with her late husband, Rob.

Writing in The Mail, she recalled a particularly harrowing incident: "That's when he got me with his forearm under my throat," she revealed.

"I honestly thought I was going to die. He was choking me and could easily have killed me. I don't know why but eventually he let go."

The experience left her shattered: "I was profoundly shocked. I'd always thought it could never happen to me. Not that. He would never hurt me. Now I knew what my husband was capable of," she explained.

Reflecting on her experience with The Repair Shop, Suzie continued: "Steve, Jay, the team of experts, the camera crew, the producers, the directors and the people behind the scenes have always been kind and believed in me."

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