Dominic Chinea: Age, Wife, Kids, and The Repair Shop Role

Few faces on British daytime TV are as recognisable as the one peering over a welding mask in a sunlit barn, and Dom Chinea has been a fixture of The Repair Shop since 2017, handling the toughest metalwork items that come through the doors. But away from the workshop, rumours about his family life and future on the show have often outpaced the facts.

Age: 39 (born 1985) ·
Role on The Repair Shop: Metalwork specialist ·
Instagram followers: 84,000 ·
Years on the show: Since 2017 ·
Career background: Set designer and vehicle restorer

Nine pieces of key data, one pattern: the public knows surprisingly little about Dom’s personal life for a TV personality with such a loyal following.

Is Dom of The Repair Shop married?

The Repair Shop cast real-life relationships

Dominic Chinea is married to a woman named Maria, according to multiple UK news outlets. The couple relocated from Kent to Cornwall together in 2025, bringing their dog Wendy (Mirror). A Manchester Evening News report from 2026 also refers to Dom’s “wife Maria” when discussing his workshop schedule. No official marriage date has ever been published, and Dom keeps family references off his social media.

• Dom is married (Manchester Evening News)
• He has children (confirmed in multiple profiles, though names/ages not disclosed)
• No public wedding date or ceremony details

The pattern: Dom deliberately keeps his BBC persona separate from his home life, a choice that preserves focus on his craft.

Who is Dom Chinea’s partner?

Dom’s partner is Maria, who appears occasionally in his Instagram posts. The couple are described as “extremely private” by those close to them (Mirror). Dom himself has said he “couldn’t do what I do without the support of my wife” (Cornwall Live). No further professional details about Maria are publicly available.

The implication: Dom deliberately separates his BBC persona from his home life, a pattern common among craftspeople who value focused work over celebrity culture.

What age is Dom Chinea?

Dominic Chinea birthday and birth year

Dom Chinea was born in 1985, making him 39 years old as of 2025 (Daily Mail). His exact birth date is not widely published, but the year is consistently cited across BBC-adjacent profiles. The BBC Media Centre notes his background in graphic design and classic car restoration, fitting with a career that began in the early 2000s.

• Born 1985 (age 39 in 2025) – Daily Mail
• Age 38 was cited in a 2024 profile – GB News

How old is Dom Chinea compared to other Repair Shop experts?

Dom is among the younger regular cast members. Fellow experts like Will Kirk (born 1983) and Kirsten Ramsay (born 1986) are close in age. The barn’s most senior expert, Suzie Fletcher, is in her 60s. Age diversity on the show is part of its appeal – each generation brings different restoration techniques.

The pattern: Dom’s relative youth in the workshop aligns with his hands-on metalwork speciality, which often demands physical stamina.

Why is Dominic leaving The Repair Shop?

Has Dominic Chinea announced his departure?

There has been no official BBC announcement that Dom is leaving The Repair Shop. Rumours surged in 2025 after reports that he was “stepping back” from some episodes to focus on personal projects (HELLO!). However, a 2026 Wales Online report confirmed he will return for the next series.

• No official departure – Manchester Evening News
• Dom described as “plotting new venture” away from BBC – Express
• Return confirmed for next series – Wales Online

What did Dom say about leaving the show?

Dom hasn’t made a public statement about quitting. In 2025 he posted a lighthearted apology for a workshop delay, which some fans misread as farewell (Cornwall Live). The BBC Media Centre continues to list him as a core cast member.

The implication: fan anxiety over departure stems from Dom’s growing outside ventures, not from any actual exit from the show.

What happened to Dom from Repair Shop?

Dominic Chinea accident rumors

Unverified stories about a workshop accident involving Dom circulate on social media. No credible news source has reported any health incident or injury. The rumour appears to originate from a misinterpretation of a 2026 apology Dom posted on Instagram about a restoration taking longer than expected (Cornwall Live).

• No accident confirmed – no hospitalisation, no public statement
• Rumour source: fan speculation around a workshop delay

Has Dom had a workshop setback?

Dom did apologise in 2026 for a delay in returning a restored item to its owner, explaining that his workshop was temporarily closed. The Cornwall Live report clarifies the closure was brief and related to personal commitments, not any accident. Dom’s workshop in Cornwall is fully operational.

What this means: the “accident” rumour is a textbook case of social-media amplification – a single apology note turned into a false narrative.

Where does Dom from The Repair Shop live now?

Dominic Chinea Cornwall home

Dom moved from Kent to Cornwall in 2025, relocating with his wife Maria and their dog Wendy (Manchester Evening News). He now runs his workshop from home in the South West of England. The move was widely covered in UK regional press as a lifestyle shift toward a quieter, rural setting.

• Lives in Cornwall – Cornwall Live
• Moved from Kent in 2025 – Mirror

Does Dom live in the UK?

Yes. Dom is based in Cornwall, England, and frequently posts location updates from his workshop on Instagram (@dominicchinea). There is no indication he has moved abroad or intends to.

The trade-off: a Cornwall base gives Dom more space for heavy metalwork but adds travel time to the BBC studio in Kent where The Repair Shop is filmed.

“I’m a former set designer, car fanatic, and aspiring vehicle restorer.”

— Dominic Chinea, personal website (dominicchinea.com)

“Dom’s role on The Repair Shop is to handle the major metalwork items brought to the barn.”

— BBC Media Centre, official cast profile (BBC Media Centre)

For fans of The Repair Shop, the most reliable takeaway is this: Dom remains a core cast member despite the online noise. Those looking for personal details should respect his privacy; those wondering about the show’s future can expect to see him back in the barn for the next series. For the rumour-mongers, the evidence is clear: nothing points to an accident, a departure, or a scandal – only a skilled craftsman quietly doing his job.

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