DAME Judi Dench was resorted to tears after The Repair Shop team fixed her late husband’s treasured possession.
The veteran actress had the sentimental item mended as part of a special live session of the BBC show to mark the programme’s fifth anniversary.
Before Judi appeared on stage, a video tape played which showed her presenting the team with the pocket watch.
She had given the timepiece to her late husband, actor Michael, in 1972 – one year after they married.
Dame Judi told furniture restorer and programme host Jay Blades that she had given Williams the watch while they were starring in a play together and that he had used it during the production.
She said that afterwards he carried it in his pocket and ‘treasured it’ before he died from lung cancer in 2001 at the age of 65, after they had been married for just under 30 years.
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The couple became household names by appearing together in the hit ITV sitcom A Fine Romance.
The show ran for 26 episodes over four series between 1981 and 1984, attracting millions of viewers on Sunday nights.
The actress described her late husband as ‘wonderful’ and said it would be ‘lovely’ if she could hear the pocket watch work again as a reminder of the times they shared.
Another clip showed horologist Steve Fletcher dismantling the watch so he could thoroughly clean it and repair its mechanisms.
As Judi was presented with the repaired watch live on stage at the TV festival, she appeared emotional and described the work as “sublime”.
The team also pointed out that they had engraved her husband’s initials on the back of the watch for her, to which she replied: “Oh my word, that is more than I could possibly hope for. Thank you so much.'”
She added that she was “full of admiration” for the work they do and is an avid viewer of the show.
Asked what she intended to do with the watch, she said she’d like to pass it on to her daughter Finty or grandson Stanley.
