Dame Helen Mirren helps restore a WWII-era cello for a London care home’s Christmas show.

Dame Helen Mirren appears on the BBC One Christmas special of The Repair Shop, helping restore a WWII-era cello once owned by theatre director Martin Landau, who fled Nazi Germany via the Kindertransport. The instrument, untouched for over 80 years, is being repaired for use in Christmas performances at Denville Hall, a north London care home for entertainment workers. Mirren, a longtime supporter of the home, joins Julia Donaldson and Rob Brydon, who help restore a childhood toy farmhouse gifted by Donaldson’s grandmother—inspired by her stories and destined for a children’s hospice. Other repairs include a mechanical Rudolph reindeer, a battered Northern Irish sledge, and a worn carol book tied to a Sheffield tradition. The special highlights emotional stories, craftsmanship, and community spirit.