The Great British Sewing Bee is back! Here's everything you need to know
It's the news we've all been waiting for – The Great British Sewing Bee is back for 2024! We're loving watching the new series of this brilliant craft TV show, which sees 12 amateur sewers battle it out to be crowned the best in Britain.
Each week, they must take part in three challenges: a Pattern Challenge to test their basic dressmaking skills, a Transformation Challenge to assess their creativity, and a Made to Measure Challenge to create a bespoke garment.
At the end of each show, one sewer's creation is awarded Garment of the Week, and another is sent home from the competition. The final will see the remaining three sewers battle it out to be crowned winner.
When is The Great British Sewing Bee 2024 on TV?
The tenth series of the Sewing Bee started on Tuesday 21 May at 9pm on BBC One and available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Don't worry – if you missed the first few episodes, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer.
There is a new episode of the Sewing Bee every Tuesday at the same time.
The Great British Sewing Bee announced the news of the new series on their Instagram page, with a picture of Esme, Patrick and new presenter Kiell, alongside the caption:"The Bee is back.
"The Great British Sewing Bee returns Tuesday 21st May at 9pm on BBC One."
What happens to the clothes made the Sewing Bee?
A lot of viewers wonder what happens to the clothes made on the show after it airs. Well, we have the answer. In an interview with Metro in 2022, former presenter Sara Pascoe revealed that the sewers get to keep all the clothes they make as part of the competition.
But the fabric, example garments and other oddments also go to a good home. As Sara explains in the interview: "Everything that was wasted, they sent to refugees who needed to make clothes, and the clothes that the people design, they get to keep, everything gets sent to them".
The Great British Sewing Bee: The contestants
A new set of 12 amateur sewers will be taking part in the series, in the hope of being crowned the winner.
They are: Don, Alex, Marcus, Pascha, Luke, Lauren, Comfort, Georgie, Janet, Marcus, Ailsa and Suzy.
This year's participants were announced on Sewing Bee's Instagram account, with a graphic of all them alongside Patrick, Esme and Kiell. The caption said: "We’re sew excited to present our brand new bees."
We've got details on all of this year's contestants for you to scroll through – they look like a brilliant bunch!
The Great British Sewing Bee: The judges
Some of our favourites stars from previous series of Sewing Bee have returned to our screens. The competition is to be judged by expert judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant.
Esme is a designer who has enjoyed a brilliant career in the fashion industry, having taken up sewing aged just seven.
She launched her own fashion label in the 1970s called Swanky Modes, which featured in the pages of Vogue. Later in her career, she branched into costume design – perhaps most famously creating Renee Zellweger's iconic bunny outfit in Bridget Jones' Diary.
Esme will be joined by fellow judge Patrick Grant. Patrick is a designer and tailor and the owner of Savile Row tailors Norton and Sons. He also launched the social enterprise Community Clothing, which aims to selling great quality affordable clothing, while sustaining and creating great jobs in the UK's textile making regions.
The Great British Sewing Bee: The presenter
The previous series of the Sewing Bee was presented by comedian Sara Pascoe. She was on maternity leave during the filming of this series, and so comedian and actor Kiell Smith Bynoe has taken her place for series 10.
Kiell is perhaps best known for his roles in TV sitcoms Ghosts and Stath Lets Flats. Kiell presented the Sewing Bee Christmas special 2023, and was a contestant in the 2021 Christmas special, alongside Rev Kate Bottley, Antony Cotton, Anneka Rice, Lawrence Chaney, Rose Matafeo, Claire Richards and Kirsty Wark.
The Great British Sewing Bee is on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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