Meet the Pottery Throw Down contestants before the new series starts
It's one of our favourite craft TV shows, so we can't wait for The Great Pottery Throw Down to return to our screens this weekend. And there's even more to look forward to now this year's contestants have been announced.
Another 12 amateur potters will be taking to the pottery studio to have their efforts judged by experts Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones. They'll battle it out in two challenges each week, in a bid to be crowned the best amateur potter in the UK and the winner of the show.
Who are the contestants on The Great Pottery Throw Down series 8?
We can't wait to see the new class of pottery enthusiasts take to the studio, to complete the tasks set for them by judges Rich and Keith. As well as being pottery lovers, these six men and women are from all over the UK, and their day jobs include being model, cycle tour guide and swimming instructor.
Here's everything we know about this year's contestants:
Chris, 36
Chris spent six years in the British Army and during a deployment to Afghanistan, he lost his leg in an IED explosion. He left the army and took up archery, getting selected for the Invictus Games and GB Athletic team. Chris enjoys skydiving and even parachuted into his own wedding.
Francesca, 28
Francesca is a professional make up artist. She discovered pottery during a visit to see her mum in India – she joined a local pottery course and has never looked back. After travelling all over the world, she now lives in Bristol.
Diana, 62
Diana is a retired art, design and textiles teacher. She and her husband bought a smallholding in Dorset when they retired, and now they spend their days rearing their own animals and growing vegetables. Diana is using her retirement to pursue her hobbies, and as well as pottery throwing enjoys knitting, playing the piano and singing in her local choir.
Hayley, 55
Hayley is a social worker and lives in Suffolk with her husband and two children. She originally discovered pottery as a way to relax outside work, and takes a lot of inspiration from nature in her creations.
Imy, 22
Imy is a model and deaf advocate, working to help deaf young people feel less alone. She travelled solo around Thailand, Australia and Bali, then came home and took a pottery class and became hooked. Now she loves to take her hearing aids out and get lost in the clay.
James, 42
James is a project manager and lives in Belfast with his partner and son, and previously worked as a cake maker. He discovered pottery three years ago after taking a night class with his sister-in-law.
Jonathan, 61
Jonathan lives in Scotland with his wife, where they run a holiday let business together. 15 years ago, Jonathan broke his neck in a cycling accident and was briefly paralysed from the neck down. This led him to discover pottery, as he was given clay as part of his physical recuperation.
Natalie, 41
Natalie is a swimming and aqua aerobics instructor from Derby. She was previously a dancer, which took her all across the world. Her pottery is often inspired by the places she's visited and the dancing costumes she wore.
Steve, 48
Steve works as an animator and lives in Herefordshire. He has many hobbies, including beer brewing, fishing, gardening and shoemaking. Steve discovered pottery a few years ago and now creates from a studio in his garden.
Stephen, 58
Stephen is an audio visual and IT technician and lives in Birmingham, where he has a pottery studio in his garage. Away from pottery and work, Stephen likes Smurf collecting, hula hooping and treasure hunting.
Victor, 31
Victor is a digital product designer, originally from Hong Kong but now living in London. When he's not honing his pottery skills, Victor enjoys running, cooking and catching up with friends.
Olivia, 26
Olivia is an art and design teacher and cycle tour guide in her home city of Liverpool. When she's not thinking about clay, she plays drums with her dad’s political punk rock band and attends music and arts festivals with her boyfriend.
The Great Pottery Throw Down starts on Sunday 5 January at 7.45pm on Channel 4.
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