The Great British Sewing Bee

The Great British Sewing Bee is a BBC reality show that began airing on BBC Two on 2 April 2013. In the show, talented amateur sewers compete to be named "Britain's best home sewer".[1] A spin-off of the format of The Great British Bake Off, the programme was presented by Claudia Winkleman[2] for the first four series, with judges Patrick Grant, May Martin (series 1–3), and Esme Young (since series 4). After a three-year hiatus, the series returned in 2019, with Joe Lycett taking over as presenter. The sixth series began airing on BBC One in April 2020 and the seventh began airing in April 2021. Sara Pascoe took over as presenter from series 8, which began airing in April 2022.

For the most recent series, see The Great British Sewing Bee (series 9).

The Great British Sewing Bee
GenreReality
Game show
Presented by
Judges
Theme music composerIan Livingstone
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series9
No. of episodes54 (plus 6 specials)
Production
Executive producerAnna Beattie
Producers
  • Susanne Rock
  • Suzanne McGairl
Production locations
  • Other Cafe and Gallery
  • Metropolitan Wharf
  • Bermondsey
EditorSusanne Rock
Running time60 minutes
Production companyLove Productions
Release
Original networkBBC Two (2013–2019)
BBC One (2020–present)
Original release2 April 2013 (2013-04-02) –
present (present)
Related
The Great British Bake Off
The Great Pottery Throw Down

Series format

The show format is similar to The Great British Bake Off in that each episode features three challenges within an overall theme. The series starts with 10 amateur sewers, with the weakest eliminated each episode. In the Pattern Challenge, the judges give them the same pattern, which they must follow as accurately as possible. In the Transformation Challenge, each sewer is given an identical existing garment to reinvent as a specified different type of garment. In the third Made-to-measure Challenge, the sewers design and create their own garments, and must adjust their patterns to fit human models.[3]

Series overview
Series Episodes Premiere Finale Winner Average UK viewers
(millions)
1 5 2 April 2013 23 April 2013 Ann Rowley 2.98
2 8 18 February 2014 8 April 2014 Heather Jacks 3.23
3 6 5 February 2015 12 March 2015 Matt Chapple 3.14
4 8 16 May 2016 4 July 2016 Charlotte Newland 3.16
5 8 12 February 2019 2 April 2019 Juliet Uzor 3.79
6 10 22 April 2020 24 June 2020 Clare Bradley 6.07
7 10 14 April 2021 16 June 2021 Serena Baker 5.78
8 10 27 April 2022 29 June 2022 Annie Phillips 4.72
9 10 24 May 2023 26 July 2023 Asmaa Al-allak TBA

Series 1 (2013)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 1)

The first series of The Great British Sewing Bee started on 2 April and aired for four episodes, concluding on 23 April 2013. The series was hosted by Claudia Winkleman and the judges were WI tutor May Martin and Patrick Grant of Savile Row. The all-female final was won by Ann, with Sandra and Lauren as runners up.

Series 2 (2014)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 2)

A second series of The Great British Sewing Bee began airing on 18 February 2014 on BBC Two. The series was filmed at Metropolitan Wharf in London, with Claudia Winkleman returning as host alongside May Martin and Patrick Grant as the judges. Once again it was an all-female final, which was won by Heather, with Chinelo and Tamara as the runners up.

Series 3 (2015)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 3)

The third series of The Great British Sewing Bee began airing over six weeks from 5 February 2015 on BBC Two. It was once again filmed at Metropolitan Wharf in London, with Claudia Winkleman returning as host alongside resident judges May Martin and Patrick Grant. After six weeks of competition, the ten sewers were reduced to the three finalists - this time, there were two male and one female finalists - with Matt declared the winner, and Lorna and Neil as the runners-up.

Series 4 (2016)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 4)

The fourth series of The Great British Sewing Bee began airing on 16 May 2016.[4][5] May Martin was replaced by new judge Esme Young.[6] The finalists were Jade, Charlotte, and Joyce, with Charlotte the winner.

Series 5 (2019)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 5)

The fifth series began on 12 February 2019 on BBC Two. Joe Lycett took over from Claudia Winkleman as presenter, and Esme Young and Patrick Grant returned as judges. The series was shot at 47-49 Tanner Street.[7] Exterior shots are of 1 Tanner Street, Bermondsey.[8][9] The finalists were Juliet, Leah and Riccardo, with Juliet winning.

Series 6 (2020)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 6)

The sixth series began on 22 April 2020 on BBC One. Joe Lycett returned as presenter, and Esme Young and Patrick Grant also returned as judges. The finalists were Clare, Matt, and Nicole, with Clare winning.

Series 7 (2021)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 7)

The seventh series began on 14 April 2021 on BBC One.[10] As with the previous season, Joe Lycett returned as host, along with Esme Young and Patrick Grant as judges. The finalists were Raph, Rebecca and Serena, with Serena winning.

Series 8 (2022)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 8)

The eighth series began airing on 27 April 2022 on BBC One. Esme Young and Patrick Grant returned as judges, whilst Sara Pascoe took over as presenter. The finalists were Annie, Brogan, Debra and Man Yee, with Annie winning.

Series 9 (2023)
Main article: The Great British Sewing Bee (series 9)

The ninth series began on 24 May 2023 on BBC One.[11] Sara Pascoe returned as presenter, and Esme Young and Patrick Grant also returned as judges. The finalists were Asmaa, Mia and Tony R, with Asmaa winning.

The BBC Children in Need Sewing Bee
The Great British Sewing Bee
Also known asThe BBC Children in Need Sewing Bee
GenreSewing
Presented byJenny Eclair
Sara Cox
Anita Rani
JudgesMay Martin
Patrick Grant
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producersAnna Beattie
Susanne Rock
ProducerSuzanne McGairl
Production locationMetropolitan Wharf
Running time60 minutes
Production companyLove Productions
Release
Original networkBBC Two
Original release21 October (2014-10-21) –
24 October 2014 (2014-10-24)

The Great British Sewing Bee returned for three special episodes as 12 celebrities took to the sewing machines in a bid to raise money for Children in Need.[12]

  Winner

Episode 1
SewerPattern Challenge
(A Line Skirt)		Alteration Challenge
(Hawaiian Shirt)		Made-to-measure
(A Dress from their favourite era)		PresenterOriginally AiredViewers
(millions)[13]
Edith Bowman2Cape21950s Flared DressJenny Eclair21 October 20142.25
Dave Myers4Child's Dress31960s A Line dress
Dawn Harper1Tunic Dress41920s Flapper Dress
Wendi Peters3Sundress11950s V-Neck Dress

Episode 2
SewerPattern Challenge
(Pyjama Bottoms)		Alteration Challenge
(Onesie-Animal Costume)		Made-to-measure
(Childhood Story Skirt)		PresenterOriginally AiredViewers
(millions)[13]
Gaby Roslin3Dinosaur2Alice in Wonderland Tea PartySara Cox23 October 20141.87
Louie Spence2Ladybird3Ra-ra Skirt
Mark Watson4ZebrafishThe Emperor's New Clothes
Pam Ferris1Cockerel1London Skyline at Night

Episode 3
SewerPattern Challenge
(Jersey T-shirt)		Alteration Challenge
(Old Prom Dress)		Made-to-measure
(Child's Garment)		PresenterOriginally AiredViewers
(millions)[13]
Gemma Cairney4Covered Prom Dress4Silk Brocade CapeAnita Rani24 October 20141.86
Helen Lederer3Camden Lock '843Silk Party Dress
Kathryn Flett2Playsuit2Little Red Riding Hood Cloak
Timmy Matley1Gathered Skirt1Michael Jackson Pleather Jacket

Transmissions

Series
SeriesStart dateEnd dateEpisodes
12 April 201323 April 20134
218 February 20148 April 20148
35 February 201512 March 20156
416 May 20164 July 20168
512 February 20192 April 20198
622 April 202024 June 202010
714 April 202116 June 202110
827 April 202229 June 202210
924 May 202326 July 202310

Special
DateEntitle
15 December 2013Christmas Special[14][15]
26 December 2020Celebrity Christmas Special[16][17]
31 December 2020Celebrity New Year Special[16][18]
22 December 2021Celebrity Christmas Special[19][20]
30 December 2021Celebrity New Year Special[19][21]
22 December 2022 Celebrity Christmas Special[22][23]

Reception

International versions

Broadcast
CountryLocal titleHost(s)JudgesChannelPremiere
ArgentinaCorte y confección[28]
(Cut and confection)		Andrea PolittiVerónica de la Canal
Benito Fernández
Fabián Zitta[29]		Canal 1314 January 2019
DenmarkKlar, parat, sy[30][31]
(Ready, Set, Sew)		Lene BeierJesper Høvring
Jette With[32]		TV 214 March 2015[33]
FranceCousu Main[34]
(Hand Sewn)		Cristina CórdulaAmparo Lellouche
Julien Scavini		M6[35]30 August 2014
GermanyGeschickt eingefädelt
(Skillfully Threaded)		Guido Maria KretschmerInge Szoltysik-Sparrer
Anke Müller		VOX3 November 2015
ItalyTailor Made – Chi ha la stoffa?[36]
(Tailor Made – Who Has What It Takes?)		Tommaso ZorziElide Morelli
Cristina Tardito		Discovery+
Real Time		28 June 2022 (Discovery+)
14 September 2022 (Real Time)
NetherlandsDoor Het Oog Van De Naald
(Through the Eye of the Needle)		Nicolette van DamNelleke Rimmelzwaan
Maik de Boer		RTL 428 January 2015
NorwaySymesterskapet[37]
(Sewing Championship)		Christina HopeTine Solheim (2014-2017)
Andreas Feet (2014-)[38]
Jenny Skavlan (2019-)		NRK[35]19 November 2014
PortugalCosido à mão[39]
(Hand Sewn)		Sónia AraújoSusana Agostinho
Paulo Battista
Mariama Barbosa		RTP14 November 2017
SpainMaestros de la Costura[40]
(Masters of Sewing)		Raquel Sánchez SilvaLorenzo Caprile
María Escoté
Palomo Spain		La 112 February 2018
SwedenHela Sverige Syr[41]
(The Whole of Sweden Is Sewing)		Linda LindorffLisbeth Stålborg
Frederik Andersen		Sjuan[35]14 October 2014[42]

Etymology

Historically the word bee has been used to describe a get-together where a specific action is being carried out, such as a spelling bee, husking bee, a quilting bee, or an apple bee. In the USA, the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition has been held annually since 1925. Its etymology is unclear, but the word possibly derives from the Old English word bēn, meaning prayer.[43]

See also

References
  1. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee". BBC.
  2. Meltzer, Tom (10 April 2013). "Review: The Great British Sewing Bee". The Guardian.
  3. Bussmann, Kate (18 February 2014). "Behind the scenes of Great British Sewing Bee". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  4. "The Great British Sewing Bee 2016: Everything You Need to Know - Sewing Blog".
  5. "Basic Construction, Series 4, The Great British Sewing Bee - BBC Two". BBC.
  6. "New Judge for The Great British Sewing Bee". The Sewing Directory. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  7. "Ugly Duck - The Loft".
  8. "BBC Two - The Great British Sewing Bee, Series 5, Episode 1". BBC.
  9. "BBC Two - The Great British Sewing Bee, Series 5 Trailer: The Great British Sewing Bee". BBC. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  10. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, Series 7, Episode 1". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  11. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001m7pk/ Retrieved 2023-05-24
  12. Fletcher, Harry (13 October 2014). "Edith Bowman and Louie Spence for Children in Need Sewing Bee specials - TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  13. "Weekly Top 30". Broadcasters Audience Research Board. 20–26 October 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  14. "The Great British Sewing Bee - Christmas Special". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  15. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, Christmas Special". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  16. "BBC One". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  17. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, 2020 Specials, Celebrity Christmas Special". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  18. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, 2020 Specials, Celebrity New Year Special". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  19. "BBC announces Christmas line-up across channels and BBC iPlayer". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  20. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, 2021 Specials, Celebrity Christmas Special". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  21. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, 2021 Specials, Celebrity New Year Special". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  22. "BBC's 2022 Christmas line up across TV Channels and BBC iPlayer announced". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  23. "BBC One - The Great British Sewing Bee, Celebrity Christmas Special 2022". BBC. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  24. Higgins, D. (15 December 2014). "NEW THIS WEEK: The Newsroom finale, The Killing S3, Cordon, Test match cricket and Christmas programs". The Green Room. Foxtel. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  25. "ソーイング・ビー". NHK.
  26. "ソーイング・ビー2". NHK.
  27. "The Great British Sewing Bee". TVNZ. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  28. "Cómo fue el debut de "Corte y confección"". TN. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  29. Polinelli, Fabiana (15 January 2021). "Corte y Confección Famosos: la lista con los 12 confirmados, el jurado y cuándo empieza". Parati. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  30. White, Peter (18 July 2014). "Sewing Bee heads to Denmark's TV2". Broadcast. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  31. Sørensen, Sola Kruchov (21 August 2014). "Topdesigner i nyt program på TV 2 FRI". Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  32. "Sewing Bee". Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  33. "Ups... Vi kan ikke finde siden! - TV 2 PLAY".
  34. "Cousu main en replay sur 6play : Rediffusion gratuite en streaming". 6play.
  35. Krewen, Nick (18 July 2014). "BBCWW sends "Sewing Bee" to Denmark". realscreen. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  36. Ramachandran, Naman. "BBC Studios Pacts With Discovery for 'This is MY House,' 'The Great Sewing Bee' Italian Versions". Variety.
  37. "The Norwegian Sewing Bee - Willy Sews!". willy.foreviget.no.
  38. "NRK TV - Se Det store symesterskapet". 19 November 2014.
  39. "Cosido à Mão".
  40. "Lorenzo Caprile, María Escoté y Palomo Spain serán el jurado de 'Maestros de la Costura', que presentará Raquel Sánchez Silva". rtve.es. 26 October 2017.
  41. "Hela Sverige syr".
  42. "De kämpar med nål och tråd i Hela Sverige syr (They compete with needle and thread in Whole Sweden Sews)". 11 September 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  43. "noun] Merriam-Webster: bee [3".
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