A skirt task for Great British Sewing Bees

Many Great British Sewing Bee fans were disappointed last year when Joe Lycett announced he was standing down as the show’s presenter.

Admittedly, he hadn’t been with the stitching contest since the very beginning. When it first launched back in 2013, Claudia Winkleman was at the helm, where she stayed for four series.

In fact, when it was announced that Lycett was taking over as host in 2019, some viewers were surprised that the Great British Sewing Bee was still going, mainly due to the three-year gap between series four and five. But on his watch, the show went from strength to strength – it even made the jump from BBC2 to BBC1.

Despite his success, he made the choice to leave, but he did give his blessing to his successor, announcing on Twitter: “A bit of news: I loved my journey on Sewing Bee, but I’ve decided it is time for me to go.

“My friend the great Sara Pascoe will be the new host and I know she will be fantastic. Big love to all the brilliant team, and go Sara!”

His replacement was excited to get the job, saying: “I’m so inspired by creativity and skill and I am deeply in love with clothes so I can’t think of a happier place to be.” Comedian Pascoe also had prior experience of what it was like to be in the sewing room as she’d previously competed in a celebrity special.

She got to ease herself into being on the other side of the sewing machine by presenting two 2021 festive episodes. Now though, her stint begins in earnest as she hosts her first full series – and welcomes 12 of Britain’s most talented home sewers to their new base in a historic woollen mill on the outskirts of Leeds.

The contestants will be trying to impress judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young, who tonight issue their first pattern challenge. As the haberdashery is stocked with local Yorkshire wool, they ask the stitchers to make a wool mini skirt with piped patch pockets. They are looking for perfect piping and symmetrical pockets, but will anyone follow the example of last year’s scene-stealing contestant Damien, who took the daring approach of not always bothering to read the instructions? (In his defence, he still made it to the quarter-finals.)

Next up is a Transformation Challenge that seems to acknowledge the easing of Covid restrictions – the judges are presenting the hopefuls with lockdown-friendly loungewear and asking them to turn it into a top that an adult could wear on a big night out, all in just 90 minutes. In theory, it’s a chance for them to let their imaginations run wild, but past episodes have shown that sometimes inspiration fails to strike.

Finally for this opening instalment, it’s time for the Made to Measure, where the stitchers will have to make a wrap dress that fits their model perfectly.

Then we’ll find out who made a great first impression and bagged Garment of the Week, and who will be heading home.