The Great British Sewing Bee was back on the BBC last night and saw Kiell Smith-Bynoe invite 12 budding sewers onto the show.
The latest crop of contestants swarmed the sewing room alongside judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the show with challenges inspired by its first.
The Pattern Challenge saw the sewers making denim A-line miniskirts and in the 90-minute Transformation Challenge, the contestants had to turn a t-shirt into a completely different garment.
The competitors then met their models for the first time and made their interpretation of a casual day dress in the Made-to-Measure Challenge.
A number of sneak peeks were shown at the beginning of the episode and gave viewers a taste of what they could expect from the upcoming series, but instead of exciting viewers, it left them furious.
Taking to X to complain, one user fumed: “Why show more or less every outfit made at the beginning….absolute joke… BBC have spoilt it…”
Neil was the first to be eliminated from the show
BBC
“Why are they showing highlights? I find this infuriating I don’t want to see what’s getting made weeks ahead. Let’s meet the contestants and just get on with it,” another agreed.
A third added: “Don’t need to watch now that I’ve seen all the outfits.”
“I hate when the BBC do this. I am watching the show for a reason, not for it to be spoiled within the first 30 seconds,” a fourth quipped before another said: “I give up with the BBC sometimes. Let us watch the show in peace rather than time filling with unwanted spoilers!” (sic)
Elsewhere on X, some were left with “nightmares” after meeting contestant Neil’s “sidekick” – a ventriloquist dummy that he had built during lockdown – with many calling Terry Pastry “seriously scary”.
Viewers were left disappointed minutes into the show
BBC
Recalling and explaining one of the very first challenges in the first series, Grant explained: “In the very first Sewing Bee, we gave our sewers tops like these and asked them to alter the necklines. It is now the transformation challenge.”
Unfortunately for Neil and his puppet friend, he ended up being the first contestant eliminated from the series.
“It’s fine! Absolutely fine,” he exclaimed while shaking everyone’s hands before explaining: “It’s been short, but it was completely the right decision. Immediately I thought, ‘I’m out of my depth and outclassed here’.
“I was flattered, honoured and amazed to be invited to the show. Never would I have dreamed, watching that first episode, I’d be a contestant on it. Never in a million years.”
Viewers were left annoyed with the first episode
BBC
Joking about his puppet, Neil joked to Grant: “Was it Terry that…?”
The judge quipped back: “Well, he put a really good word in for you. It was a very close-run thing.”
Touching on his decision to eliminate Neil, Grant added: “There was a lot wrong with Ailsa’s dress, but unfortunately for Neil, he started in a lower position and his Made to Measure, there were a couple of really glaring errors.”
Despite the few complaints over the highlight reel, there was plenty of support for the show return, as one X user said: “A joy this evening! Joy of joys, it’s the return of #TheGreatBritishSewingBee.”
Another excitedly wrote: “YESSSSSSS!!!!! WONDERFUL!!! @sewingbee is back with us for another great series on BBC” (sic)