The Great Pottery Throw Down 2023 is here!

The Great Pottery Throw Down 2023 has now finished and what a series it was! If you want to catch up with the series and discover who won then you've come to the right place. Scroll down to learn all about series 6.

We're also going to update our guide with all the Pottery Throwdown 2024 information. We will let you know where, when and how you can watch it. We'll also introduce you to the 2024 contestants as well as give you the low down and what you can expect from series 7.

Grab a cuppa, it's time to return to the pottery studio!

Love a bit of crafty TV? Once you've become a Pottery Throwdown expert check out our guides to The Great British Sewing Bee, Interior Design Masters and Grayson's Art Club, which cover everything you need to know about these creative shows!

We've also got a whole host of free daily craft patterns which will keep you entertained for hours, or if you fancy getting creative with clay check out our beginners guide to pottery.

Warning: There are spoilers below!

Your guide to The Great Pottery Throwdown 2023

What channel is the Great Pottery Throw Down 2023 on?

The Great Pottery Throw Down is aired on Channel 4

The original two seasons were aired on BBC 2 in 2015 and 2017. The show was then bought by Channel 4 and has been a huge success ever since. We've also been told by Love Productions that the show has signed a three-year extension which means The Great Pottery Throwdown will be on your screens in 2022, 2023 and 2024!

What time is the Great Pottery Throw Down 2023 on TV?

Series 6 of The Great Pottery Throw Down aired on Sunday 8th January at 7.45pm. There was 10 episodes, one every Sunday.

We don't know the dates for The Great Pottery Throw Down 2024 yet but keep checking back as we will update our guide when we know!

Where to watch The Great Pottery Throw Down online?

You can watch The Great Pottery Throw Down series 4 on Channel 4's on-demand streaming service. You'll be able to watch the show live online as long as you have a TV license.

Alternatively, each episode will be uploaded to channel 4 after the program airs meaning you can catch up with each episode whenever you like! You can also watch all the episodes from The Great Pottery Throw Down 2021 on channel 4 online.

Where is the Great Pottery Throwdown filmed?

The Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed in Stoke-on-Trent, a city at the heart of the UK which is known for its pottery industry.

The Great Pottery Throwdown Series 6

The Great Pottery Throw Down 2023 was the best series yet! 12 contestants battled it out in the studio to become Britain's best potter. There were the most challenging tasks yet that tested the potter's creativity, skill and technique.

The Great Pottery Throwdown 2023 saw the return of our two favourite judges and their trusty technician. We loved seeing Rich, Keith and Rose again!

Last year the lovely Ellie Taylor took over presenting duties due to Siobhan McSweeney's leg injury. However, this year Irish actress Siobhan returned. We loved having her back in the Pottery Throwdown family.

Who is the Pottery Throwdown's technician?

Rose Schmits is the pottery technician for The Great Pottery Throwdown 2023 after taking over from Rich Miller last year. Rose is from the Netherlands and says the practice of pottery is "a metaphor for the trans experience". Her beautiful pottery takes all different forms often featuring abstract shapes with trans activism slogans. From her personal website she says:

My ceramic practice is a way for me to delve into my identity as a trans woman from Delft, the Netherlands. Using the Delftware pottery technique to create pieces that reflect my experiences as a trans person having altered my body and identity allows me to gain ownership of the struggles of transitioning as well as remember where I came from.

You can see some of Rose's incredible pottery over on her Instagram page and Etsy shop. We're so excited that she's the new technician for this year's Pottery Throwdown and her knowledge of the kiln and clay has already proved invaluable.

The Great Pottery Throwdown Judges

The Great Pottery Throwdown will see the return of TV favourites Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones. 'Kiln man Rich', is back to judge the potter's creations and he's perfect for the job thanks to his wealth of experience. Richard was the show's behind-the-scenes technician before becoming a judge last year which means he's got an eagle-eye for the technical accuracy and techniques used in pottery.

We interviewed Keith Brymer Jones back in 2020 about his love for pottery. He's an incredibly talented man and we love how emotional he gets at the contestant's creations! Read our interview with Keith Brymer Jones to learn more about the behind-the-scenes action at the throwdown HQ.

We also recently spoke to Keith for our podcast: We've Made It. In this episode, we chatted to Keith about the teacher who inspired him to become a potter, how pottery has helped him to get through some tough times and why some makes on the show make him very emotional!

You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast or wherever you get your podcasts. Alternatively, you can use the player below to listen to the episode online.

Meet The Great Pottery Throw Down 2023 contestants

The Great Pottery Throwdown 2023 contestants are the best bunch yet and we can't wait to see what they make. We're going to introduce you to the potters below and link to their social media so you can follow their progress. Keep an eye on the Twitter account @PotteryThrowdown which is always the first place to share the show's cast and gossip.

The Great Pottery Throw Down contestants 2023

• Name: Vithu
• Age: 29
• From: Manchester
• Profession: Bartender/waiter
• Fun Fact: When he's not making pottery he's bouldering or doing gymnastics!

• Name: Rebecca
• Age: 32
• From: Scarborough
• Profession: Primary school teacher
• Fun Fact: Loves bright, vibrant colours

• Name: Loïs
• Age: 36
• From: Ramsgate, Kent
• Profession: Jewellery designer
• Fun Fact: Loves bringing the natural world into her designs

• Name: Jon
• Age: 46
• From: Corsham
• Profession: Chartered structural engineer
• Fun Fact: Loves 3D printing and archery!

• Name: James
• Age: 44
• From: Banbury
• Profession: Art teacher
• Fun Fact: He's always up for learning something new thanks to his creative parents

• Name: Helen
• Age: 65
• From: Kent
• Profession: Retired Headteacher
• Fun Fact: When she's not making pottery she's playing the oboe!

• Name: George
• Age: 27
• From: Hampshire
• Profession: Junior Doctor
• Fun Fact: Has a passion for beekeeping as well as pottery!

• Name: Fliss
• Age: 24
• From: London
• Profession: Oil painter
• Fun Fact: Is also a musician who loves to surfboard!

• Name: Fabiola
• Age: 52
• From: London
• Profession: Nanny
• Fun Fact: Pottery keeps her calm and collected

• Name: Derek
• Age: 57
• From: Tunbridge Wells
• Profession: Journalist/Editor
• Fun Fact: Loves mid-century design

• Name: Christoph
• Age: 36
• From: London
• Profession: Architect
• Fun Fact: Loves swimming and pole dancing!

• Name: Caitlin
• Age: 23
• From: Glasglow
• Profession: Medical Student
• Fun Fact: Includes cheeky details in her ceramics

The Great Pottery Throw Down Episode Guide

No one loves the Pottery Throwdown more than us which is why we're giving you a week-by-week rundown of the show. We will update our Pottery Throwdown episode guide every Monday with all our thoughts and feelings on the previous night's episode. Let us know what you thought of the episode in the comments!

If this year's competition has got you curious about ceramics, read our guide to pottery for beginners to find out how to get started at home. Get your clay ready, it's time to make.

The Great Pottery Throw Down Episode Guide 2023

Pottery Throw Down Episode 1

Our favourite show is back with a whole new batch of potters, ready to put their creativity to the test! Despite it being the first episode, the judges didn't take it easy on the contestants and set them two fiendishly difficult challenges.

First, the potters were asked to design a birthday tea set for a loved one with a variety of pieces. The set had to include matching mugs, a cake stand, a clotted cream pot, a cake slice and more. This presented some technical challenges, particularly with the cake stand which was likely to warp if it wasn't properly constructed.

The designs included a beautiful woodland-themed tea set, a set inspired by a beloved sister and a creative Mexican-influenced set.

This week's throw down gave the potters the chance to show off their technical skills, with Keith Brymer Jones challenging them to make identical milk jugs in just 15 minutes. Keith reckoned that he could make 15 jugs in 15 minutes!

Highlights: It wouldn't be the Throw Down without Keith being moved to tears by someone's work and he was blown away by Loïs's finished tea set. "My god, you have excelled," he said.

Lowlights: Fabiola panicked when the decorative bird fell off her tea set, but Keith was on hand to explain how to fix it and settle her nerves. This is why we love the Pottery Throw Down so much – you wouldn't see this kind of support on any other reality show!

If you've enjoyed this first episode of the Pottery Throwdown then why not try your hand at pottery? Use our guide to learn how to make pinch pots.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 2

This week our keen potters were faced with a tough challenge: making slab pottery. As the name suggests, it involves making structures using large slabs of clay, which requires a lot of structural skill.

In this episode, the contestants were asked to create slab boxes to reflect a personal passion with a concealed lid. The box had to conceal a smaller box containing a special keepsake.

For some of the potters, this was their first attempt at slab pottery, but they didn't let that deter them! They came up with an astonishing variety of designs. One of our favourite creations was Helen's mudlarking box, which was decorated with her finds taken from the banks of the Thames. However, the one that brought Keith to tears was Rebecca's bed-shaped box, which featured her pet cat and dog snuggled up on a pink duvet.

One of our favourite throwdowns returned this week: the blindfold challenge. Keith showed the potters how to create stackable mixing bowls by feel. The potters had to remember where everything was around their workspace, which some contestants found easier than others!

Highlights: Siobhan saves a blindfolded Derek from crushing one of his bowls during the throwdown! Meanwhile, Caitlin impressed the judges with her incredibly detailed backpack box.

Lowlights: Jon dropped several of his slabs and had to remake them in a rush! Fabiola was disappointed that the dancers on her box didn't survive the first firing, but did her best to salvage the rest of the design. Fliss's wave showed some structural cracks that she didn't quite manage to conceal with glaze.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 3 - Trio of birds and hot water bottle challenge

We're back for week three of the Pottery Throw Down! Everyone knows the Beswick flying ducks - the 1930s trio of birds that adorn walls up and down the country. The potters were challenged to make their own trio of birds in three different sizes.

For the throwing challenge, the potter had to make an old-fashioned hot water bottle. Rich showed them how it was done and then it was over to the contestants to work on their clay creations.

The big question of this week was 'will they hang on the wall?

Highlights: One of our highlights every week is how the potters look out for one another. They rallied around Rebecca who got upset and helped George finish his trio of birds. Fabiola's hot water bottle gave the judges a laugh but James' bottle won the challenge! All the potter's trio of birds were incredible but it was James who took potter of the week!

Lowlights: There were some dubious-looking hot water bottles and Fabiola's and Christoph's clay birds didn't meet the judge's standards. It was Christoph we said goodbye to this week and we will miss him so much!

Pottery Throw Down Episode 4 - Raku week

There's nine potters left in the studio and each potter is getting into the groove now! This week saw the return of special guest Freya Carter and there was a lot of playing with fire. The potters were challenged to make their own Raku plant hangers and vase flourishes.

Raku is an ancient technique where clay creations are set on fire in a box. This creates a gorgeous, unique look. As Derek said 'It's the boss level of pottery!'

Highlights: There were some fancy flourishes and James showed his flamboyant side. The potters worked together to improvise some ways of hanging their pots and they enjoyed setting fire to their creations more than anyone would ever think! It was James' incredible chicken plant hangers that stole the show and won him potter of the week.

Lowlights: Fabioula kept changing her mind, there were some structural issues and Derek's hangers were victims of thermal shock. Sadly we said goodbye to Fabioula this week. We will miss her sunshine and positivity in the studio.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 5 – Gargoyles and chimney pots

Things got spooky in the studio this week! The potters were challenged to create their own scary gargoyles and an equally scary challenge, throwing huge chimney pots.

There were terrifying fish, creepy monsters and some rather alarming beasts. As Keith said 'we're looking for something formidable'.

For the throwing challenge, Gabriel (a master in the field for over 40 years) showed the potters how it was done. This resulted in a lot of achy arms and flying clay in the studio! If you want to make big projects with clay then our complete guide to slab pottery is for you. You'll be crafting like the potters in no time.

Highlights: James won the throwing challenge for the third week in a row and we saw the return of James' flamboyant side. All the beasts saw a few cracks but they survived the firey kiln! Lois' beast scared the judges enough to win potter of the week.

Lowlights: Derek's beast had some leg problems and Rebecca couldn't control her clay on the wheel. We said goodbye to Rebecca this week which was sad for all the potters as they've become a family.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 6 – Table lamps and Venetian masks

What an emotional week on the Pottery Throwdown! With only seven potters left, this week saw tears of frustration, joy and pride.

The contestants were challenged to build their own table lamp pots, working with huge lumps of clay to create illuminating lamps. Gathered's HQ is in Bristol so we loved Jon's Clifton Suspension Bridge lamp.

There was also a special guest in the studio. Henry Holland, the creator of the House of Holland, came round to judge the potter's Venetian masks. We loved all their mask designs but we loved seeing Rich in that fabulously feathered mask even more!

Highlights: Jon came out of his shell and created a lamp to be proud of. Catlin's lamp made Keith cry with pride and we love seeing her progress every week. Lois' intricate designs and eye for detail won her potter of the week, stealing James' top spot!

Lowlights: Catlin struggled with the clay and the kiln was cruel to poor George. It was George's smashed table lamp that sent him home this week and we will miss his cheeky behaviour.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 7 – Animal sculptures and Tall vases

This week it was all about the sculptures! The potters were challenged to build anatomically correct animals which had a hint of the human. Every potter brought a critically endangered animal to life and each one had its own little personality. In a throwdown first, the potters fired their animals in oil drum kilns.

Then the potters were given 15 minutes to make the tallest, thinnest vase they could. It was tricky but they all created incredible pieces.

Highlights: There were some super-cute animals; we loved Jon's Pangolin, Loïs' red panda, and Catlin's sloth. Loïs won the throwing challenge for the second week in a row. Jon's cheeky animal won him potter of the week and we couldn't be happier.

Lowlights: Derek's vase wasn't thin enough and his ferret's tail took a beating. Helen's penguin had a rather suspicious look too! Sadly we said goodbye to Derek this week, can you believe there's only five potters left now?

Make your own animal sculptures with our collection of Pottery articles. You can find tips, techniques, and tutorials like our complete guide to coil pottery.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 8 – Abstract coffee sets and rice bowls

It's the quarter-finals of the Pottery Throwdown and things got rather abstract in the studio this week.

The potters were challenged to make seven-piece abstract coffee sets and as many rice bowls as possible in 15 minutes. There were some funky shapes, colourful designs, and a whole lot of deconstruction.

Keith showed the potters how to throw porcelain, a notoriously tricky material to work with. We also saw the return of his savage bucket and he was throwing away rice bowls left, right, and center!

Highlights: All the coffee sets made it out of the kiln alive and there were some seriously cool designs. We loved Loïs' bold pots and Catilin's Hole in One set. Loïs won potter of the week which was very well deserved.

Lowlights: Jon and Caitlin's coffee pots had some leakage and Jon struggled to make rice bowls that didn't look like chalices. Sadly Helen's coffee set didn't meet the brief and she was sent home.

Pottery Throw Down Episode 9 – Turkish bath sinks and Moorcroft pottery

It's the semi-finals and this week was based in the bathroom!

The potters were challenged to build two Turkish bath sinks and some matching tiles. They needed to be both functional (no leaks!) and delicately decorated.

As Keith said this week it's about three things 'elegance, timeless and unique'.

Highlights: We absolutely loved all the potter's creations this week. Jon's tiles, James' bowls, Loïs' decorations and Catilin's colours. However, it was Loïs' design and painting skills that won her potter of the week and the tube lining challenge.

Lowlights: There were cracks all around this week but that didn't take away from the gorgeous designs. James lost the tube lining challenge but it was Catilin's plaster stamps that let her down and sent her home. She's such a talented potter and we know great things are coming to her!

Pottery Throw Down The final– Pyramid vases and Sgraffito globes

It's the final of the Pottery Throwdown!! Where on earth has the time gone? It was a beautiful and emotional final – we cried a lot! Firstly, how lovely did the pottery studio look covered in lanterns and fairy lights?

For their final pottery challenges, Loïs, James, and Jon were tasked with building stacking pyramid vases. The pyramid vase is an iconic ceramic design originally from the Netherlands. The potters had 7 hours to build a vase based inspired their lives. Each section of the vase needed to tell their story and be a functioning vase, meaning no leaks!

Then the potters were tasked with decorating huge blue globes with Sgraffito. They had to scrap designs into the blue surface to create a piece worthy of the final.

It was an incredible final and each potter did brilliantly. We can't believe the show has now finished... roll on 2024!

Highlights: We love Rich's obsession with Jon's 3D printer! Loïs won the globe challenge with her great mark-making and fun design. Jon and James created gorgeous vases which told their stories beautifully. Loïs' vase was simply incredible and made Keith and us cry! Those incredible wire earrings, painting, the stacking – it was a piece worthy of the pottery crown and that's what she received. Congratulations Loïs, we're so pleased you're The Great Pottery Throwdown 2023's winner.

Lowlights: Jame's vase has a few leaks and his globe wasn't finished. Jon's vase also suffered a few cracks and it was the cracks that cost them both the pottery crown.

How to apply for Pottery Throwdown 2024

The Great Pottery Throwdown is looking for budding potters to take part in next year's show!

You can apply to be on the Pottery Throwdown via Pottery Take Part website. Alternatively, you can email applyforpotterythrowdown@loveproductions.co.uk or call 0207 067 2467.

Be quick though, applications close on Monday 17th April 2023 at 12pm.

Who won the Great Pottery Throw Down 2023?

Loïs is this year's Pottery Throwdown champion and we couldn't be happier with the result! From day one Loïs impressed the judges with her artistry, attention to detail, and creative flair.

She grew in confidence over the weeks, creating everything from an abstract tea set to a sculpture of a red panda. As Rich said 'she injects life into every brushstroke' and this passion made her a worthy winner.

Loïs now has her own pottery studio combining her two favourite things – earrings and clay! Keep up with her work by following her on Instagram.

What makes Loïs special is she gives us something of herself every single time she makes something

Who won The Great Pottery Throwdown 2022?

In 2022, the incredible AJ won The Great Pottery Throw Down 2022. They have been consistently brilliant, winning over five challenges throughout the show. They have a distinct style and we love the funny little characters which appear in their work. They've now opened their own pottery studio! Check out their work over on Instagram.

It's a dream come true and a dream I never thought would happen

Be sure to head over to our creative hobbies for adults quiz to find out your crafting passion and our craft ideas for kids to get the little ones in on the fun too!

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