The Great British Sewing Bee 2025: Catch up with episode one right here!
The Great British Sewing Bee has returned to our screens for a brand new series! Keep scrolling to discover all our thoughts, feelings and favourite patterns from each episode.
Your complete guide to the 2025 Sewing Bee!
Looking for something specific? Jump straight to our Sewing Bee sections to learn more.
Everything you need to know about the Bee:
The Great British Sewing Bee Season 11:
- Sewing Bee 2025 episode guide
- Sewing Bee patterns
- Download our free Sewing Bee sweepstake card!
- What can we expect from this year's Great British Sewing Bee?
Meet the Sewing Bee Season 11 cast:
Meet the Sewing Bee judges and presenters:
When is the Great British Sewing Bee 2025 on?
The Great British Sewing Bee started on Tuesday 15th July, BBC One. Each episode will air every Tuesday at 9pm.
The accompanying book: The Great British Sewing Bee: Pattern Drafting: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Dressmaking Patterns From Scratch was released on 8th May 2025 ahead of the release.
What channel is the Great British Sewing Bee 2025 on?
The Great British Sewing Bee is shown on BBC One.
Where can I stream the Great British Sewing Bee 2025?
All the past Sewing Bee episodes are available on iPlayer shortly after they've aired. The show can also be streamed on the Sky Go app.
The BBC has made all of the past eight series of the Great British Sewing Bee available on iPlayer, so you can catch up on any series that you've missed.
Watch the Great British Sewing Bee
2025 Sewing Bee episode guide
Episode one: Tie blouses, circle skirt transformations, pleated dresses
The Bee is back, and what a first episode! We love the variety of contestants this year - scientists, entertainers, construction workers and more. The first episode really put the 12 new sewers through their paces.
‘What’s the difference between having a baby and sewing? They both take labour, love and stitching’ - Sara
For the first pattern challenge of 2025, contestants rushed to the haberdashery to find the perfect fabric for a tie-front blouse. The judges were looking for neat gathers, peplum shape and drapery fabrics. We love how lots of the sewists took to the floor to lay out their fabrics - very relatable, we think!
‘Just bung it on the bottom’ - Esme
Saffie struggled with her slippery fabric, and Peter wasn’t quite sure what a gather was, but in the end, all 12 tie front blouses were dreamy! Big congratulations to Kit for winning the first star make of the series.
Our favourites: Kit's colourful number and Gaynor’s gingham print blouse.
Make your own tie front blouse!
Buy Simply Sewing’s gorgeous tie front blouse pattern from the Gathered Shop and take part in your very own pattern challenge.
The next task was the transformation challenge. The contestants were given circle skirts to reinvent and reimagine, as Patrick said, ‘we’re looking for raw creativity.’ There was frantic sewing, haberdashery running and a whole lot of sighing from some very stressed sewers!
Our favourites: Yasmin’s giant bow top and Dan’s tartan two-piece.
Sew your own circle skirt
Fancy making your own skirt? Use our circle skirt pattern to learn how.
Then it was time for the big task - the Made to Measure challenge. The contestants were given five hours to make a dress with pleats which fits their model perfectly. There was everything from Vivienne Westwood-inspired dresses to simple yet elegant day dresses.
Our favourites: Orla’s incredible graphic black and white dress and Caz’s top-stitched denim dress.
Well done to Peter for winning garment of the week with his standout origami dress. We got a lovely surprise when the judges said no one is leaving the Sewing Bee Studio this week!
‘They expressed who they are, which to me is very very important’ - Esme
Stitch your own pleated dress this week
Make your own pleated dress with this beautiful pattern from Simply Sewing. Now available on Gathered Shop.
Learn the techniques mentioned in episode one:
- How to sew gathers
- How to sew pleats
- How to embroider on clothes
- How to sew sleeves
- How to top stitch
We'd love to know what you thought of each episode too! Chat with us over on Simply Sewing or Gathered's Instagram.
There will be spoilers!
Discover your favourite Sewing Bee patterns
Want to make garments like the ones you've seen on the show? Each week we'll be updating our Sewing Bee patterns roundup with projects inspired by the episode's theme.
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 sweepstake
Want to take part in a sweepstake of the contestants of this year's Sewing Bee? Download and print our sweepstake card here!
Meet the Great British Sewing Bee 2025 contestants!
We can't wait to meet this year's contestants! Keep an eye on this page for all the latest contestant news.
This year's contestants have been announced! Meet the 2025 Sewing Bee contestants.
Who are the Sewing Bee judges?
The judges on the Sewing Bee are Patrick Grant and Esme Young, who are both respected fashion industry experts. Read on to find out more about Patrick and Esme…
Patrick Grant – Judge
Patrick, 51, is a designer and creative director of bespoke tailors Norton & Sons of Savile Row and its subsidiary E Tautz.
He won Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in 2010. He bought ailing Blackburn clothing manufacturer Cookson & Clegg in 2015, saving the factory from closure, and launched social enterprise Community Clothing to champion UK-made quality, affordable and sustainable fashion.
Earlier this year, he presented the documentary Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King. He's judged The Great British Sewing Bee since its start in 2013. Patrick lives in London.
Find out what Patrick Grant thinks about the 2025 series of the Sewing Bee
Esme Young – Judge
Esme, 75, joined The Great British Sewing Bee as a judge in 2016. A designer who’s made costumes for films such as Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Trainspotting and Bridget Jones’s Diary, Esme is also a tutor at Central Saint Martins art school.
With three friends passionate about fashion, she opened the iconic store Swanky Modes in Camden, London, in the 1970s and dressed stars such as Grace Jones, Siouxsie Sioux and Cher. Their most famous creation, the Amorphous dress, is in The V&A Museum.
She’s guested on shows including: Richard Osman’s House of Games, Would I Lie to You? and The Wheel. Her autobiography Behind the Seams: My Life in Creativity, Friendship and Adventure was published last year. Esme lives in London.
Read our 2024 interview with Esme Young
Who is hosting the Sewing Bee this year?
She's back! After a brief absence on maternity leave, comedian Sara Pascoe is back in the sewing room. And she's missed it: "I’d really missed everyone and had awful FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) not being there last year."
During her maternity leave, the show was hosted by comedian and Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Sara Pascoe first hosted the show in 2022 and has been a warm, supportive presence in the sewing room. We're very excited to see her back on our screens!
Read our 2025 interview with Sewing Bee host Sara Pascoe
The Great British Sewing Bee FAQ
Who won the Great British Sewing Bee in 2024?
Luke was crowned winner of the Sewing Bee in 2024. Take a look at our interview with Luke and find out their story.
We also caught up with runner up Pascha to hear about her experience in the competition.
Who won the Great British Sewing Bee in 2023?
The incredible Asmaa won The Great British Sewing Bee 2023. She wowed the judges throughout the competition with her skill, passion and creativity.
In the final of the Sewing Bee 2023, Asmaa's stunning two-in-one dress won her the trophy and we think she's a very worthy winner.
Read our interview with Asmaa over in our Meet the 2023 Great British Sewing Bee winner article. She shares all her thoughts and feelings on this year's show with us.
Who won the Great British Sewing Bee in 2022?
It's Annie! Read our interview with the Great British Sewing Bee 2022 winner Annie to get to know the new sewing champion. You can also read our interview with the Sewing Bee 2022 finalists.
The celebrity Christmas special winner was Johannes Radebe.
Who won the Great British Sewing Bee in 2021?
Last year's winner was 21-year-old Serena Baker, who was a trainee doctor from Edinburgh. She was the youngest sewer of the series and produced some impressive makes during her time on the show.
What sewing machines are used on the Sewing Bee?
If you've been eyeing up the machines on the show, discover the exact make and model with our what sewing machines are used on the Sewing Bee guide.
Where is the Great British Sewing Bee filmed?
The Great British Sewing Bee is located in a former textile mill called Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Leeds.
Sunny Bank Mills was founded in 1829 and was a working textile mill right up until 2008. It's now a business space and is home to a wide range of companies – there's even a sewing school!
The Great British Sewing Bee was previously filmed at The Chainstore on Trinity Buoy Wharf for series 7 in 2021, which is just across the Thames from the O2 Arena.
The show's former warehouse setting for the 2020 series was located in London’s Bermondsey, in the heart of the capital's historical textiles quarter. For the truly geeky among you (we include ourselves in this category), the 2019 series was filmed at 47/49 Tanner Street (also the location of Dragon’s Den!), near Tower Bridge.
What happens to the clothes made on the Sewing Bee?
All the clothes on the Sewing Bee are returned to the contestants after filming. There's no waste in Sewing Bee studio!
Past contestant, Chinelo Bally also helped to clear up this mystery for us when she appeared on our We've Made It podcast. She also revealed that contestants receive a budget to buy the fabric needed for the show.
In the episode, Chinelo talked about her experiences on the show and shared some great tips for novice sewers. You can find We've Made It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
What does the winner of the Sewing Bee get?
The winner of the Sewing Bee receives a golden mannequin award and the title of Britain's best amateur sewer. There's no cash prize, but many previous winners have gone on to write their own sewing books or set up their own craft businesses.
Do Sewing Bee contestants get paid?
No, Sewing Bee contestants do not get paid. They just do it for the honour of taking part and the chance to be the Sewing Bee champion!
Is the Sewing Bee filmed in one day?
No, Sewing Bee contestants have to commit to taking part in 20 days of filming spread over four months when they apply to be on the show.
Has a man ever won the Great British Sewing Bee?
Yes! Matt Chapple was the first male winner of the Sewing Bee in 2015. In recent years, we've seen more men taking part in the show such as Raph Dilhan who was a finalist in 2021.
Sewing Bee book 2025
The Great British Sewing Bee: Pattern Drafting: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating Dressmaking Patterns From Scratch is the brand new Sewing Bee book for 2025.
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Get the Sewing Bee book 2024
Get yourself a copy of The Great British Sewing Bee: Back to Basics: Create Your Own Capsule Wardrobe With 23 Dressmaking Projects 2024.
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Previous Sewing Bee bundle set of 3
The Great British Sewing Bee Collection 3 Books Set (Made to Measure, The Skills & The Techniques).
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Why the Sewing Bee is one of our favourite craft TV shows
The Sewing Bee has got it all: kind contestants, beautiful clothes, loveable judges and lots of incredibly creative ideas. It's not surprising that it's one of the most popular craft TV shows out there.
The best part is that the Sewing Bee has inspired lots of people to take up sewing for themselves, with some of them even appearing as contestants on the show!
Start your sewing journey
If watching the show has inspired you to start sewing, you're probably wondering where to begin. We'd recommend starting with our best sewing machine guide, which is packed with expert tips and advice to help you enjoy this satisfying hobby!
All images from BBC/Love Productions.
