Male model, Ryan Barrett, proved a very popular choice of winner as he was crowned winner of pottery competition, the Great Pottery Throw Down on BBC2.
Viewers of The Great Pottery Throw Down have reacted with delight to the news that Ryan Barrett was crowned the winner of last night's show.
The male model from Ipswich in Suffolk was popular with fans of the BBC Two contest throughout the series and triumphed in last night's final over fellow potters, Clover Lee and Richard Parker.
After 31-year-old Ryan, who now lives in Shoreditch, London, was announced as the winner, viewers watched an amusing conversation with his grandmother.
Having just been crowned the winner and passed a large pottery trophy, Ryan rang his gran and said: “I’m holding the trophy.”
His grandmother replied: “Are you? Well done dear. And you don’t get any money or anything?”
Ryan said: “No, Grandma, just a really nice trophy.”
The model who is singed to Europe's leading agency Models 1 and once fronted a Versace campaign with supermodel Gisele Bundchen, said, “The final was such a lovely day but very overwhelming, I couldn’t believe it all happened. After I won I called my grandma, and she asked how much I had won. I had to tell her that there was no money involved, bless her.”
Many of those watching the programme said that they had been surprised at how interested they had become in pottery.
Ryan, who has a background in fine art, having graduated from Goldsmith College with a first in Fine Arts Textiles, said that he had been taken aback by the reaction to himself and the series.
He said: “I didn’t expect the Twitter reaction to take off in such a big way.
“I think I was one of the top tweets on the first night.
The male model has also revealed his love of clay was sparked by a Tinder date when he took a girl to a pottery class.
He said: “I first touched clay by going on a first date from Tinder just under two years ago.
“I instantly fell in love with it. I went on eBay straight away and bought my first wheel and kiln and moved them into my grandma’s shed.”
The finalists were set a few tough tasks that included making Japanese lanterns using traditional techniques and sculpting the six-packed torso of celebrity guest and former Dancing On Ice professional, Sylvain Longchambon (pictured below), who is marred to Coronation Street actress, Samia Longchambon, best known as hairdresser Maria.
Talking about his win, Ryan said: “I was very very surprised to win, there were a lot of good potters there, and I feel anyone could have won it."
