The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6: air date, contestants and all we know

The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 hosts and judges
The Great British Pottery Throwdown host Siobhan McSweeney with judges Rich Miller (left) and Keith Brymer Jones (Image credit: BBC)

The Great British Bake Off style amateur pottery competition The Great British Pottery Throwdown has proved a hit with viewers thanks to its retro soundtrack and beautiful ceramic creations. And now The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 is here with more clay-based creativity. 

Also back as the host, having been temporarily replaced by Strictly Come Dancing 2022 star Ellie Taylor after a nasty bike accident, is Derry Girls actor Siobhan McSweeney, who returned to Throwdown duties on crutches last year. 

The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 release date

The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 starts on Sunday, January 8 at 7.45 pm on Channel 4. 

The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 contestants

The Great British Pottery Throwdown

The Great British Pottery Throwdown is back with a new batch of contestants.  (Image credit: Channel 4)

Twelve new potters will be vying for the Throwdown crown. Here is who fans will be seeing at the potter's wheel this time around: 

CAITLIN, 23 from Glasgow — Medical Student

CHRISTOPHE, 36 from London (originally France) — Architect

DEREK, 57 from Tunbridge Wells (originally Belfast) — Journalist/Editor

FABIOLA, 52 from London (originally Colombia) — Nanny

FLISS, 24 from London — Oil Painter

GEORGE, 27 from Hampshire — Junior Doctor

HELEN, 65 from Kent — Retired Headteacher

JAMES, 44 from Banbury — Art Teacher

JON, 46 from Corsham — Chartered Structural Engineer

LOÏS, 36 from Ramsgate, Kent — Teacher turned jewelry designer

REBECCA, 32 from Scarborough — Teacher

VITHU, 29 from Manchester — Bartender/Waiter

The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 challenges

As usual, there are plenty of ingenious challenges designed to test the potters’ skills. 

"They have to make a trio of flying birds inspired by Hilda Ogden’s ducks on her 'muriel' in Coronation Street," reveals Siobhan. "Then there's an 'abstract' coffee set, and some brilliant tile-making in bathroom week."

The Great British Pottery Throwdown season 6 guests

There are also more professional potters coming to Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery museum to set seriously tough skills tests for the contestants. 

"We had a guest potter who has been making chimney pots since he was very young, and does this pie crust design at the top of each pot," reveals Siobhan. "Nobody will see it, so it’s that old-fashioned idea of making something beautiful just for the sake of it."

The Great British Pottery Throwdown’s famous fans and dream celebrity potters

It emerged last year that Hollywood star Brad Pitt was among the show’s admirers. So who would Siobhan like to see on a celebrity Throwdown

"Seth Rogen makes marvelous pottery, and is very funny and talented," she says of the 40-Year-Old Virgin star. "And I hear on the grapevine that Serena Williams is a potter. With her grace and strength, I can only imagine the marvelous pieces she would make!"

Ian MacEwan
Senior Writer

Ian writes about TV and film for TV Times, What’s on TV and TV & Satellite Week magazines. He co-hosts the weekly TV streaming podcast, Bingewatch.