The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 is here, once again bringing us a new gang of amateur sewers who will compete against one another to impress judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young.
We now have our official lineup as 12 new competitor stitchers from across the country take on a series of tough challenges set by the judges each week, but who will be crowned Britain’s most sensational seamster and who will find themselves stitched up at the last minute?
Here's everything you need to know about The Great British Sewing Bee 2025...
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 release date
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 started on Tuesday, July 15 at 9 pm on BBC One.
Episodes will then air weekly in the same slot and the next episode airs on Tuesday, August 12, at 9 pm on BBC One.
You can also watch past series of the show on BBC iPlayer.
How does the The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 work?
Each week, the contestants must take part in three challenges: a Pattern Challenge to test their basic dressmaking skills, a Transformation Challenge to assess their creativity, plus a Made To Measure Challenge to create a bespoke garment.
One contestant's creation is awarded Garment Of The Week by the judges, and another is sent home from the competition.
The grand final sees the remaining three sewers battle it out to be crowned the winner.
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 episode guide
Week 5 - Tuesday, August 12
The sewers tackle the fast fashion industry in Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Week, in which none of the fabric in the haberdashery is new. They begin by creating a zero-waste workwear jacket, then breathe new life into discarded camping gear as they transform tents into complete outfits. In the made-to-measure round, the sewers must raid their wardrobes and those of family and friends to create fresh outfits from garments no longer worn.
Week 4 - Tuesday, August 5
Judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant set the contestants three challenges that celebrate the rich fashion and textile traditions of Korea, including following the pattern for the jeogori — a historic Korean jacket now seen in contemporary womenswear and K-Pop. The sewers also design evening wear inspired by a garment once worn by Korean military officials and transform taekwondo outfits and colourful belts into striking new creations. This week Novello was sent home.
Week 3 - Tuesday, July 29
It’s Design Icons Week, so style and glamour is the name of the game for the remaining contestants. Can they successfully stitch together a Diane von Furstenberg-inspired wrap dress, transform home furnishings into Vivienne Westwood-esque punk looks, then navigate the Made to Measure task where they must create a glamorous garment with a nod to Versace? This week, Glendora was sent home.
Week 2 - Tuesday, July 22
Patrick and Esme put the sewers through their paces with three challenges themed around activewear. First, the sewers take on a technical pattern challenge, constructing a seven-panel cap, while, before they give new life to unwanted cycling gear, turning it into stylish new garments. Finally, in the made-to-measure, the sewers must create an athleisure outfit - something practical enough for the gym, but stylish enough for a coffee shop. Despite putting in their best efforts throughout the challenge, it was Saffie and Peter who were sent home.
Week 1 - Tuesday, July 15
Judges Patrick and Esme challenge the sewers to prove their ability to create shape. First up, the Pattern Challenge sees them crafting a tie-front blouse, using gathers to add volume. Next, in the 90-minute Transformation Challenge, circle skirts are reimagined into brand new garments. Finally, the Made-to-Measure challenge tests their skills with pleats as they design a perfectly shaped dress. No one went home this week.
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 contestants
This year we will see 12 new faces heading for the sewing room, including a bus driver, a lecturer and a magistrate...
Caz, 59 - retired from Staffordshire
Caz grew up in an old railway station with her parents and sister before heading off to study print and print management in Nottingham. She's been married to her husband Darius, for 28 years and they have two children, Florence and Cyrus. Also sharing the family home are their two large cats Oggy and Buzz.
Caz has recently “retired” after running the family printing business for the last 30 years. Caz loved working with the printing presses - often getting covered in as much ink as the items she was printing. She claims she might get another job but is enjoying having more time for sewing!
Kit, 24 - a Digital Marketer from Manchester
Kit grew up in Surrey with their parents, brother and sister. In primary school, their mother started teaching their sister to sew sock puppets, so Kit taught themself out of spite. Kit then tried to sell their creations at school and got in trouble for trying to start a business! They picked up the hobby again at uni and have since been making a garment every week. Kit will often explore a haberdashery and look for the most “awful” fabrics, on a mission to turn them into something beautiful. Kit also enjoys something he call “pointless fashion”, describing this style as “so camp! Wearing something so utterly useless but looking fabulous”. Kit’s “pointless” concepts range from mesh hoodies to a coat held together with chains.
Gaynor, 72 - Retired Office Manager from Port Talbot, Wales
Proudly Welsh, Gaynor has been with her husband for 47 years. Together they have three sons and seven grandchildren (who they love spending time with), aged from 3 to 15, and who call them Nain and Taid. She has made many outfits for the grandchildren’s school plays and fancy-dress costumes for one of her daughters in law. Family is really important to Gaynor, some who live close by in South Wales, and she has spent time tracing her family tree back to the 1600s! And, of course, let’s not forget Willow, the cat; Rowan, the Doberman and Bridie, the Lurcher, Gaynor loves a large dog and enjoys nothing more than stomping up local mountain Drymmau or down the nearby sand dunes with her husband and the dogs.
Jess, 33 - Head of Communications in London
Jess grew up in Berkshire with her parents and sister, surrounded by women who valued making things well and making them last. Sewing is a way to connect with her mother, aunts, and grandmother, who first taught her. A lover of vintage, Jess often wears clothes made by her mum and aunty decades ago, carefully overlocked and looked after to stand the test of time. She now lives in South-East London and is Head of Communications at a news production company, a job she enjoys for its day-to-day variety and problem-solving focus.
Órla, 19 - Café Worker and Student from Inverness
Proud Highlander Órla is a German and Scandinavian student at the University of Edinburgh. An avid fan of languages, she is fluent in Scottish Gaelic and is often inspired by her Gaelic heritage. She is very close with her family, with them performing together as a family folk band, combining traditional Irish, Gaelic and wider Celtic sounds with original compositions. At home in Inverness, she works in a café with her sibling Ró and enjoys going out with her friends. When back at Uni, she loves exploring the city, getting involved with society events and of course creating wild looks for student fashion shows!
Peter, 45 - Senior Pre-Construction Manager from Devon (Went home in week 2)
Peter is married to primary school teacher Becky and together they share a son and two daughters. It was watching Sewing Bee with his daughters that sparked their interest in sewing and together they have been learning how to make their own clothes. One daughter prefers sewing more relaxed and baggy clothes whereas the other follows fashion trends and loves skirts and dresses. They all sew on Peter’s granny's vintage Singer sewing machine and he loves knowing 4 generations have crafted and created on the same machine. His daughters pushed him to apply, and they will definitely be helping him design his Made to Measures!
Glendora, 59 - Bus Driver from Luton (Went home in week 3)
Born in Oxhey, near Watford and now residing in Luton with her two cats Joujou and Tigra, Glendora is a woman of many talents and stories. Glendora is from a large family, with 8 siblings and a mix of half-brothers and sisters. Her upbringing in Oxhey as the only Black family in an all-white area has shaped her understanding of cultural identity. Her mother’s involvement in the Afro-Caribbean society in Watford brought West Indian culture to the community through food and music events, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural pride. Since 2006, Glendora has been a bus driver, a job she loves for its variety and the time it allows her to enjoy her home life. Transitioning from driving the iconic double-decker buses in London to handling local services, Glendora finds joy in the diversity of her passengers and the ever-changing nature of her routes. As one of the few women in a predominantly male industry, she relishes breaking the mold and being part of the growing number of female bus drivers.
Yasmin, 30 - Research and Development Scientist from Gateshead
Research and Development Scientist Yasmin lives in Gateshead with fiancée and resident doctor Sophie. Yasmin comes from a family where fixing, mending and making was always preferred over buying new, but it was her dad who really taught her how to make her own clothes from scratch. Yasmin’s dad was an engineer and talented self-taught tailor (although sewing fast was not in his wheelhouse – he could spend hours hand-basting a sleeve!). They always joked that they would apply for the Sewing Bee as a dad/daughter duo but after he passed away in 2023, she wanted to apply in his memory. The last item they made together was a vibrant pink zebra dress that she wore to his brightly-coloured funeral. He continues to be her biggest inspiration and will be with her all the way.
Novello, 66 - Family Business Owner and Magistrate from London (Went home in week 4)
Novello is the matriarch of a wonderfully eclectic family that spans continents. She's the proud mum of three dynamic grown-ups: a daughter and two sons, living fascinating lives in London, the New Forest, and Mexico. With nine spirited grandchildren aged one to eighteen, her life is always full of youthful energy. Novello’s family puzzle also includes two stepchildren from her late husband and three more from her current husband, Andrew. Growing up in the Welsh valleys with four boisterous brothers and one sister, all with names beginning with 'N'.
Dan, 37 - Performer from Durham
Dan grew up in a close-knit village in Durham and currently shares a home there with his sister, while his partner Joel pursues career opportunities in Ireland. Despite the distance, they are making it work and are eagerly planning to reunite in Ireland soon. From a young age, Dan has been drawn to the stage. His passion for performance led him to become a versatile entertainer, skilled in fire breathing, stilt walking, angle grinder acts and dance. His career as a performer took off alongside his entrepreneurial spirit, founding Legacy, an events company supplying dynamic entertainers across the Northeast.
Saffie, 32 - Lecturer in Product & Industrial Design from London (Went home in week 2)
Saffie lives in a live/work studio in Haggerston with her partner Fred. She has a rich multicultural background including Jamaican, Guyanese, and English heritage. Growing up in North London, she was surrounded by a close-knit family including a brother and a twin sister, with whom she shares a special bond, despite being non-identical and completely different in personalities. Saffie fondly remembers her grandmother, whose hidden stash of vintage fabrics from Ridley Road markets in the 60s and 70s inspired her passion for sewing.
Stuart, 53 - Premises Manager from Herefordshire
Originally from Surrey, Stuart now resides in a charming village in Herefordshire. Stuart balances his life as a dedicated premises manager with his loving family, including his wife and three children as well as their mischievous Border Terrier, Treacle. Stuart’s family are not just supportive; they’re active participants in his creative adventures, often bringing him clothes to mend with his meticulous sewing skills.
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 judges
Patrick Grant and Esme Young will be returning to the judging duties on the show.
Speaking of the series last year, Patrick told us: "I’m absolutely delighted that the show is still popular. It’s one of the warmest and kindest shows on the telly."
The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 host
Last year, Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who took part in the celebrity festive edition of the sewing contest in 2021, took over hosting duties while regular presenter, comedian Sara Pascoe, was on maternity leave.
Sara is now back in her presenting role and is ready to help the sewers through their challenges for the 2025 series.
Who won The Great British Sewing Bee 2024?
Classically-trained musician Luke was crowned winner of The Great British Sewing Bee 2024. The diversity, equality and inclusion director wowed the judges throughout the series with their bold, stylish designs and clever use of fabrics.
After Esme and Patrick announced Luke as the winner and handed them the gold trophy, they said: “Honestly, this just doesn't feel real. Never did I think I'd get close to the final, let alone win – this is wild! I'm so proud of myself and I don't tend to say that a lot, but I'm really proud of myself."
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