The Great British Sewing Bee: Line-up, judges and where to watch revealed

18 February 2019, 15:47

Returning judges Esme Young and Patrick Grant are joined by comedian Joe Lycett in the fifth series of the sewing competition

Calling all craft lovers! The Great British Sewing Bee is back.

Returning to BBC2 after a three-year hiatus, the sewing competition will see ten talented amateurs go up against one another in a bid to win the title “Britain’s best home sewer”.

With needles and thread at the ready, we take a look at the show’s brand new host, the judges, the line-up and where to watch the battle of the backstitch.

Who is Sewing Bee presenter Joe Lycett?

Comedian and TV personality Joe Lycett has replaced Strictly’s Claudia Winkleman as the presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee.

You may already recognise the Birmingham-born star as he's better known for appearing on panel shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and QI. He also voices BBC1's game show Epic Win and travels across the country as a stand-up comedian.

Speaking about his new role on the show, he said: "My mum loves this show and she’s bursting at the seams she’s sew excited! Weave talked about it and she says I’m tailor made and I’ll have the contestants in stitches."

Enough puns in there, Joe?

Who are the Sewing Bee judges?

Two familiar faces have returned to the hit BBC2 show to judge the creations in the fifth series of the competition.

Esme Young works as a senior lecturer at London’s Central St Martin’s College and also designs costumes for some of Britain's biggest movies, including Bridget Jones' Diary!

Patrick Grant is an award-winning Creative Director of Savile Row tailors Norton & Sons and menswear line, E Tautz.

Who are the new Sewing Bee contestants?

From left to right, meet Sheila, Jen, Mercedes, Alexei, Riccardo, Tom, Janet, Ben, Leah and Juliet.

When and where can I watch the Great British Sewing Bee online?

The Great British Sewing Bee first aired on Tuesday 12th February 2019 at 9pm on BBC2. It continues weekly and is available on BBC iPlayer if you need to catch up!