TV presenter Sara Pascoe has revealed she was dropped from The Great British Sewing Bee by BBC bosses, saying she was replaced with a younger woman. The 45-year-old comic hosted the reality show for four years between 2022 and 2025, but earlier this year the broadcaster was replaced by fellow comedian Sophie Willan in series 12.
Pascoe Opens Up About Exit
Weeks after the series ended, the mum-of-two joined Harry Hill on his eponymous YouTube show, where she opened up about her time on the show. When asked if she will return in the new year, Sara bluntly replied: "No. They replaced me with a younger woman. Showbusiness is harsh."
The host pressed if she "gave it up", to which she insisted: "No, I didn't, absolutely not. I'm very lucky for the work I've had, I'm very gracious, I have bought a house, I send love and light to everyone..." The comic joked that she had a plan to enter the show as a contestant and try to work her way back up to the presenting gig.
Willan's Welcome and Show History
When Willan was announced as the new host last September, she acknowledged her predecessor, gushing: "Sara has been a brilliant, witty and much-loved presence in the sewing room and both the BBC and the Bee team thank her for three wonderful series." Commissioning editor Cal Turner added: "We are delighted to welcome Sophie Willan to The Great British Sewing Bee. With her boundless enthusiasm and energy, Sophie will bring her own unique spark to the sewing room alongside Patrick and Esme."
He also thanked Sara Pascoe for "three brilliant Series - her humour and charm have been a joy for viewers and stitchers alike." The show has been fronted by a number of hosts since it launched on BBC Two in 2013, with Claudia Winkleman hosting the first four series. After a three-year hiatus, the show returned in 2019 with Joe Lycett at the helm, who stepped aside in 2021 to make way for Pascoe, whose maternity leave in 2024 was covered by Ghosts star Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
New Series Changes and Fan Reaction
The reality show introduced some changes to this year's series, as judge Patrick Grant told This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary back in July. When asked what viewers can expect, he replied: "There are a couple of new things! There's always the odd new week, we've done some team challenges, which is kind of tricky, a bit more like in the real world if you were working in a costume department in a theatre. We've never done that before, so that's new and kind of real and good and fun, it works out alright."
The BBC star also revealed that one of the people taking part in this year's competition reduced him and Esme to tears, although he said they don't know how talented they are. After the new series debut, fans appeared to warm to new host Sophie as they praised her hosting skills online. One user penned: "Sophie's a great new presenter on #SewingBee." Another added: "I already prefer Sophie Willan to all the other hosts." A third commented: "Great presenter." As a fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: "Loving the new presenter and sewers this year." Express.co.uk has reached out to a BBC spokesperson for a comment.
