The Great British Sewing Bee returned to BBC One on Tuesday, July 14, for its 12th series, with comedian and actress Sophie Willan taking over as host from Sara Pascoe. Twelve new contestants entered the sewing room, facing judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young in three tasks themed around British summer.
Sophie Willan's Debut and Viewer Reaction
In the opening segment, Sophie was seen preparing for her introduction. A producer suggested dressing her as a giant bobbin and rolling her in, while another crew member reminded her to head to the haberdashery after introducing the challenge. Esme Young joked, "Wing it. I've been winging it for years."
Viewers took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their delight. One fan wrote: "Sophie's a great new presenter on #SewingBee." Another said: "I already prefer Sophie Willan to all the other hosts." A third added: "Great presenter," with a smiley face emoji. A fourth echoed: "Loving the new presenter and sewers this year."
Tasks and Challenges
The pattern challenge required contestants to craft summer shorts with a patch pocket. In the transformation challenge, they turned barbecue aprons into bags. The final task involved creating garments for their ideal summer's day and modeling them on the catwalk.
Announcement and Producer Comments
Sophie was announced as the new host in September 2025. Cal Turner, Commissioning Editor, said: "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 added: "We'd also like to thank Sara Pascoe for three brilliant series - her humour and charm have been a joy for viewers and stitchers alike." Tom Davies, Executive Producer at Love Productions, commented: "We are so excited to have Sophie join the Sewing Bee team and we cannot wait to see what she brings to the Sewing Room."
The Great British Sewing Bee is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
