🧵 The Great British Sewing Bee 2025: Week 1, A Stylish Return

The Great British Sewing Bee is back — and it’s better stitched than ever. Series 11 kicked off on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, airing weekly at 9 pm on BBC One, with episodes available on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.

Returning to the sewing room is the ever-charming Sara Pascoe, back from maternity leave, alongside fan-favourite judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young. As ever, the trio sets the tone for a warm but competitive journey full of fabrics, flair, and fierce talent.

Filmed at Sunny Bank Mills in Leeds, this season brings a new batch of passionate amateurs who are ready to cut, pin, and hem their way to the top.

Meet the Contestants

Twelve new sewists, each with their own unique background, aesthetic, and reason for picking up a needle, have joined the 2025 series. Here's who they are:

• Kit (24, Manchester) – A bold digital marketer known for their “pointless fashion.” Kit transforms the worst fabrics they can find into high-concept, flamboyant garments. Already a fan favourite, they sew weekly and exude creativity.

• Yasmin (30, Gateshead) – A research & development scientist sewing in memory of her tailor father. Yasmin combines personal sentiment with technical excellence, making her a quiet powerhouse in the competition.

• Glendora (59, Luton) – A vibrant bus driver whose Caribbean heritage inspires her use of colour, print, and shape. Her joyful energy lights up the workroom.

• Caz (59, Nottingham/Staffordshire) – A retired sewing teacher with decades of experience. Calm, skilled, and detail-driven, Caz brings a classic, structured style to her garments.

• Jess (33, London) – Head of communications for a charity, Jess balances contemporary cuts with storytelling in her work. She sews with grace under pressure.

• Órla (19, Inverness) – The youngest in the group, Órla is a student and café worker whose youthful vision and bold fabric choices make her one to watch.

• Peter (45, Devon) – A senior pre-construction manager with a precise, engineering-based approach to sewing. Clean lines and clever structure are his trademarks.

• Gaynor (72, Port Talbot, Wales) – A retired office manager whose classic style and steady hands reflect a deep respect for sewing tradition.

• Novello (66, London) – A magistrate and family business owner with elegance in every stitch. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to deliver sharp critique — even of herself.

• Dan (37, Durham) – A full-time performer with a flair for the dramatic. Expect bold silhouettes, expressive design, and garments made for the spotlight.

• Saffie (32, London) – A lecturer in product and industrial design, Saffie fuses function and form with a modern aesthetic. Her pieces are smart, sculptural, and always purposeful.

• Stuart (53, Herefordshire) – A premises manager who favours classic tailoring and timeless garments. His traditional craftsmanship is refined and dependable.

Format & Challenges

Each episode follows the familiar yet pressure-packed trio of challenges:

• Pattern Challenge – Testing technical accuracy with a set design.

• Transformation Challenge – Turning everyday materials into something new and exciting.

• Made-to-Measure Challenge – Creating bespoke garments for real-life models.

The season promises thrilling weekly themes including art, Korean fashion, and multi-purpose athleisure, offering contestants the chance to really flex their creative muscle. Each episode crowns a Garment of the Week, while one sewer is sadly sent home.

Why Kit Is Our Star of This Week

It’s still early days, but Kit has already won our hearts.

• Eye-catching transformations – Kit thrives on turning dreadful fabrics into runway-ready looks.

• Camp couture – From mesh hoodies to coats suspended by chains, Kit’s “pointless fashion” is pure joy.

• Sewing stamina – They’ve made at least one garment per week throughout university. That’s serious dedication.

Creative, confident, and never boring — Kit brings a spark that lights up the sewing room.

Let the stitching showdown commence! From heartfelt tributes to wild experiments, Series 11 is set to be a stylish, skill-filled rollercoaster — and we’ll be watching every stitch of it.

Who’s your pick to win? We’re #TeamKit (for now!) but let us know who your favourite is, follow us on Facebook or Instagram and comment :)