When The Great British Bake Off took the world by storm in the 2010s, TV producers realised the format was pretty neat. Cue the spin offs: Bake Off: The Professionals, The Great British Sewing Bee, and our personal favourite (inspired by some serious TikTok scrolling), The Great Pottery Throw Down. Lucky for us, the latter is back for another season very soon – here’s everything we know about series 7.
The Great Pottery Throw Down Series 7
James Stead and Siobhán McSweeney in series 6
When Does The Great Pottery Throw Down Start?
Series 7 of The Great Pottery Throw Down will start on Sunday 7 January 2024 at 7.45pm on Channel 4. The subsequent nine episodes will air on Sunday nights at 7.45pm on Channel 4 until the winner is revealed in the finale on Sunday 10 March 2024.
What Will Happen?
Every series of The Great Pottery Throw Down gathers a new batch of 12 home potters competing to be champion ‘of the pottery’. In each episode, contestants complete two challenges: the ‘Main Make’, similar to The Great British Bake Off‘s ‘Signature Challenge’; and a surprise ‘Throw Down’ challenge, like the Bake Off ‘Technical’. The Main Make is a multi-stage creative task, and contestants must design, build, decorate and present a ceramic creation to specifications given by the judges. Recent examples include a five-piece crockery set, a tea set, and a trio of garden gnomes. The potters are set their surprise Throw Down task between stages of the Main Make. The Throw Down task is smaller scale and tests a specific pottery skill; the judges then rank their efforts from worst to best.
The end of each episode sees the best performing contestant designated the ‘potter of the week’. Meanwhile, the week’s worst performer is sent home, while everyone else progresses to the next stage of the competition.
How To Watch
British fans can tune in on Channel 4 and online at channel4.com. In the US, the series will air on HBO later in 2024 and stream on Max.
Caitlin Foulds and Siobhán McSweeney in series 6
Who Hosts The Show?
Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney is back hosting The Great Pottery Throw Down, joined by judges Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones.
What Are The Series 7 Challenges?
In series 6, we saw our batch of amateur potters rustle everything up from milk jugs to gargoyles, chimney pots to hanging planters. So far, we only know the challenges for the first two episodes of series 7, but we’ll update you as soon as we know more.
- Episode 1: Main Make, a roast dinner set; Throw Down, side plates.
- Episode 2: Main Make, a gluggle jug; Throw Down, TBD but we know it is blindfolded.
Who Are The Contestants?
No news on the contestants yet – but watch this space for all the information when we have it.
(L-R) Joe Swash, Alice Levine, Rich Miller, Keith Brymer-Jones, Siobhán McSweeney, Hugh Dennis and Sophie Duker
Christmas Special
As well as a new series, there will also be a celebrity special, The Festive Pottery Throw Down, on Christmas Day at 7.30pm on Channel 4. Hugh Dennis, Sophie Ducker, Alice Levine and Joe Swash will all compete, hand-building a Christmas birdhouse and taking to the potter’s wheel to create festive nibbles bowls.
Channel 4 summarises: ‘The battle of the clay returns with this fabulously festive special Christmas episode. Siobhán McSweeney hosts, as Hugh Dennis, Sophie Duker, Alice Levine and Joe Swash roll up their sleeves, brave the pottery and compete to become champion of The Festive Pottery Throw Down 2023. Judges Keith Brymer Jones and Rich Miller set our celebrities two festive challenges: hand-building a Christmas birdhouse and a surprise second challenge, where speed is of the essence as the celebrities take to the wheel to see who can throw the most festive nibbles bowls.’
Sophie Duker
Where Is It Filmed?
The Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed at Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton.
Can You Visit?
Yes, you can visit Gladstone Pottery Museum, although it is currently closed for winter. It will reopen on Saturday 23 March. stokemuseums.org.uk
Address: Uttoxeter Rd, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1PQ
Who Are The Previous Winners?
Last year, Loïs Gunn – a jewellery designer from Ramsgate – beat out her fellow contestants to walk away as the winner. She joined five previous winners of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
- Series 6, 2023: Loïs Gunn
- Series 5, 2022: AJ Simpson
- Series 4, 2021: Jodie Neale
- Series 3, 2020: Rosa Wiland Holmes
- Series 2, 2017: Ryan Barrett
- Series 1, 2016: Matthew Wilcock
Lois Gunn
WATCH
The Great Pottery Throw Down returns to Channel 4 at 7.45pm on 7 January 2024.
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