The Great British Sewing Bee has officially returned to BBC One for its 12th series
The Great British Sewing Bee returned to the BBC on Tuesday (July 14), with a new face at the helm.
12 new contestants were welcomed into the sewing room, but they weren’t the only people stepping into unfamiliar territory, as comedian and actress Sophie Willan has taken over from former host Sara Pascoe.
Sophie was joined by judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young, who set the sewers three tasks within the theme of British summer.
The pattern challenge saw the contestants craft summer shorts with a patch pocket, before they had to make barbecue aprons into bags in the transformation challenge.
Later, the sewers were asked to create garments to fit themselves as they made outfits for their ideal summer’s day and modeled them on the catwalk.
At the start of the episode, Sophie was seen preparing to make her introduction. As part of a hilarious opening segment, a producer arrived to tell the star: “Got the most amazing idea for the pre-title sketches. We’re gonna dress you as a giant bobbin and roll you in.”
Another crew member could then be heard saying: “Ok, Sophie, standby! Don’t forget, once you’ve introduced the challenge, head straight to the haberdashery to talk applique.”
Sophie looked confused, before Esme jokingly said to her: “Wing it. I’ve been winging it for years.”
BBC viewers quickly said the same thing as Sophie got to grips with her new role. Fans shared their delight on X (formerly Twitter), with one person writing: “Sophie’s a great new presenter on #SewingBee.”
Another added: “I already prefer Sophie Willan to all the other hosts,” while a third said: “Great presenter,” alongside a smiley face emoji.
A fourth fan echoed the sentiment, saying: “Loving the new presenter and sewers this year.”
Sophie was announced as the new host of The Great British Sewing Bee back in September 2025.
At the time, 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.
“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, added: “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
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