The Great British Sewing Bee is only a week away from returning – and now we’ve got our first glimpse at the 12 new hopefuls ready to stitch their way to the win.
Sophie Willan is back presenting the wholesome competition at Sunny Bank Mills in Leeds, with designers Patrick Grant and Esme Young ready to give their critiques to each creation and keep the sewers on pins and needles.
However, this team seams to know how to handle the pressure, with two teachers, an engineering PhD student, a care farm director, an actuary, a CFO and a project manager among the ranks.
Who will be crowned Britain’s best amateur sewer? Meet the bees who think they’re up for the job.
Who are the contestants of Great British Sewing Bee 2026?
- Sam, 31, West Yorkshire, heating engineer
- Heather, 28, West Midlands, project manager
- Beth, 24, Oxfordshire, engineering PhD student
- Emma, 45, Midlothian, classical soprano
- Tim, 60, Suffolk, care farm director
- Lewis, 29, East Sussex, primary school teacher
- Rebecca, 27, London, chartered actuary
- Minnie, 30, Bedfordshire, full-time mum
- Adele, 36, West Yorkshire, primary school teacher
- Angie, 63, Warwickshire, retired business studies and computing lecturer
- Anna, 27, North Yorkshire, barista & waitress
- Dawn, 64, London, chief financial officer
This year, the nine women and three men are going to take on the tricky tasks under an intense time frame, including the return of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” Week, Sports Week, Music Week and Kids Week.
But there’ll also be new themes to face including a Mexico Week, Literary Icons and Wardrobe Heroes.
Week one will see the bees take on British Summertime Week, where they’ll be asked to make a pair of women’s shorts and turn a barbecue apron into a functional bag, before creating a made-to-measure outfit for their perfect summer’s day.
As if that wasn’t enough, for the first time ever the sewers will also be expected to be the models of their own work – and once the time is up they’ll have to put on their creation in order to present them to the judges.
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The Great British Sewing Bee returns to BBC One on Tuesday 14 July 2026.
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
