If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching The Great Pottery Throw Down, let me tell you… it is a DELIGHT.
It’s comfort food for your eyes. It’s a balm to the soul.
The show is from the creators of the heralded shows The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee. It repurposes much of what’s loved from those shows, trading baking and sewing for pottery as the medium.
You’ll love the camaraderie between contestants and the stress of making something good in a small amount of time (the pressure is on, people!).
In this article, we’ll cover the judges, the hosts, and the winners from each season.
How to watch The Great Pottery Throw Down
You can watch The Great Pottery Throw Down on HBO Max which has streaming rights in the United States.
The show is produced by Love Productions. It originally started on BBC Two in 2015, moved to More4 in 2020, and now finds its United Kingdom home on Channel 4.
Here’s the official trailer for season 5 which is the most recent season for The Great Pottery Throw Down.
It’s still to be determined if a new season of The Great Pottery Throw Down will be coming out next spring.
Who are the winners from each season of The Great Pottery Throw Down?
The seasons range from 6 to 10 episodes each. In each series, the contestants need to impress judges Keith Brymer Jones, Kate Malone, Sue Pryke, or Rich Miller (more on judges below).
In each episode, the contestants are provided a challenge to complete. They are asked to make a certain type of ceramic art, with a certain theme, and (of course) in a certain amount of time. And it’s never enough time to finish properly as contestants race to get their wares in the drying room at the last possible minute.
Most of the contestants are amateur potters. And each week their skills are put to the test with a spot test, a throw down, and the main make. Contestants who win the main make are named “Potter of the Week”.
The seasons end by crowning a new top potter in the United Kingdom. Let’s take a look at the winners from each of the 5 seasons:
Who won The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 1?
Matthew Wilcock won season 1 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. Wilcock won in the last episode when he has his competitors were asked to make a 12-piece tea set out of porcelain.
Matthew took the series by storm winning “potter of the week” 4 out of the 6 episodes. Wilcocks became a grungy heartthrob across the nation with his mild manner and blonde dreadlocks.
In everyday life, he’s a teacher from the small village of Giggleswick. Right now he’s cycling across boundaries from John O’Groats to Gibraltar. You can follow his journey on social media.
Read our The Great Pottery Throw Down season 1 article at the link.
Who won The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 2?
Ryan Barrett won season 2 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. The finale saw contestants competing to win by creating porcelain lights.
He stunned many when he shared that he had only been working with ceramics for the previous two years. He even explains on the show that it was a Tinder date that introduced him to the medium.
In his everyday life, Ryan is anything but ordinary. You may see him grace the covers of magazines as a model. He also works as a clothing designer. Needless to say, he was the talk of the town with his prince charming looks and good-naturedness.
Read our The Great Pottery Throw Down season 2 article at the link.
Who won The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 3?
Rosa Wiland Holmes won season 3 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. The final challenge completed by the contestants was a Mad Hatter-themed tea set.
She’s been a practicing ceramist for the last 6 years. Much of her art is shaped by the extraordinary interactions of nature.
Rosa is from Buckinghamshire and is a full-time stay-at-home mom. Prior to staying home with the kids, she was a fashion designer. You can see her artwork and follow her journey by following this link to her personal website.
Read our The Great Pottery Throw Down season 3 article at the link.
Who won The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 4?
Jodie Neale won season 4 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. The final challenge completed by the contestants was a 1920s Art Deco Party Set.
She got hooked on ceramics after taking an evening pottery class. Jodie aims to tell her life story through the medium. Her works are often elegant and rich in their design.
Jodie is from Rhondda Valley and is a nurse for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. You can see her artwork and follow her by following this link to her website.
Read our The Great Pottery Throw Down season 4 article at the link.
Who won The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 5?
AJ Simpson won season 5 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. The final challenge completed by the contestants was to create a garden totem sculpture.
At the time of the show, AJ was a 21-year-old design graduate student at the Grays School of Art. Their style is unique and brightly colored. Often, the end result is a fun character.
AJ is from Aberdeen and is currently a student at the Grays School of Art. You can see their artworks and follow them at following this link to their website.
Read our The Great Pottery Throw Down season 5 article at the link.
Who are the judges for The Great Pottery Throw Down?
Judge: Keith Brymer Jones
Keith Brymer Jones has judged all 5 seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down. He’s been a well-known potter even before his debut as a judge. He sells his homewares as an individual artisan. He’s most commonly known for printing retro words and letters on the sides of his wares.
He’s typically the harshest judge with criticism. But he’s also the most likely to get emotional over a special piece of ceramics. In fact, it’s become a bit of a national treasure seeing Keith Brymer Jones cry. And of course, the internet has made it a meme, gif, and everything else.
Judge: Kate Malone
Kate Malone acted as a judge on the first two seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down when it was still on BBC.
Beyond her role as a judge on The Great Pottery Throw Down, Kate has become a well-known ceramic artist around the world and especially in the United Kingdom making incredible pottery.
Her style is unique and recognizable. She plays with nature and experiments with glazes. Check out her work on her website at this link.
Judge: Sue Pryke
Sue Pryke acted as a judge on the third season or series of The Great Pottery Throw Down when it was still on BBC.
Sue is known for her striking designs with ceramics. She’s partnered with her husband John (who is an artisan in his own right) to make incredible pieces that combine different artforms together.
Check out her website and portfolio at this link.
Judge: Richard Miller
Richard “Rich” Miller acted as a judge on the fourth and fifth seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down when it was still on BBC.
Expert Richard Miller started as the ceramics technician for the first couple of seasons, earning his nickname “Kiln Man Rich”.
He was much loved by the audience. So the executive producers hired a new pottery throwdown technician and promoted Rich to a judge on the show.
He is a significant potter himself. His style is elegant and intricate. Check out his website and portfolio at this link.
Get to know The Great Pottery Throw Down Hosts
Presenter: Sara Cox
Sara Cox served as the host or presenter of The Great Pottery Throw Down for the first two seasons.
Before the show, she was a known voice in the United Kingdom. She served as a radio host on BBC One and BBC Two.
As a host, she was known for a quick wit and a ready joke.
Presenter: Melanie Sykes
Melanie Sykes served as host and presenter on season 3 of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Her most-popular roles outside this show are hosting Today with Des and Mel with her co-host Des O’Connor. She also co-hosted Let’s Do Lunch with Gino D’Acampo.
Presenter: Siobhan McSweeney
Actress Siobhan McSweeney has acted as host and presenter for season 4 and season 5 of The Great Pottery Throw Down. She broke her leg and had to sit out for the second part of the fifth season.
Siobhán grew up in Cork and is Irish. She’s best known for her roles in the drama series, The Fall as Mary McCurdy and especially for her role in Derry Girls as Sister Michael. Derry Girls is a beloved comedy.
Presenter: Ellie Taylor
Ellie Taylor has subbed in for Siobhán McSweeney (who was injured and had to sit out) as host and presenter for season 5 of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Taylor has been a regular face on panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats and has a prominent role as Flo ‘Sassy’ Collins on the hit show Ted Lasso. She brings clever, light-hearted humor to the show.
Conclusion
Have you watched the show? We’d love to hear what your favorite episode was! Send us an email at hello@wheelandclay.com or leave a comment below.
I think our favorite episode was Season 1 Episode 3 where the contestants did a raku-fired project. Everyone was so nervous, so the tensions were high. Plus the medium of raku is fun and cool to see the way different people approach the medium!
It’s worth watching for the hard work of talented potters as contestants battle it out to be crowned one of Britain’s best home potters.
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The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 1
The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 2
The Great Pottery Throw Down Season 3
