Yahoo News BBC Great British Sewing Bee viewers 'infuriated' as they threaten to 'switch off'
The tenth series of the BBC's beloved show launched on Tuesday (May 21), with fashion aficionados Patrick Grant and Esme Young resuming their roles as judges. Kiell Smith-Bynoe steps up as the main host, following his successful stint in the 2023 Christmas special.
The episode opened with a glimpse into the future, teasing viewers with snippets of the contestants' creations, which sparked some annoyance among the audience.
One viewer expressed their frustration online: "Why are they showing highlights? I find this infuriating I don't want to see what's getting made weeks ahead. Let's meet the contestants and just get on with it."
Echoing the sentiment, another chimed in: "Don't need to watch now that I've seen all the outfits."
The introduction of contestant Neil's unusual companion also caused quite a stir. Neil, who engaged in online quizzes during lockdown, crafted a ventriloquist dummy named Terry Pastry for company, reports the Express.
Host Kiell Smith-Bynoe enquired about Neil's peculiar sidekick, only to later confess he found the encounter "terrifying". It seems viewers shared his sentiment, with one commenting: "Oh no that ventriloquist dummy is so creepy."
Agreement came from another, stating: "That puppet is seriously scary," while someone else remarked: "Terry is the thing of nightmares. Good luck sleeping tonight! " A fourth viewer questioned the lack of warning: "Where's the trigger warning for the puppet @sewingbee? ! ".
Someone else concurred: "That dummy belongs in a horror movie."
A sixth person added their voice to the chorus of disapproval, stating: "That dummy is the stuff of nightmares."
The first episode paid homage to the inaugural series with each challenge. The contestants' opening task was to craft an A-line denim skirt.
For the transformation challenge, they were presented with a T-shirt and instructed to repurpose it.
Patrick Grant elaborated on the task, saying: "In the very first sewing bee, we gave our sewers tops like these and asked them to alter the necklines. It is now the transformation challenge."
The final task for the contestants was the made-to-measure challenge, where they had to create a casual day dress within five hours. Neil was the unfortunate first contestant to leave the series.
