BBC Great British Sewing Bee sparks fury as viewers demand 'trigger warning' for 'nightmare' scenes

Series 10 of the BBC programme launched on Tuesday (May 21), with fashion experts Patrick Grant and Esme Young resuming their roles as judges. Meanwhile, Kiell Smith-Bynoe has stepped up as the show's main presenter following his hosting debut in the 2023 Christmas special.

The episode opened with a series of teasers, giving viewers a glimpse of what to expect from the new series. The preview of outfits crafted by the contestants sparked frustration among viewers.

One viewer expressed their annoyance: "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 added: "Don't need to watch now that I've seen all the outfits."

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Others were left feeling uneasy after being introduced to contestant Neil's "sidekick". During lockdown, Neil engaged in online quizzes and decided to create a ventriloquist dummy for companionship, reports the Express.

When Kiell inquired about Neil's companion, Terry Pastry, whom he brought to the sewing bee, the host later confessed to finding the interaction "terrifying". Viewers shared the sentiment, with one commenting: "Oh no that ventriloquist dummy is so creepy."

"That puppet is seriously scary," concurred another. A different viewer remarked: "Terry is the thing of nightmares. Good luck sleeping tonight! " while another requested: "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 premiere episode paid homage to the show's origins with each challenge reflecting those from series one. The first task for the contestants was to craft an A-line denim skirt.

For the transformation challenge, they were presented with a T-shirt and instructed to transform it into a completely new item.

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 has now become the transformation challenge.

The final challenge of the episode was the made-to-measure task, where the contestants had to create a casual day dress within a five-hour window. Neil was the unfortunate first contestant to leave the series.