The Great British Sewing Bee is back! Series 12 returns to our screens next Tuesday, 14th July at 8pm on BBC One (mark your calendar!). Beloved judges and fashion industry experts Patrick Grant and Esme Young are back in the sewing room and they’ll be joined by 12 new contestants, all ready to showcase their sewing skills and compete for the prestigious title of Britain’s Best Amateur Sewer.
If you’re as excited as we are and want to meet this year’s cohort of creative hopefuls, keep reading! We’ve got the inside scoop on the talented contestants you’ll be watching (and maybe even placing your sweepstake bets on…).
SAM
- Age: 31
- Location: West Yorkshire
- Occupation: Heating Engineer
- Socials: @samstephens__
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A proud Brummy, Sam now lives in a small village in West Yorkshire with his partner of 7 years, Liv. He was taught to sew by his friend three years ago, and regrets not learning sooner as he wishes he could have made it into a career in fashion. That being said, he does love shocking his customers when they find out that their plumber can also sew! Sam specialises in boxy style unisex workwear, inspired by his love of streetwear fashion. He sews in his hired studio after work on both industrial and domestic sewing machines. Sam takes great pride in making clothes for other people, including formal workwear for his partner, Liv. Keen to get into pattern drafting, Sam would like to think that he is a methodical sewer, but really, he says he is usually scrambling around, in a state of “creative chaos”.
HEATHER
- Age: 28
- Location: West Midlands
- Occupation: Project Manager
- Socials: @herehsews
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Living with her Mum in the West Midlands, Heather says “nothing feels quite like wearing something you’ve made yourself – except maybe waking up your mum at midnight to show it off”. Luckily for her mum, Heather will be flying the nest soon, as she plans to move in with another of her sewing cheerleaders, and boyfriend of three years, Seanóg. A lover of modern elegance and bold prints, sewing has been both a creative outlet and calming ritual for Heather since attending her first night class in 2022. She is now passing on her knowledge to her 12-year-old niece, and in doing so, proudly carrying on a sewing family legacy that started with her Caribbean grandparents. Hailing from St Kitts her grandad was a tailor, and her grandmother was a seamstress. She is passionate about sewing with second-hand or deadstock fabric and with a sewing list that never seems to shrink, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
BETH
- Age: 24
- Location: Oxfordshire
- Occupation: Engineering PhD Student
- Socials: @beames.designs
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Beth is studying for a PhD in Engineering, and when not away at university she loves to be at home in Warwickshire with her family and their two Red Setters, Fanta and Cilla. A hard-working high achiever, Beth discovered sewing in her teenage years as a way to relieve stress, even choosing to make a skirt the night before her English GCSE. Sport is another mindful escape for her, and she loves powerlifting, running, hockey and tennis. Living with scoliosis, Beth has learnt to adapt her clothing to fit her body, which helps her feel confident and express her personal style (and indulge her love of backless dresses!). She also enjoys creating bespoke garments, recently making personalised trench coats for herself and her boyfriend, who is training to be a barrister. As she nears the end of her PhD, Beth sees sewing and engineering as two sides of the same coin: “Both come from a love for materials and problem-solving. When something goes wrong, I just get the unpicker out and fix it.”
EMMA
- Age: 45
- Location: Midlothian
- Occupation: Classical Soprano
- Social: @emma_sewprano
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Originally from Northern Ireland, Emma now lives in a village just outside of Edinburgh with her husband of 18 years Robin who is a piano teacher and their two children, Lucas and Orla. Emma learned to sew as a child from her mum, a gifted seamstress who could turn five metres of fabric into a stunning dress in an afternoon, before wearing it to a dinner dance that same night. When she’s not performing in operas and concerts across the UK and Europe, Emma will be at her sewing machine, as since she picked up sewing again in 2023, she hasn’t bought a single piece of clothing. Her style is bold, colourful and full of life, reflecting her personality, you’ll never catch her in black! She enjoys open water swimming all year round, even breaking the ice to get in! Emma loves camping trips with her family and “fizzy fridays” with her friends after an indoor bouldering session.
TIM
- Age: 60
- Location: Suffolk
- Occupation: Care Farm Director
- Social: @timmybluechicken
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Tim lives in the countryside with his partner of 25 years, Mark and their dog Charlie, and has a daughter Rosie who lives in London. Tim runs a care farm that offers therapeutic placements to adults with learning disabilities and those working to improve their mental well-being. He’s also a committed CrossFit enthusiast and goes three times a week despite claiming the workouts are horrid! Tim’s love of sewing began in childhood, watching his mum make clothes for him and his siblings, but it wasn’t until he was caring for his mum many years later and reminiscing about those early days, that a fateful scroll through social media led him to purchase a second-hand Singer machine. Tim’s style is classic with character, he loves clean lines, thoughtful finishes and garments that tell a story, whether it’s a silk-lined denim jacket or a wrap dress for his daughter. For Tim, sewing isn’t just a craft; it’s how he connects with people.
LEWIS
- Age: 29
- Location: East Sussex
- Occupation: Primary School Teacher
- Social: @lewis_from_lewes
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Rocking an old fisherman style, Lewis is a family-orientated primary school teacher, who grew up in the same small town he lives in now (and can even see his parents’ house from his window). It was through his sister that he met his partner of 6 years, and fiancé, Sadie, a photographer. Lewis started sewing at around the age of 7 or 8 when his mum taught him to hand-sew. Having built on his skills over the last 6 years, he is now a big fan of a large expanding pocket and making costumes for Lewes Bonfire night. His sewing style is utilitarian and classic workwear, influenced by American 1930’s garments. He likes to use as many natural fabrics as possible and is a proud repairer of his clothes, breathing life and longevity into them. He’s now passing this life-skill onto his pupils, who enjoy making pencil cases in his creative classes. An active member and supporter of his local rugby club community, Lewes describes himself as a premature old man who loves going for a quiet pint in the local pub and reading the papers on a weekend.
REBECCA
- Age: 27
- Location: London
- Occupation: Chartered Actuary
- Social: @stitchy_rebecca
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Rebecca is originally from Hampshire and now lives in London with her fiancée, Sam, who she met through an online book club during lockdown. An actuary specialising in marine insurance, Rebecca balances her analytical career with a passion for sewing, earning the nickname “Executive Hobbit” from Sam, thanks to her love of fantasy and her colourful handmade workwear. She’s known for rocking a hot pink three-piece suit in the office and standing out in a sea of grey. After growing up watching her mum sew, Rebecca took up the hobby herself as a teenager, quickly progressing to making costumes for Doctor Who conventions and outfits for ballroom dancing competitions. Inspired by Victorian fashion, she has become a highly technical sewer, exploring everything from Victorian underwear to her most ambitious project yet: creating her own ivory satin wedding dress. Having lived with constant stomach pain for 13 years, she often adapts her designs for comfort and finds sewing helps distract from the pain. For Rebecca, there is no better feeling of getting to wear something she has made all by herself.
MINNIE
- Age: 30
- Location: Bedfordshire
- Occupation: Full-Time Mum
- Social: @sew_minnie
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Beijing born Minnie lives in Bedfordshire with her husband Thomas and their three young children. After moving to the UK in 2013 to study Landscape Architecture, she met Thomas at a salsa dancing social and the rest is history. After stepping away from her career to focus on family life, she is eager to reclaim a creative outlet and challenge herself beyond motherhood. Known for her dry sense of humour and glamorous handmade wardrobe, Minnie is often the most stylish mum at the school gates, wearing dresses made from beautiful Chinese silks. Although she initially hated the sewing machine Thomas bought her for Christmas, lockdown gave her the chance to give it a try and she quickly became hooked. Now grateful for what she calls the best present ever, Minnie creates precise, fitted womenswear, traditional Chinese garments and childrenswear, rarely making the same thing twice. A keen gardener and outdoor enthusiast, she loves bringing creativity into every aspect of her life. For Minnie, sewing is far more than a hobby; it gives her a sense of identity outside of being a mum and fills her with pride whenever someone stops to admire something she has made herself.
ADELE
- Age: 36
- Location: West Yorkshire
- Occupation: Primary School Teacher
- Social: @mama.loves.sewing
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Lancashire born and bred, Adele now lives in West Yorkshire with her two children and husband of 10 years and proud Yorkshireman, Steve. A primary school teacher, Adele started her own sewing club at school, (the risk assessment was a nightmare!) and once she qualified to drive the minibus, the first trip was to the very same Mill where Sewing Bee is filmed. Football crazy, Adele is a Blackburn Rovers’ “faithful”, and ex-ball girl. She has run 9 marathons, and when running the London Marathon alongside her husband, she pushed him too far saying “faster, faster” … and then he collapsed. Adele once dreamt of becoming a fashion designer but opted for a career in fashion merchandising, armed with a desire to shape the future of clothes. The reality was soulless, selling clothes as cheaply and quickly as possible, so she quit and became a teacher. In 2020, Adele dusted off her machine and found her love of sewing once again. She likes to stand out in bright and bold prints and is obsessed with leopard print and making matching outfits for the whole family. Her Dad is her biggest champion, exclaiming “Our Adele made me this shirt” in the local pub.
ANGIE
- Age: 63
- Location: Warwickshire
- Occupation: Retired Business Studies and Computing Lecturer
- Social: @angisews
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It was love that brought Angie to the UK 43 years ago, falling for husband Paul when he was visiting LA. She moved across the pond and they built their lives together and raised their three, now grown-up children. Paul sadly passed away in 2018, and Angie who has now retired says she feels beyond lucky to have been granted a second chance of happiness with her new partner, Graham and Fern the dog. Growing up in LA, Angie was always in awe of her mother and grandmother, who could whip up a dress in record time. Meanwhile, she was raiding her dad’s sock draw to make dresses for her Barbies. Sewing has always been there for Angie, but when her husband passed away and lockdown hit, sewing became her escape. She loves 50s and 60s silhouettes, and when her and Graham head on a theatre trip into London, adorned in her handmade frock, complete with petticoat and matching handbag, she feels fabulous, like a real-life Barbie.
ANNA
- Age: 27
- Location: North Yorkshire
- Occupation: Barista & Waitress
- Social: @atelier.anna.costume
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Anna grew up in Surrey, moving to Manchester to study Sociology at university where she met her boyfriend Sebastian at a gig. After graduating they travelled around Europe together in a camper van before moving to North Yorkshire where they now live on a narrowboat. Their boat was a shell when they bought it, but with their DIY skills and Anna’s style, they built their dream, creative and artsy home. A lover of nature, she wanders along the riverbank barefoot early in the morning, foraging for ingredients and watching the sun rise. Anna originally got into sewing through repairing and altering second hand clothes in her efforts to be ethically and environmentally conscious. During lockdown she started researching fashion history and recreating historical garments, including a Queen of Hearts costume which she is most proud of. Anna’s sewing style is not only inspired by historical silhouettes and techniques, her garments have a gothic, grunge and flamboyant tone to them. She loves corsetry and is ambitious in every project she takes on, combining creativity with wearability.
DAWN
- Age: 64
- Location: London
- Occupation: Chief Financial Officer
- Social: @dawn_in_stitches
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Dawn was born in London and lives there now with her partner of 34 years, Chris. They have one grown up daughter, Francesca and four unofficially adopted sons, that Dawn took under her wing and helped them become who they are today. A strong believer in a close-knit community, she also looks after elderly neighbours in her local area. Aside from sewing, Dawn can be found visiting exhibitions at the V&A, collaging, knitting and crocheting. Taught the basics by her grandma and great aunt, Dawn started making clothes for her dolls at the age of 7. On receiving her very first paycheck, the first thing she bought was a sewing machine and she has not stopped sewing since 1968. Dawn has “me-made-marmite” wardrobe full of garments that make her feel good, the only things she really has to buy is underwear! She likes her garments to feel good in texture and makes them stand out with something a little different whether it be with adding shapes, pleats, stripes or accessories.
Keep up to date with The Great British Sewing Bee
Discover everything we know so far about the new series of The Great British Sewing Bee, including when it’s on, where to watch, and a complete episode guide once the series begins, in our Great British Sewing Bee 2026 guide.
