The Great Pottery Throw Down is returning to our TV screens tonight. The popular Channel 4 series will see 12 amateur potters battle it out to be crowned the winner of the programme’s eighth series.
Keith Brymer Jones and Richard Miller will return as judges for the new series, putting the potters through their paces. Siobhan McSweeney, star of the hugely successful sitcom Derry Girls, also returns for the new series as presenter.
Contestants will be subjected to a series of challenges as they battle it out to succeed Donna as champion of The Great Pottery Throw Down. Here’s what viewers can expect from the forthcoming series.
When is The Great Pottery Throw Down 2025 on TV?
The Great Pottery Throw Down will return to Channel 4 on Sunday, January 5 at 7.45pm for the first episode of the eighth series. The new series will consist of 10 episodes in total, each airing on Sunday evenings.
Who will be presenting The Great Pottery Throw Down 2025?
Siobhan McSweeney will return to present the new series of The Great Pottery Throw Down.
Where is The Great Pottery Throw Down filmed?
The Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed at Stoke-on-Trent’s Gladstone Pottery Museum, which is located in Longton. The museum reopened for 2025 on Thursday, January 2.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Jane Ashworth said: “Gladstone Pottery Museum is a real gem in our city’s cultural heritage. It’s a much-loved, award-winning visitor attraction and heritage site that welcomes around 3,000 visitors a month. The early opening in 2025 is a fantastic way to celebrate both our centenary and the museum’s 50th anniversary. The museum attracts visitors from across the globe and it’s great that we’re able to offer extended access during this special year. If you’ve never been before, why not make the time in 2025 to come out and support our local attractions and see what’s on offer.”
A total of 12 contestants will do battle to become the next Great Pottery Throw Down winner. Here’s what we know about them:
Chris, 36, military veteran
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Chris
Chris spent six years in the British Army and, during a deployment to Afghanistan, he lost his leg in an IED explosion. A few years later, craving a more active lifestyle, Chris left the army and took up archery, soon getting picked for the Invictus Games and the GB Athletic team. It was here he met his now wife Pippa and just a few weeks before filming began, they welcomed their first child, an aptly named boy called Archer. Still very much a thrill seeker, Chris enjoys skydiving and even parachuted into his own wedding.
Diana, 62, retired art, design and textiles teacher
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Diana
Born and raised in Derbyshire, Diana has recently retired to an idyllic smallholding in Dorset with her husband Chris, a retired vet. Together, they spend their time rearing pigs, hens, geese and quail, as well as growing their own vegetables. She first got her hands on clay as a teenager and loved it so much she changed her study plans and opted for a pottery course instead. After 27 years as an art, design and textiles teacher, Diana is using her retirement to indulge her hobbies and if she’s not throwing on the wheel or firing up the kiln, she’s knitting, learning the piano or singing with her local choir.
Francesca, 28, make-up artist
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Francesca
Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Francesca’s love of crafts started from a young age and she enjoyed pottery, woodwork, painting and printmaking. This led her to study fashion design, then make up and prosthetics. However, it was during a visit to her mum in India when she joined a local pottery coursethat her passion for clay was re-kindled and she has never looked back. After travelling all over the world, Francesca has recently settled in Bristol with her chef fiancé David, but they are always on the look out for their next adventure.
Hayley, 55, social worker
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Hayley
Born and raised on a farm in Dorset, Hayley is happily settled in Suffolk with her husband Adam and their two children. She has been a social worker for over 30 years and originally found pottery as a way to relax outside her day job. Hayley spends a lot of time in nature with her husband, who works in conservation, and takes this inspiration through to her pottery. In her youth she was known by friends as ‘Wild Hayley’ due to her love of adventure and partying. These days Hayley’s ‘wildlife’consists of bird watching, sea swimming, nature walking and attending a book club, although she still has a love of alternative music and attending the occasional festival.
Imy, 22, model
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Imy
Imy was born deaf and growing up relied on hearing aids and lip reading for communication. Less than a year ago she had a cochlear implant and, as well as now being able to hear better than before, she can enjoy music clearly for the first time. When she left school she travelled solo to Australia, Thailand and Bali, which was challenging due to her disability and the language barriers. After returning home, she took a pottery class and became hooked. She loves to take her hearing aids out and get lost in the clay. She is a part time model and wants to promote deaf awareness so other young people don’t feel alone.
James, 42, project manager
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant James
James lives in Belfast with his partner of 14 years, Duane, his 15-year-old son, Art, and Buster the cat. Formerly a cake maker, James now works as a project manager for a consultancy firm and co-leads their LGBTQIA+ network. He found his passion for pottery three years ago after joining a night class with his sister-in-law. A horror movie fan, James enjoys experimenting with spooky themes but is also partial to a good rom-com!
Jonathan, 61, holiday let owner
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Jonathan
Originally from Leeds, Jonathan has had a varied life. After spending time in the Royal Navy, he lived in France for a few years and has worked as a school janitor and a lorry driver. Now happily settled in Scotland with his Belgian wife Nicole, they run a holiday let business together. 15 years ago, keen cyclist Jonathan broke his neck in a bike accident and was briefly paralysed from the neck down. This life-changing injury and long road to recovery led Jonathan to pottery, as he was given clay to help his physical recuperation. He is an avid Citroën car fan and regularly goes abroad to 2CV meet-ups. Outside of this he loves spending time with his children and grandchildren, as well as joining Nicole in her mushroom foraging hobby.
Natalie, 41, swimming instructor
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Natalie
Natalie lives in Derby with her wife, Sarah, and 6-year-old daughter, Albie. Currently working as a swimming and aqua aerobics instructor, she was previously a dancer and her 18 year career took her all over the world, mostly on cruise ships. Her most iconic job was closer to home, when she was a show girl in Paris, doing the cancan at the famous Moulin Rouge. She studied ceramics at A-level but it was only when she stopped dancing that she picked it up again, her work is often inspired by the places she’s visited and the costumes she’s worn.
Olivia, 26, art and design teacher
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Olivia
Olivia’s favourite subject was always art and she particularly loved hand-building with clay, which lead her to study ceramics at university and follow a career as an Art and Design teacher at a local college. Despite thinking about clay everyday, she finds time to pursue her other passions such as playing drums with her dad’s political punk rock band and attending music and arts festivals with her boyfriend Jim. Also a keen cyclist, she often leads cycle tour groups around her hometown of Liverpool and even cycled all the way to Glastonbury with her dad.
Stephen, 58, IT technician
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Stephen
Nottingham raised, but now settled in Birmingham, Stephen lives with his partner of 11 years, Phil. They recently bought a house and Stephen happily pots in his new garage studio. After 17 years as a ceramic technician, he now works as an audio visual and IT technician. Away from pottery and work, Stephen likes Smurf collecting, hula hooping and treasure hunting, all of which he has enjoyed success in – holding world records for his Smurf collection and his hula hooping, and unearthing historic coins and a key from middle England.
Steve, 48, animator
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Steve
Steve grew up in North Wales and after years living and working in London, he is now settled in rural Herefordshire with his partner, Rhonda. A professional animator for most of his life, Steve has credits on blockbuster films and has won awards for his work. A man of many hobbies, including beer brewing, fishing, gardening and cheese and shoe making, he also preserves all his homegrown veg byfermenting it, kimchi style! Steve fell in love with pottery a few years ago and has a studio in his garden where he escapes from his computer screen. He enjoys sharing his many passions with his grown up step-children when they visit.
Victor, 31, digital product designer
The Great Pottery Throw Down contestant Victor
Originally from Hong Kong, Victor and his family moved to Vancouver when he was seven years old. After finishing a Business degree he quickly switched to Design which unlocked a creative streak he’d never explored before. Work brought him to London a few years ago where he spends his days designing prototype virtual reality apps, and his spare time cooking or running or catching up with friends. He caught the pottery bug five years ago and has found a local pottery community near his new home.
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