The Great Pottery Throw Down is back for its eighth season! Keith, Rich, and Siobhán are all back as your judges and host. After four seasons, Rose has left the show. The new kiln technician is Princess from season 7.
meet the contestants
Chris
Age: 36
Job: military veteran
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mudfoxceramics
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
Age: 62
Location: Dorset
Job: retired art, design and textiles teacher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianaparker2462
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
Age: 28
Location: Bristol
Job: make-up artist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/francesca_dourado
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 course that 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
Age: 55
Location: Suffolk
Job: social worker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingthemouldpottery
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
Age: 22
Job: model and deaf advocate
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imyharriss
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
Age: 42
Location: Belfast
Job: project manager
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesstanleywatson
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
Age: 61
Location: Scotland
Job: holiday let owner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jollypotter_
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
Age: 41
Location: Derby
Job: swimming and aqua aerobics instructor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliesimsrees
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
Age: 26
Location: Liverpool
Job: art and design teacher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviarowan_ceramics
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
Age: 58
Location: Birmingham
Job: IT technician
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tales_from_the_pottingshed
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
Age: 48
Location: London
Job: animator
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steve_brown_ceramics
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 by fermenting 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
Age: 31
Location: London
Job: digital product designer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorng.ceramics
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.
8x1
As the battle begins, whose salad set will see them tossed out of the pottery first?
main challenge: favorite holiday inspired salad set with a large salad bowl, a side plate, an oil dispenser & stopper, an olive bowl, and a pair of salad servers
who made what:
https://instagram.com/p/DEdUdVpgeT-
Chris - fatherhood set
Diana - Alhambra Palace set with pomegranate motif and scalloped edges
Francesca - Indian summer set with peacocks, lotus flower olive bowl with frog
Hayley - Sri Lankan set with leopard skin bowl, peacock feathers
Imy - coral reef set with octopus salad bowl, starfish side plate
James - Mourne Mountains trip with sheep hooves salad servers
Jonathan - Swiss road trip set with oil can dispenser & rag stopper, wrench salad servers, side plate with tire tread, sprig molded Citroën
Natalie - 40th birthday in Greece with diver salad server
Olivia - Amsterdam cycling trip with boat olive dish, tulip salad server
Stephen - Canadian themed set with maple leaves
Steve - Vietnam set with fish theme, carp stoppper
Victor - Hong Kong breakfast set with milk tea oil dispenser, tea cup stopper, ham & egg salad bowl, egg tart olive bowl
throw down challenge: sangria jugs
rankings
1 - Steve (5/7)
2 - James (4/4)
3 - Diana (4/5)
4 - Francesca (4/4)
5 - Stephen (5/6)
6 - Chris (4/5)
7 - Jonathan (4/7)
8 - Hayley (5/6)
9 - Victor (4/5)
10 - Natalie (4/5)
11 - Olivia (2/4)
12 - Imy (2/4)
potter of the week: James
eliminated: no one!
watch the episode here:
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Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·