The Great British Sewing Bee

[LazyMilk]

Anyone know what's going on with this? BBC says no scheduled airings, but several reports I've read say that it was starting 5th May.
I miss it, have been waiting for it.

As an aside, in sad that May isn't coming back.

I don't know but also waiting for it

radio times says it's back on the 18th May 8pm BBC two. Not long now!

I was wondering when this was coming back on, I really enjoy watching this programme. I hope it is back soon

Oh wow DD7 loves this. Really looking forward to it.

Place marking for when it does eventually start!

I heard it hadn't been renewed. I'll be very happy to start watching again!

16th may look

Let's hope the Beeb have got their quotas right...

I reckon at least one Muslim.
How many Catholics?
Any Jews?

Predominantly non-believers but maybe one or two vicar's or 'padre's' wives.

One gay (poss camp) man.

At least one male soldier - if we're lucky one officer and one squaddie.

Fireman?

Perhaps a lesbian?

Some oldies with too much experience.

Some youngies with not enough experience.

Perhaps I'll give it a miss this year.

I think I know the plot already.

evrybuddy erm, pretty much everyone then?

Absolutely - I've always found sewing and baking groups best illustrate the socio-cultural makeup of contemporary Britain -

• and if they didn't - good old Auntie could fix that for us

Here's the contestants for this year

"I've always found sewing and baking groups..."
I don't know about "groups" but I know as a Muslim that in South-Asian countries it is the norm to sew your own clothes and soft furnishing, so doesn't surprise me that there are Muslims on the show. It's the norm to be taught sewing at young age. But I've looked back at the sewers on GBSB for series 1-3 and there haven't been any Muslim contestants. Rumana in this series seems to be first - if you want to think that's down to quotas or tokenism so be it.

Contestants are obviously selected based on some criteria - they're not just the only people to have turned up or the first twelve through the door...

Once you accept that they are selected on the basis of something other than sewing ability - which quite clearly they are - given the ability range - then any rational person would ask - how are they chosen?

You tell me - why is Rumana the first Muslim to appear given the popularity of sewing you describe amongst Muslims?

Is there any coincidence between a Muslim woman winning Bake Off and then the first Muslim woman on Sew Off

Why have there been at least two sewing soldiers and no Muslims until now - did that coincide with the wave of Help the Heroes publicity or not?

Dear God. Way to wreck a thread. Who cares who the contestants are? We just want to see what they can make.

Love this show!

Exactly what LtEve said. Who gives a flying fuck about the contestants' race, religion, serial preferences etc?

I for one am looking forward to it, it's not as good as GBBO but I like it nevertheless.

Well clearly, you care about the contestants or else you wouldn't be so bloody irate!

And I care, because I want to believe that the contestants' selection has at least some grounding in their bloody sewing ability rather than in the creation of an alternative reality that corresponds to a BBC version of 'the real world' but obviously that won't be happening.

Not irate, incredulous that you would turn something as innocuous as a fucking sewing competition into a religious row.

I couldn't give a shit what religion, sexual orientation or occupation the contestants have. It's irrelevant.

Now I've said that, I can't believe it's back this week and I didn't realise!!

Not just this week, Soup. Today! In 3 hours!

eep!

Yay!! Bring on the sewing.

They clearly screen for people who are "good telly" to some extent. In particular in the past a few sub-par token men have been cast in both Bake Off and Sewing Bee, who were basically cannon fodder. Which is slightly sad for any highly skilled but introverted/very dull middle aged middle class white women who might have been left by the wayside, but speaking as someone who is watching an entertainment programme for entertainment I think both shows are doing an exellent job and they're managing to pick a decent range of highly skilled male and female contestant who can perform brilliantly in the final rounds.

And before we've seen any of them thread a needle we can hardly say who's there entirely on skills and who's there as eye candy. The hunky military officer from last year might have seemed like producer casting before you saw him sew but he was properly talented. Ditto of course Nadiya from Bake Off.

I'm enjoying Esmé's slightly tougher style with the contestants - it makes it all the more rewarding when she likes something. The skirt that won Garment of the Week was fantastic.