I had absolutely no idea who Kiell Smith-Bynoe was until The Great British Sewing Bee returned for its tenth season two months ago. Now, he’s the highlight of my week, which may say more about the dire state of my social life than anything else. But other than Claudia Winkleman on The Traitors , I can’t think of another presenter I genuinely look forward to watching.
If you’re not familiar with Kiell’s resume – first and foremost – he’s an actor, appearing in the likes of Death In Paradise, Stath Lets Flats, Ghosts, and Lily Allen ’s short-loved comedy Dreamland. He was also a huge hit on Channel 4’s Taskmaster, which pits comedians against each other in a series of absurd challenges. Admittedly, I haven’t watched any of those.
So when it was confirmed Kiell would be replacing Sara Pascoe – one of my all-time favourite people, let alone comedians – my eloquent initial reaction was, ‘eh?’ It’s a bold move to plonk an actor who has never presented anything before onto one of the BBC’s best but under-appreciated gems. Since premiering in 2013, Sewing Bee has never quite been held with the same regard as shows that follow the same formula, such as Bake Off or The Great Pottery Showdown – even though it absolutely should be. The premise is simple: 12 amateur sewers compete in various themed episodes – from Diva to Pyjamas Week – one knocked out of the contest at the end of each episode, to eventually be crowned champion.
Sewing Bee doesn’t p.