The Great Pottery Throw Down

The Great Pottery Throw Down
Genre	Reality
Presented by	Sara Cox Melanie Sykes Siobhán McSweeney
Judges	Keith Brymer Jones Kate Malone Sue Pryke Richard Miller
Opening theme	"I Can't Explain" by The Who (Series 1) "Making Time" by The Creation (Series 2-)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	34
Production
Production locations	Middleport Pottery, Middleport, Stoke-on-Trent, UK (2015-2020) Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom (2021-)
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Love Productions
Distributor	BBC Worldwide HBO Max (United States)
Release
Original network	BBC Two More4 Channel 4
Picture format	16:9
Audio format	Stereo
Original release	3 November 2015 (2015-11-03) – present (present)
Chronology
Related shows	The Great British Bake Off The Great British Sewing Bee
External links
Channel 4 Website
BBC Website

Great Pottery Throw Down is a British television competition programme first broadcast on BBC Two from 3 November 2015. It is a contest in the style of The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee but with the craft of pottery rather than baking or sewing.

For the first two seasons, the presenter was Sara Cox and the expert judges were Kate Malone and Keith Brymer Jones.^[1][2] Also appearing in the first three series was "kiln man Rich", Richard Miller, who acted as the show's behind-the-scenes technician.^[3]

After being cancelled by the BBC in 2018, the show returned in January 2020 with a third series on Channel 4's More4, with Brymer Jones continuing as a judge, new co-judge Sue Pryke, and Melanie Sykes as new host.^[4][5][6] A fourth series started on Channel 4 in January 2021 with Brymer Jones returning along with new host Siobhán McSweeney and Richard Miller stepping up to become a judge.^[7]

In July 2020, HBO Max secured the rights to distribute the show in the United States, where it premiered on 17 September 2020.^[8]

Series overview[]

Series	Episodes	Premiere	Finale	Winner	Average UK viewers (millions)
1	6	3 November 2015	8 December 2015	Matthew	2.39
2	8	2 February 2017	23 March 2017	Ryan	3.34
3	10	8 January 2020	11 March 2020	Rosa	TBA
4	10	10 January 2021	14 March 2021	Jodie	TBA

Series 1 (2015)[]

Potters[]

Potter	Age	Occupation	Hometown
James	31	Vet	Bristol
Jane	40	College tutor	North Wales
Jim	52	Part-time painter and decorator	Bognor Regis
Joanna	42	Parish Councillor	West Sussex
Matthew	23	Teacher	Giggleswick
Nigel	52	Builder	Bakewell
Rekha	49	Conceptual artist	Buckinghamshire
Sally-Jo	33	Interior designer	Petersfield
Sandra	52	Project Manager	Leeds
Tom	41	Retired Army Major	Gloucestershire

Results summary[]

Elimination chart
Potter	1	2	3	4	5	6
Matthew			BP			Winner
Jim		BP				Finalist
Sally-Jo						Finalist
Tom	BP					Finalist
Jane					OUT
Sandra				OUT
James			OUT
Joanna			LEFT
Nigel		OUT
Rekha	OUT

Colour key:

  Potter was eliminated

  Potter won Pot of the Week

  Potter walked from the series

  Potter got through to the next round

  Potter was one of the least favourite

  Potter was one of the favourites

  Potter was a series finalist

  Potter was the series winner

Episodes[]

  Potter was eliminated

  Potter walked from the series

  Top Potter

  Winner

Episode 1[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Set of Nested Bowls	Pulled Handles	Egg Cups
James	N/A
Jane
Jim
Joanna
Matthew
Nigel
Rekha
Sally-Jo
Sandra
Tom

Episode 2[]

Potter	Main Make		Throw Down
	Wash Basin		Tall Jug
James	N/A
Jane
Jim
Joanna
Matthew
Nigel
Sally-Jo
Sandra
Tom

Episode 3[]

Potter	Main Make		Throw Down
	Long-neck jugs		Pizza Oven
James	N/A
Jane
Jim
Joanna
Matthew
Sally-Jo
Sandra
Tom

Episode 4[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	5ft Slab-Built Garden Sculpture	Strawberry Pot	Widest Plate
Jane	N/A	5th	33 cm 6th
Jim		1st	36 cm 5th
Matthew		4th	36.5 cm 1st
Sally-Jo		3rd	32 cm 4th
Sandra		6th	34 cm 3rd
Tom		2nd	35 cm 2nd

Episode 5[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Bone China Chandelier	Banding	Closed Sphere
Jane	N/A	2nd	4th
Jim		1st	1st
Matthew		5th	2nd
Sally-Jo		4th	5th
Tom		3rd	3rd

Episode 6[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	12-piece Porcelain Tea set	The Devil's Work	High-shouldered Jugs
Jim	N/A	4th	4th
Matthew		2nd	2nd
Sally-Jo		1st	3rd
Tom		3rd	1st

Series 2 (2017)[]

The second series began on 2 February 2017 on BBC Two. Some episodes had a guest judge, including Emma Bridgewater (episode 1) and Johnny Vegas (episode 7).^{[citation needed]}

Potters[]

Potter	Age	Occupation	Hometown
Cáit	31	Quaker Meeting House worker	Reading
Carole	63	Pottery Teacher	Hertfordshire
Clover	33	Accountant and Part-time Illustrator	London
Daniel	55	Mortgage adviser	Hampshire
Elaine	55	Banana import business owner	Buckinghamshire
Freya	24	Student	London
James	25	Tour guide in National Glass Centre	Newcastle upon Tyne
Nam	27	Cage fighter and Kick boxer	London
Richard	53	Pub landlord	Banbury
Ryan	30	Model	Ipswich

Results summary[]

Elimination chart
Potter	1	2	3	4	5[a]	6	7	8
Ryan	BP						BP	Winner
Clover						BP		Runner-up
Richard					BP			Runner-up
Freya				BP			OUT
Cáit						OUT
Nam			BP			OUT
Elaine		BP		OUT
James			OUT
Daniel		OUT
Carole	OUT

^[a] Because the judges were unable to agree, no-one was eliminated this week. As a result, two potters were eliminated the following week.

Colour key:

  Potter was eliminated

  Potter won Pot of the Week

  Potter walked from the series

  Potter got through to the next round

  Potter was one of the least favourite

  Potter was one of the favourites

  Potter was a series finalist

  Potter was the series winner

Episode 1[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	16-Piece Dinner Set	Sponge Decorating	Tallest Cone
Cáit	Art Print Dinner Set	7th	10th
Carole	Lake Dinner Set	5th	9th
Clover	Chinese Dinner Set	2nd	7th
Daniel	Flower Dinner Set	10th	8th
Elaine	Fruit Dinner Set	8th	2nd
Freya	Floral Dinner Set	1st	5th
James	Industrial Dinner Set	4th	4th
Nam	Gaming Dinner Set	6th	6th
Richard	Royalty Dinner Set	9th	3rd
Ryan	Motif Dinner Set	3rd	1st

Episode 2[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Clock	Pulling Handles	Double-Walled Pot
Cáit	Owl	6th	7th
Clover	Tree of Life	8th	3rd
Daniel	The Cog Clock	2nd	9th
Elaine	Patchwork Clock	1st	8th
Freya	Mother Time	4th	4th
James	Urban Decay	9th	6th
Nam	Time Flies	3rd	5th
Richard	17th Century Harvest Jug	7th	1st
Ryan	Geometric Clock	5th	2nd

Episode 3[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Japanese Sake Set	Lantern Carving	Rice Bowls
Cáit	The Bottle Kiln	8th	6
Clover	Kyūdō	3rd	12
Elaine	Buttons	2nd	8
Freya	Simple Sake	4th	10
James	Japanese Tattoo	1st	6
Nam	Kung Fu Fighting	7th	13
Richard	Sake Spout	6th	8
Ryan	The Sake Trail	5th	11

Episode 4[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Water Feature	12 Roses	Flower Pots
Cáit	Homage to Reuben	1st	7th
Clover	The Lotus Flower	2nd	4th
Elaine	Brighton Pavilion	4th	2nd
Freya	The Fruit Tree	3rd	1st
Nam	Sea Creatures	5th	3rd
Richard	Aztec Temple	7th	6th
Ryan	Seven Discs	6th	5th

Episode 5[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Pit Fired Vase	Hand-building Jugs	Goblets
Cáit	Water Pot Vase	1st	4
Clover	Delicate Vase	3rd	6
Freya	African Drum Vase	2nd	8
Nam	Moon Jar	5th	8
Richard	Contemporary Vase	6th	6
Ryan	Round Belly Vase	4th	5

Episode 6[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Russian Dolls	Sgraffito	Widest Bowl Blindfolded
Cáit	There Was An Old Lady	5th	3rd
Clover	Eco Animals	1st	6th
Freya	Talking Heads	6th	4th
Nam	Lotus Pods	3rd	5th
Richard	Organ Jars	4th	2nd
Ryan	Fisherman's Tail	2nd	1st

Episode 7[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Toilet	Original Piece	1-Minute Teapots
Clover	Stained Glass Toilet	3rd	3rd
Freya	Mother Nature Toilet	2nd	1st
Richard	Victorian Meadow Toilet	4th	2nd
Ryan	Turtle Toilet	1st	4th

Episode 8[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test	Throw Down
	Porcelain Lights	Torso Sculpting	Japanese Lanterns
Clover	The Honey Bee	3rd	2nd
Richard	Autumn Fall	2nd	3rd
Ryan	The Church Organ	1st	1st

Series 3 (2020)[]

After almost a three-year hiatus, the third series began on 8 January 2020 on More4 with new judge Sue Pryke and new host Melanie Sykes.

Potters[]

Potter	Age	Occupation	Hometown
Claire	29	Warehouse operative	County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Flea	33	Full-time mother	London
Jacob	23	Studio potter	Liverpool
Kit	19	Home potter	Cornwall
Leonard	70	Retired company director	Cornwall
Matt	30	Professional cycling manager	Greater Manchester
Rainna	27	Full-time carer	Kent
Ronaldo	31	Art college technician and part time tutor	London
Rosa	43	Full-time mother and former fashion designer	Buckinghamshire
Rosalind	59	Retired antique shop owner	Essex
Sampada	26	Craft assistant and illustrator	London
Tom	39	Composer and music teacher	Sheffield

Results summary[]

Elimination chart
Potter	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Rosa						BP				Winner
Jacob		BP			BP				BP	Runner-up
Matt							BP			Runner-up
Claire	BP			BP				BP	OUT
Rosalind						BP		OUT
Ronaldo							OUT
Rainna			BP			OUT
Flea					OUT
Leonard				OUT
Kit			OUT
Sampada		OUT
Tom	OUT

Colour key:

  Potter was eliminated

  Potter won Pot of the Week

  Potter walked from the series

  Potter got through to the next round

  Potter was one of the least favourite

  Potter was one of the favourites

  Potter was a series finalist

  Potter was the series winner

Episode 1[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Breakfast Set	Egg Cups
Claire	'Lily Pads' Breakfast Set	13
Flea	'Moroccan' Breakfast Set	20
Jacob	'Liverpool Skyline’ Breakfast Set	12
Kit	'Cornish Crockery' Breakfast Set	8
Leonard	'Sailing' Breakfast Set	12
Matt	'Minimalist' Breakfast Set	14
Rainna	'Cogs and Rivets' Breakfast Set	13
Ronaldo	'Coconut Trees' Breakfast Set	13
Rosa	'Flora and Fauna' Breakfast Set	13
Rosalind	'Chickens' Breakfast Set	10
Sampada	Asian Illustrative Breakfast Set	10
Tom	'Songs' Breakfast Set	15

Episode 2[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Chess Set	3 Miniature Vases
Claire	Classical Chess Set	2nd
Flea	Reef Chess Set	5th
Jacob	Chinese Dragon & Phoenix Chess Set	6th
Kit	Cornish and Devonshire Flags Chess Set	3rd
Leonard	Underwater Chess Set	11th
Matt	Abstract Black & White Chess Set	1st
Rainna	Garden Chess Set	4th
Ronaldo	Bajan Chess Set	8th
Rosa	Podgy and Snooty Chess Set	10th
Rosalind	Vintage Chess Set	9th
Sampada	Light & Dark Chess Set	7th

Episode 3[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	2 Animal Figurines	Nerikomi
Claire	Elephant & Calf	10th
Flea	Dove & Hatchling	5th
Jacob	Fox & Cub	4th
Kit	Rabbit & Kit	9th
Leonard	Fish & Fry	2nd
Matt	Penguin & Chick	1st
Rainna	Penguin & Chick	8th
Ronaldo	Monkey & Infant	7th
Rosa	Duck & Duckling	6th
Rosalind	Fox & Cub	3rd

Episode 4[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	2 Slip Cast Multi-Coloured Vases	Widest Bowl Blindfolded
Claire	Feather	5th
Flea	The Flower Iris	6th
Jacob	Oriental Duo	3rd
Leonard	Dahlia Flower Vases	2nd
Matt	Marbles	4th
Rainna	Dover Coastline	8th
Ronaldo	Landscape Tower	1st
Rosa	Mother & Child	7th
Rosalind	Owls	9th

Episode 5[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	2 Lamp Bases	Handwriting
Claire	Grecian	8th
Flea	Calabashes	3rd
Jacob	Shipwrecked	4th
Matt	Chattering	5th
Rainna	Wild West Heads	2nd
Ronaldo	Diamonds	7th
Rosa	Beach Pebbles	1st
Rosalind	Knitting Sheep	6th

Episode 6[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Nude Greek Sculpture	Amphora
Claire	Aphrodite Statue	1st
Jacob	Adonis Statue	3rd
Matt	Aphrodite Statue	2nd
Rainna	Adonis Statue	N/A[a]
Ronaldo	Aphrodite Statue	5th
Rosa	Adonis Statue	4th
Rosalind	Aphrodite Statue	6th

^[a] Rainna injured herself during the Throw Down and was unable to complete the challenge.

Episode 7[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	40 Fireplace Tiles	Chimney Pot
Claire	Art Deco Style Fireplace Tiles	3rd
Jacob	Chinese Proverb Fireplace Tiles	2nd
Matt	Manchester Bee Fireplace Tiles	1st
Ronaldo	Golden Ratio Fireplace Tiles	4th
Rosa	Scandi Fireplace Tiles	5th
Rosalind	Pond Life Fireplace Tiles	6th

Episode 8[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	2 Pit-Fired Ginger Jars	Sgraffito
Claire	Scalloped Classic Ginger Jars	1st
Jacob	Classic Ginger Jars	3rd
Matt	Geometric Ginger Jars	5th
Rosa	Male and Female Carp Ginger Jars	1st
Rosalind	Oriental-style Ginger Jars	4th

Episode 9[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	Toilet	Tissue Transferring
Claire	Trophy Toilet	3rd
Jacob	Toadstool Toilet	4th
Matt	Teacup Toilet	1st
Rosa	Garden Toilet	2nd

Episode 10[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Mad Hatter Tea Set	3 Rimmed Bowls on Kick-Wheel
Jacob	Jabberwocky Tea Set	1st
Matt	Topsy-Turvy Tea Set	3rd
Rosa	Alice in Wonderland Tea Set	2nd

Series 4 (2021)[]

In 2021 the series returned to the main Channel 4 network, on Sunday evenings. Broadcasts started on January 10, with Keith Brymer returning as a judge, and with Rich Miller moving from running the kilns to become the second judge.^[9] Siobhan McSweeney joined the series as the main presenter.^[10] Rose Schmits took over running the kilns.^[11]

Potters[]

Potter	Age	Occupation	Hometown
Adam	36	Support worker	Brighton
Alon	20	Architecture student	London
Ara	57	Retired theatre wardrobe manager	Folkstone
Hannah	30	Housing project manager	Bristol
Henry	25	Retirement home activities organiser	Suffolk
Irina	43	Executive ground staff	Essex
Jodie	35	NHS scrub nurse	Rhondda Valley
Lee	44	Community nurse	Huddersfield
Peter	70	Design and technology teacher	Milton Keynes
Sally ‘Sal’	58	Art and design teacher	Cornwall
Shenyue	28	Model	London
Susan ‘Suz’	55	Library assistant	Aberdeenshire

Results summary[]

Elimination chart
Potter	1	2	3	4[a]	5	6	7	8	9	10
Jodie		BP					BP			Winner
Adam									BP	Runner-up
Peter								BP		Runner-up
Hannah				BP					OUT
Alon					BP			OUT
Sal	BP					BP		OUT
Henry							OUT
Shenyue			BP			OUT
Lee					OUT
Suz			OUT
Irina		OUT
Ara	OUT

^[a] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filming ceased for 7 days to ensure the safety of the potters and crew. As a result, the judges decided not to eliminate anyone.

Colour key:

  Potter was eliminated

  Potter won Pot of the Week

  Potter walked from the series

  Potter got through to the next round

  Potter was one of the least favourite

  Potter was one of the favourites

  Potter was a series finalist

  Potter was the series winner

Episode 1[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Cheese Set	Port Chalices
Adam	Aged Like A Fine Cheese	6
Alon	Oak	6
Ara	Zen Cheese Set	5
Hannah	Lunch With Grandad	5
Henry	I Do Like To Brie Beside The Seaside	4
Irina	Blue Cheese Set	6
Jodie	Dark Desert Highway	8 (2nd)
Lee	Cheesy Bees	5
Peter	Gatsby	5
Sal	My Dog Loves Cheese	8 (1st)
Shenyue	A Starry Night	8 (3rd)
Suz	All Treasure Is Not Gold	5

Episode 2[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	3D Building	10 Bricks
Adam	Little Gardeners	9th
Alon	Beaching City	1st
Hannah	The Bakery	7th
Henry	Falmouth Feeling	2nd
Irina	Glowing House	11th
Jodie	Casablanca Lighthouse	8th
Lee	Mills of Huddersfield	5th
Peter	Casa De Curvas	3rd
Sal	Cornish Engine House	4th
Shenyue	Emmanuel College	6th
Suz	Butlers, Bears and Boats	10th

Episode 3[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Fruit Bowl	Carafe and 4 Beakers Blindfolded
Adam	Garden Celebrations	5th
Alon	Small Fruit In A World Of Big Bowls	4th
Hannah	Fruits I Ate	6th
Henry	Boys Will Be Boys	2nd
Jodie	Polynesian Paradise	9th
Lee	From The Vine	7th
Peter	Farm Shop	8th
Sal	I Can Sing A Rainbow	3rd
Shenyue	I’m No Alan Titchmarsh	1st
Suz	Heart Of The Forest	10th

Episode 4[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	2 Naked Raku Bulbous Vases	3 Bone China Daisies
Adam	They'd Run Through Fire For Us	2nd
Alon	Twisted Obvara Vases	4th
Hannah	Some Ducks	1st
Henry	Budgie Smuggling	5th
Jodie	Artemis & Athena	6th
Lee	Seedspiration	7th
Peter	Seaweed Buoys	9th
Sal	Four Hairs And An Emu	3rd
Shenyue	A New Beginning	8th

Episode 5[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	Musical Legend Bust	Mini Musical Instrument
Adam	Ozzy Osbourne	1st
Alon	Bruce Springsteen	4th
Hannah	Dolly Parton	2nd
Henry	Ozzy Osbourne	6th
Jodie	Dame Shirley Bassey	3rd
Lee	Dolly Parton	8th
Peter	Sir Tom Jones	5th
Sal	Dame Shirley Bassey	9th
Shenyue	Ed Sheeran	7th

Episode 6[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	Terracotta Cookware Set	6 Engraved Tiles
Adam	Family Life: Past, Present & Future	3rd
Alon	Lucky Lizards	7th
Hannah	Walks In Lisbon	6th
Henry	Terracotta Tattoos	8th
Jodie	Slip Back In Time	2nd
Peter	The Deep South	5th
Sal	Cooking In, U, It	1st
Shenyue	The Wabi-sabi Set	4th

Episode 7[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	Animal Water Feature	Strawberry Planter
Adam	Sea Monsters	7th
Alon	Okapi	3rd
Hannah	Dad's Macaw	6th
Henry	Bin There, Done That	1st
Jodie	Wolf Spirit	5th
Peter	Blood Is Thicker Than Water	4th
Sal	A Flamboyant Nude	2nd

Episode 8[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	2 Native American Acoma Pots	Alabama Ring Bottle
Adam	The Acoma Treasure	3rd
Alon	Fold	2nd
Hannah	Dazzle Pots	5th
Jodie	Honouring our NHS	6th
Peter	Reflections of White Rock	4th
Sal	Homeland	1st

Episode 9[]

Potter	Main Make	Spot Test
	Pedestal Sink	Chamber Pot
Adam	Mythical Ideas Made Real	1st
Hannah	A Place To Wash	3rd
Jodie	Learn To Fly	2nd
Peter	The Ship That Flew	4th

Episode 10[]

Potter	Main Make	Throw Down
	1920s Art Deco Party Set	4 Dollhouse Dinner Sets
Adam	The Roaring 20s: A 100 Year Party	1st
Jodie	Flapper Girl	2nd
Peter	Sunset Over Gladstone	3rd

Ratings[]

Series 1[]

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking[12]
1	3 November 2015 (2015-11-03)	2,245,000	8
2	10 November 2015 (2015-11-10)	2,402,000	10
3	17 November 2015 (2015-11-17)	2,437,000	7
4	24 November 2015 (2015-11-24)	2,160,000	11
5	1 December 2015 (2015-12-01)	2,354,000	7
6	8 December 2015 (2015-12-08)	2,530,000	7

Series 2[]

Episode no.	Airdate	Viewers	BBC Two weekly ranking[13]
1	2 February 2017	2,197,000	5
2	9 February 2017	2,387,000	5
3	16 February 2017	2,373,000	4
4	23 February 2017	2,578,000	3
5	2 March 2017	2,604,000	4
6	9 March 2017	2,576,000	4
7	16 March 2017	3,140,000	1
8	23 March 2017	3,340,000	1

References[]

External links[]

• The Great Pottery Throw Down at BBC Online
• The Great Pottery Throw Down at IMDb
• The Great Pottery Throw Down at UKGameshows.com
• The Great Pottery Throw Down on HBO Max
• Middleport Pottery Film Location