{"id":887,"date":"2025-07-22T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/?p=887"},"modified":"2025-07-23T09:44:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T09:44:19","slug":"the-great-british-sewing-bee-is-back-but-i-miss-kiell-smith-bynoe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/22\/the-great-british-sewing-bee-is-back-but-i-miss-kiell-smith-bynoe\/","title":{"rendered":"The Great British Sewing Bee is back \u2013 but I miss Kiell Smith-Bynoe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Kiell\t<\/div>
Kiell Smith-Bynoe was the perfect Sewing Bee host (Picture: BBC\/Love Productions\/James Stack)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Great British Sewing Bee<\/a> returned last week, with host Sara Pascoe<\/a> back at the helm after maternity leave<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She was dressed as a strange, trippy cloud \u2013 and it was wonderful.<\/p>\n

Until Sewing Bee comes around, I always forget how much I love it. And last Tuesday\u2019s launch show might just have been the greatest opening episode of any Sewing Bee yet \u2013 the talent more exciting than any series before it.<\/p>\n

But I missed Kiell Smith-Bynoe<\/a>, and wished he could\u2019ve been part of its great return.<\/p>\n

Sara had to skip the last series of Sewing Bee<\/a> to have her second child, so Ghosts actor and fellow comedian Kiell stepped in and unexpectedly became the best thing to ever happen to the show.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Comic\t<\/div>
Don\u2019t get me wrong, I absolutely love Sara Pascoe (Picture: Joe Maher\/Comic Relief\/Getty Images for Comic Relief)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kiell\u2019s lack of presenting experience might be why he was so great. <\/p>\n

He felt more like each contestant\u2019s mate popping over for a catch up. There was an effortlessness to him that I imagine comes from not really having a presenting hat on and just having a laugh.<\/p>\n

The contestants clearly adored him on a personal level and it was easy to see why, when he approached them all with sincere interest and genuine appreciation of their work. All without pretending he had the slightest clue what they were doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the time, he felt like such an obscure choice. Sure, spooky sitcom Ghosts is hugely popular, but he wasn\u2019t a household name like the previous Sewing Bee hosts: Pascoe, Joe Lycett<\/a>, and Claudia Winkleman<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"WOW\t<\/div>
It\u2019s a missed opportunity not pairing Sara with Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Picture: Shirlaine Forrest\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But very quickly, it became clear that Kiell fit Sewing Bee like a perfectly hand-crafted glove. <\/p>\n

Every week, I found myself looking forward to the show more than I ever had before \u2013 genuinely counting down the days until my boyfriend and I could get cosy and watch the most content people I\u2019ve ever seen create breathtaking designs with a level of humility and kindness you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find backstage at London Fashion Week.<\/p>\n

I hadn\u2019t even seen Kiell in anything before. He\u2019d acted in the likes of Death in Paradise<\/a>, Stath Lets Flats<\/a>, Ghosts<\/a>, and Lily Allen\u2019s short-lived comedy Dreamland<\/a>. He\u2019d also been a huge hit on Channel 4\u2019s Taskmaster<\/a>, which pits comedians against each other in absurd challenges \u2013 but admittedly, I knew nothing about him.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even Kiell himself had no idea why he\u2019d been chosen to present Sewing Bee. <\/p>\n

\n
Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Did you enjoy Smith-Bynoe on Sewing Bee? Have your say in the comments below<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>He wasn\u2019t afraid to address the elephant in the room either. In his first episode as a host, he joked: \u2018Now this challenge is judged blindly, so the judges are off to watch Ghosts on iPlayer, as Esme has no idea who I am or why I got this job.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>But judge Patrick Grant saw the potential, slid into his DMs, and it turned out to be an inspired decision.<\/p>\n<p>Even on X (formerly Twitter), where compliments are few and far between, the response was overwhelmingly positive. You\u2019d have struggled to find a single negative tweet and it seemed he\u2019d found a home there for good.<\/p>\n<p>But to clarify: I\u2019m not a monster. I would never suggest that a woman take time off to have a baby and lose her job as a result.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I absolutely love Sara Pascoe. Every time I see or hear her, I fall even more in love with her nervous energy and obscure quick wit. She\u2019s absolutely fantastic on Sewing Bee because she\u2019s just completely herself at all times.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen her stand-up too many times to count, and there\u2019s such an ease to everything she does.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"462\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23678161 lazyload\" alt=\"RND25 Talent Portraits, Manchester, March 2025 by Nicky Johnston\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2206257963.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Everything Alison Hammond touches turns to gold (Picture: Nicky Johnston\/Comic Relief via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Still, I do think it\u2019s a missed opportunity not to have kept Kiell on, too \u2013 the pair of them could\u2019ve made the dreamiest of double acts. And one that isn\u2019t made up of the same few presenters \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/rylan-clark\/\">Rylan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/alison-hammond\/\">Alison Hammond<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/davina-mccall\/\">Davina McCall<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/aj-odudu\/\">AJ Odudu<\/a> \u2013 currently hogging every corner of British television.<\/p>\n<p>Sewing Bee is as close to perfect as television gets, but even perfection can evolve. I don\u2019t think <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/great-british-bake-off\/\">Bake Off<\/a> would work with <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/noel-fielding\/\">Noel Fielding<\/a> on his own. Granted, Alison Hammond\u2019s chaos gives every show she touches the Midas touch, but these gentle-competition formats thrive with a dynamic duo at the helm.<\/p>\n<p>As Sewing Bee\u2019s judges, <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/07\/24\/sewing-bees-patrick-grant-keeps-girlfriend-private-exs-trauma-2-21286437\/\">Patrick Grant<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2020\/06\/25\/great-british-sewing-bee-judge-esme-young-casually-mentions-spent-carnival-david-bowie-are-awe-12901651\/\">Esme Young<\/a> are a criminally underrated double act whose chemistry puts <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/paul-hollywood\/\">Paul Hollywood<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/prue-leith\/\">Prue Leith<\/a> to shame. But with Kiell proving to be such a seamless addition to the franchise, it feels strange \u2013 almost wrong \u2013 to return to Sewing Bee without him.<\/p>\n<p>Since launching in 2013, Sewing Bee has been consistently popular, but it hasn\u2019t quite captured the zeitgeist the way Bake Off or even <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/10\/15\/great-pottery-throw-star-quits-channel-4-series-not-worth-it-21797262\/\">The Great Pottery Throw Down<\/a> has \u2013 and in my opinion, it\u2019s so much better than both.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23678108 lazyload\" alt=\"27th British Independent Film Awards in London\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2188405142.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>I wish Kiell was co-hosting with Sara (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz\/Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It\u2019s inclusive, innovative, and packed with warmth, even if that\u2019s the last thing we need during this insufferable heatwave.<\/p>\n<p>But I really believe it could break through to the next level with Kiell joining Sara.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As well as his everyman charm, he was brilliant at the off-beat comedy that interrupts the contest \u2013 something Sara also excels at. Together, they could be an unstoppable pairing, capable of transcending Sewing Bee altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless, one episode in and there\u2019s already a lot to be excited about the Sewing Bee, including Sara Pascoe. I\u2019d listen to Jojo Siwa\u2019s torturous cover of Bette Davis Eyes on repeat for Caz, and Saffie\u2019s purple and yellow pleated dress in the made-to-measure was a work of art. Every single contestant feels like \u2018one other watch\u2019, which is unheard of.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I just wish Kiell was there too.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Great British Sewing Bee airs Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC One and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:jess.austin@metro.co.uk\">jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom-start\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom centered\"><\/section>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom-end\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom centered\"><a class=\"comment-now metro-button metro-comments-cta\" data-vars-position=\"bottom_cta_question\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><title>Comment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"comment-now__label\">Did you enjoy Smith-Bynoe on Sewing Bee? Have your say in the comments below<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kiell Smith-Bynoe was the perfect Sewing Bee host (Picture: BBC\/Love Productions\/James Stack) The Great British…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=887"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":895,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/887\/revisions\/895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/draplenvuxio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}