The Great Pottery Throwdown has returned to Channel 4 for another stellar year. Whether you're an avid fan of the show or this is the first series you've watched, you've probably heard of the lovable, emotional Keith Brymer Jones.
We sat down with the nation's sweetheart to learn all about The Great Pottery Throwdown and his life before and after the show.
Meet Keith Brymer Jones
When BBC2 axed The Great Pottery Throw Down in 2016, we feared the show would never return, but thanks to Channel 4 the pottery competition is now back on our screens in January.
One thing that hasn’t changed though is that pottery legend Keith Brymer Jones is back to judge the amateur potters – and the famously teary-eyed judge is just as passionate and emotional as ever.
When we caught up with Keith before the series kicked off he was bursting with excitement for the new series, which also returns to its home at Middleport Pottery.
“I remember saying at the beginning that I really didn't want to do TV where you set someone up to fail,” says Keith.
“Luckily The Great Pottery Throw Down is nothing like that, it's all about extolling the virtues of craft and of clay, and you get to see these people grow throughout the series.”
Before we jump into the interview with Keith, why not also check out our podcast episode with him?
Hi Keith, it's so good to have you back! How is The Great Pottery Throw Down going to be different this year?
We wanted to give them a main make and more time to do it, plus a second challenge so we could show other aspects of pottery away from the wheel. They have no idea what the second challenge is going to be and that sometimes helps us decide who should stay and who should go.
There’s lots of new skills like tiling and slip casting, so they have lots of skills and techniques to learn.
How do the skills of the potters compare to the previous series?
The calibre of the potters is quite incredible this year. The amazing thing about the show is that one week a challenge may play to a particular potter’s strength and they make something amazing, but then the next week they produce a dog! There's a rollercoaster of emotion and talent within the show.
What have been some highlights from The Great Pottery Throwdown throughout the years?
There are so many. I mean, I've got to hold tears back just thinking about it. For me, making the chess sets, meaning there were 352 pieces to judge at the end of the challenge, was a highlight. You could not only really see their technical ability, but their personalities too, which is what this program is all about.
It's having that vision and foresight for what you want to achieve at the end and having the ability to fulfil that. It blew me away. Some of them are just incredible.
Are there as many innuendoes this series?
Pottery, it's sensual. It's emotional, it can be very passionate and it's very tactile. You can't help but have those double entendres. You can’t get away from pulling and cracked bottoms!
Did any of the potters pick up the craft because they'd watched the show previously?
Some of them had, yeah. That’s what's so amazing about the show. I remember after the first series, I tried to buy a new wheel and because of the bloody stupid program it was a six-month waiting list! People discover that you lose yourself when you're when you're on the bench or on the wheel, which is incredible.
Do you think it’s a direct reaction to how we’re now all on screens all of the time?
Absolutely. I do talks in front of schoolkids and I say, "look, don't just use your bloody thumbs to swipe, use your all your digits!" It's not for everyone, but I come across kids where the minute that they touch clay it's like a revelation. The light just switches on, like it did with me when I was at school.
When did you know you wanted to be a potter for a living?
I’m dyslexic, so when I was 11 years old I had an epiphany when I took pottery at an art lesson – it changed my life in quite a dramatic way. My partner and I are about to move house and up until now we've tried to keep work and private life separate, but we've decided that now I can’t separate it. If I'm not at my wheel then I'm not happy! So the studio will now be in our new home.
What’s the best piece of pottery advice you have ever been given?
Don’t look for perfection as it's unachievable – and I say that to all the potters. On the first day, I give them all a special parcel, which has one of my mugs with personalised wording on it and a little bag of pottery tools with a little message for them all.
What’s your personal worst pottery disaster?
I made a whole load of breakfast cups for a leading store and the kiln overfired. I lost about 600 of them, so I never made that mistake again!
Is pottery your happy place?
Yes, it really is. If I'm not at the wheel I go a bit funny.
Fall in love with Keith Brymer Jones and The Pottery Throwdown this year
It was a pleasure to talk to Keith Brymer Jones, he's as lovely in real life as he is on TV! The Great Pottery Throw Down is back on our screens now and we can't wait for a month full of clay creations.
Make sure you check out our The Great Pottery Throw Down TV guide every week for all the latest gossip, behind-the-scenes advice and our best bits.
Become the next Keith Brymer Jones with Gathered
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All images courtesy of Channel 4 / Love Productions
