Tuesday 28 May 2024: Mitch describes himself as the worst of the best bunch on the Sewing Bee and in this sewing podcast, you’ll realise why.

Mitch was part of Series 8 of The Great British Sewing Bee in 2022.

During lockdown, Mitch taught his wife to bake and make cheese. His wife taught him to knit and sew. When his wife filled in the Sewing Bee application for Mitch, he had been sewing for 3 months.

Mitch tells us that you could be the best sewist in the world and still be knocked out on the Great British Sewing Bee. You would always be in the top 12 of over 8,000 entrants. Not to be sneezed at.

If you’re interested in TV production or have entered for Series 11, listen to the inside world of producing The Great British Sewing Bee.

He has this advice for beginners:

Sew for yourself first before making for others
Don’t be intimidated, sewing is like a “soft jigsaw” that anyone can do
Start with simple patterns and inexpensive materials like old bedding
Make the same pattern multiple times to build skills gradually

Mitch’s background: Mitch met his fiancé at University but they hit it off romantically when he joined her ABBA tribute band as Benny a few years later. Mitch now runs a ​university theatre in Cumbria and has even been known to tread the boards himself although he prefers to work behind the scenes, directing when he gets the chance. Mitch grew up around ​his mother sewing when he was a boy in Leicester, but was never interested in it until his fiancée started sewing 2 years ago and he decided to give it a go. Since then, he has studied ​books & YouTube videos to teach himself. Mitch mostly makes clothes for himself and his two children, he loves a loud and “lairy fabric” to help make his garments stand out​. In his spare time Mitch makes his own bread, mozzarella and his own home brew beer and wine. He’s a Newcastle United fan and enjoys ​playing football matches with his friends twice a week