Make do and SEW!

PATRICK GRANT on how wartime wisdom inspires his passion for planet-friendly fashion

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THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE TUESDAY, 9PM, BBC1 REALITY

Patrick Grant lets out a slight groan when TV Times asks which theme week he loves best in BBC1's stitching showcase The Great British Sewing Bee.

'That's like asking someone which is their favourite child!' grins the popular judge, 53, during our exclusive interview.

'There are loads of great themes in the competition, but, yes, this Tuesday's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Week is the one that means most to me. I lobbied for it as a theme [in 2019] and it's had such a massive impact on viewers that we keep doing it, which makes me very happy!'

The former director of Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons, who is a champion of sustainable style, and fellow taskmaster Esme Young will challenge the remaining Bees with turning old garments and leftover fabrics into new items with conscience.

'A third of clothes produced worldwide doesn't even get sold - it just goes straight in the bin,' says Patrick, who asks the contestants to counter this sobering statistic with zero-waste patterns, tent transformations and repurposed hand-me-downs inspired by the wartime 'make do and mend' spirit.

Here, Patrick, founder of sustainable brand Community Clothing, tells us how a waste-not-want-not ethos can help save the planet, one stitch at a time...

This week's episode tackles the fast-fashion industry head-on.

When did you first notice the 'crisis in consumption', as you call it in your bestselling 2024 book, Less?