THE BEE'S knees

Judges ESME YOUNG and PATRICK GRANT on how this year's competition is measuring up to be the best yet

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THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE

NEW TUESDAY, 9PM, BBC1 REALITY

After taking time off following the birth of her second child, Sara Pascoe makes a seamless return as host for the 11th series of BBC1's perennially popular The Great British Sewing Bee.

Once again, 12 amateur stitchers will have to demonstrate their creative skills in the Sewing Room under the eagle eyes of judges Patrick Grant, former director of Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons, and Esme Young, co-founder of 1970s fashion label Swanky Modes.

Korea Week and Roaring 20s Week are among the fresh themes in the 10-part outing, which opens with Shape Week. First, the competitors must craft a tie-front blouse using gathers to add volume in the Pattern Challenge, then turn circle skirts into new garments in the Transformation Challenge before making a dress with pleats in the Made-to-Measure Challenge.

Here, Esme, 76, and Patrick, 53, reveal why the competition's new run is set to be 'sew' good... How would you sum up this latest series?

ESME It was great! The challenges Patrick and I set for the sewers are really ambitious and, right from the start, everybody did incredibly well. There was so little between them, it was difficult to judge.

PATRICK It was one of those series where there were so many good people that it was impossible to call who was going to make it to the final or who was going to win. We gauge the technical competence of our sewers with the Pattern Challenges and, this year, they absolutely nailed them. I can’t remember a series where they were done with such universal excellence.

What can you reveal about the new collection of stitchers?

PATRICK The average age was considerably higher than it was last year. We had one in their early 20s, a couple in their 30s, then we had 40s and quite a few 50s, 60s and 70s.