Amazing! Look at this!
We started with 12...
For all potters, Gladstone is like our Mecca -
it's our church, our cathedral. GRUNTS
...and over the last nine weeks,
the potters have wowed us with spectacular ceramics...
This is what the show is all about.
...from scrumptious soup sets...
These have far exceeded my expectations.
...to wonderful wall-mounted water fountains.
Hey! Oh, look at that!
They brought animals to life in 1,000-degree heat...
Boom! Raku! Raku!
...and tears of joy to the pottery...
Just a couple of blokes crying over a puzzle jug!
...as each week someone had to depart.
It would have been really good if you hadn't have broke my jug.
Now for Fynn...
It actually blows my mind that I'm here now.
Elham... Sleeves rolled up. Serious mode now, isn't it?
...and Angharad...
It is a lot of pressure,
but it should be pressure because it's a big deal.
...just two challenges remain
to decide who will be crowned Britain's Best Home Potter.
Welcome to the final of The Great Pottery Throwdown.
♪ In a spinning world of makers
♪ We're all in the room to make it
♪ So just light up the fire
♪ It's down to the wire... ♪
Would you have believed it if someone told you week one
you'd be walking in here today? No. No.
After week one especially, I was like...
It's a dead heat approaching the final finish line...
Fynn.
...featuring three potters...
Angharad.
...with two Potter Of The Week wins each.
Elham. CHEERING
After a nervy start... Breathe.
...and being new to the wheel...
Oh, look, everyone's just walking into the drying room, like, ah!
...Elham has grown throughout the competition.
You seem to sort of improve every week.
You really do seem to improve.
Her intricate repeating patterns have been a regular highlight...
Your decoration is just extraordinary. It's beautiful.
...and the momentum of her semifinal Potter Of The Week win...
For me, you've learnt the most out of the whole process.
...sees her progression peaking at the perfect time.
There's a chance for anyone to win, like -
it's whatever you do this week.
But winning that trophy, I am here for that.
Get me in there.
I'll be rolling my slabs like this. SHE PANTS
Have you had to calculate measurements and make...? No.
Of course not - have you met Fynn?
For Fynn, being the man with no plan...
I don't even know if this is going to work, to be honest with you.
...has turned out to be an impeccable approach.
That is gorgeous. Really, really well made.
His aversion to making the same thing twice
means he rarely practises properly...
Kind of just winging it to some extent
and making it up as I go.
...but his attention to detail
has resulted in some astonishing builds...
It's an absolute feast for the eyes. I think it's fantastic, lovey.
It's fantastic.
...and a rare judge's high five.
Coming round for a high five. I can't even speak.
You've smashed it. Oh, my gosh. It's awesome. Yeah.
I'm ready in spirit, but in usual fashion,
the ideas are still marinating.
Winning would be absolutely huge -
mind-blowing, actually.
I think it's quite simple, but there's so much going on in it.
Simple? Really?
With detailed designs and decorative work...
You want to get it all in.
...Angharad has dazzled the judges throughout.
It's brilliant, lovey. Don't.
It's fantastic.
Despite struggling with second challenges...
It's just full on collapsing. I'm going to be last.
...and self-confidence...
This could turn out looking absolutely horrific.
...looking inside herself for her portrait sculpture...
It is fantastic -
a celebration of you.
...finally showed her just what she is capable of in this competition.
We're going into the final now
and we've all won Potter Of The Week twice,
so it's anyone's game, you know?
So I could win it.
Hello, finalists. Well done on getting here -
you must be so proud.
For your final main make challenge,
the judges and I would like you to make a model stage.
Judges, for the last time, any words of wisdom for our finalists?
Well, we'd like you to be inspired by
the famous 19th-century Staffordshire figure groups
and create an elaborate miniature model stage.
It should feature a selection of characters
as well as scenic backdrops and set furniture,
and we'd really like your stages to come to life,
so the figures and the scenery should be movable -
give us imagination and wonder.
We want your stage to tell us your story -
something meaningful that reflects your life and personality.
Now, the majority of this build is a slab build,
but we really encourage you
to give us as many skills as you possibly can.
So think about how you can incorporate
coiling, sculpting, and throwing,
as well as plenty of colour, sprigs and relief.
We want to be wowed - this is the final.
Oh, fantastic. I really, really can't wait to see what you do.
Potters, you have been given
7.5 hours to make and refine your model stages,
and your time, for the last time,
starts now.
Potters, get potting.
The final! Sleeves rolled up.
Serious mode now, isn't it?
I'm so excited to be in the final.
If it works the way that I've designed,
I'll be really proud of myself
cos I've never made anything like this before.
Honestly, just really looking forward to today.
Probably change it, rip bits off, move stuff around -
it kind of worked until now, so, yeah.
Rich, the final, here we are.
The challenge is so celebratory.
We've asked our potters to be fully inspired by
the early 19th-century Staffordshire figure groups,
and what a treat to have one right in front of us.
I mean, we're keen that their stages really come alive
by way of individual elements moving.
Yeah, absolutely.
At least two movable pieces of scenery,
at least six, preferably more, characters -
one of them has to be them, because we want them to set
the stage of their life and their personality.
All of this really wants to feel like a culmination
of all of their time in the pottery and all of the skills
that they've learnt and picked up along the way.
You know, using the wheel as a tool, using slabs, using hand-building,
we want to get a sense that they've used every
single second of that 7.5 hours.
It really wants to be a celebration of them in the final,
and a celebration of what they can do with the clay.
Well, the stage has been set -
let's hope they put on a show that we really love. Yeah.
And which one of our potters is going to get a standing ovation?
Hi, lovey. Hello. Hello, Elham. Hi.
Coming into the final as our Potter of the Week. Yeah.
Yeah, absolutely. I know!
Well, tell us about your design this week.
It's called The Palace of Stormlight.
Sounds very extravagant. Ooh. Yeah. Based on home.
Home can really be theatre sometimes, especially with kids.
It's that real jump from, like, chaos to calm.
Yeah. How fabulous.
I notice here it says, "Bottom storage drawer." Yeah.
So... A drawer? Well, I thought,
"How do I incorporate a support and something useful?"
So chaos will just go in there.
Elham's slab-built stage setting of a calm Sunday roast in the kitchen
will be shattered by the chaos unleashed from the drawer below.
Changeable scenic views move from
a sunny day to a gloomy evening
as her hand-sculpted children run
riot around dirty clothes and dishes,
spilt tea and nappies on the floor.
What a lovely theme.
Yeah. How fabulous.
And is this parquet flooring? I will show you.
Wa-hey! Oh! Yeah. Oh, my God.
My husband's a dentist, so he prints retainers with a 3D printer...
Yeah. ..so I was like, "Do something for me."
Some people are like, "Oh, where's my retainers?
"I need my next one." Yeah.
And I'll be like this. LAUGHTER
"Elham was in the final, so, you know..."
Well, look, good luck with it all. Can't wait to see it.
Thank you. Yeah. Yeah, it looks great. Thanks.
I precut some templates,
so I'm cutting the slabs around,
and I've worked them out so that they should,
when they're ready to be put together,
just slot together really nicely.
To create a stage
worthy of their most important make of the competition...
So many slabs!
...as well as cutting to precise measurements
to ensure the correct fit,
the potters also need to make sure their slabs
are the right consistency...
Slab building has a tendency to warp,
so I'm just praying that that doesn't happen.
...as any areas drying unevenly
run the risk of both warping and cracking.
There's no room for cracks this week -
it's the final.
But while Elham and Angharad use slabs
to build box structures in the form of a traditional theatre...
I'm hand-sculpting some trees
and I'm throwing the main body of the base.
...Fynn is taking his stage to the great outdoors.
My design is based between my family in Cornwall
and my now inherited family in Canada that are on Marnie's side.
Mona and Jordie, they're my cheerleaders
from the other side of the pond basically,
so, yeah, they've been amazing.
So I wanted to base it on kind of, like,
the Alice Through The Looking Glass idea
that there's sort of two worlds,
but we're sort of connected through nature.
Fynn's reversible open-air stage will sit on
a throne and altered base,
draped in slabs and framed with extruded and sculpted trees.
Marnie's family will be looking at them
amongst the sprigged engine houses of Cornwall
before changeable slab scenery see Fynn, Marnie and their dogs
gazing across the pond
to alpine trees in a cabin by the lake in Canada.
Fantastic. Wow.
So how many moving objects
do you think you're going to be doing?
Are they movable as well, or are they...?
I haven't really decided. OK. Ay!
Don't be asking such a silly question. Huh?
He doesn't know yet.
It's enough scope that if it sort of pops off during,
I'll be like, "Yeah, it's totally movable." That was the plan. Yeah.
It was just last night
that I decided I was going to throw the base -
it was going to be slab. Brilliant. Yeah.
That's my boy. Good.
Well, look, good luck with it all. Yeah. Thank you.
I hope you enjoy it. We'll see you later on.
Yeah, it's really exciting.
Well, WE'RE excited that YOU'RE excited. Yeah.
Great. Excellent. Cheers. Cheers. Thank you.
The drying room is open!
I need to put them in the drying room,
let them firm up.
While structural pieces begin drying...
So, right now, I'm just throwing off the hump,
I'm throwing my characters.
...to be able to tell their stories on stage,
the potters will need the stars of the show.
So this will be Mona in Canada.
Just kind of making a really rough sort of shape,
letting them firm up a bit,
and then I'll carve some clothes and some stuff back into them.
I've chosen cone shapes, - kids, husband, Mum, Dad, me...
Anybody else making an appearance?
Maybe new best friends?
Postman?
OK. That sounds good.
While the potters all sculpt their own families...
This will be my best friend Luke.
...Angharad's story involves an additional one.
Luke and Josh, they're two of the people I met
when I first moved to London.
I worked as a wiggy, or WHAM -
Wigs, Hair And Makeup in musical theatre.
Moving, you know, from my family in South Wales
and going from, like, the countryside
to, like, a massive city,
they basically became my family.
And my siblings and Josh and Luke,
they've all been individually
just so supportive of anything that I've done,
and they think I can do things that I don't even think I can do.
Like, genuinely, they just have this belief in me
and I am just so grateful to have them in my life.
Angharad's slab-built theatre wig room
will double as her Whitechapel bedroom
and be shared with Luke and Josh.
Her first backdrop will be removed
to feature a painted London skyline,
which will then share the sky with her final act,
coming full circle back to Wales
and being reunited with the family she adores.
I love that same sky idea. Yeah. It's the idea of, like,
you might not be in the same place,
but you're all in the same place at the same time.
Oh, that's marvellous.
I'm going to be throwing the characters and the wig blocks
off the hump as well. SIOBHAN LAUGHS
Well, we'll see you at Christmas, then!
It's really lovely, but lots to get done.
There's a lot to get done. Break a leg.
HIGH-PITCHED: Potters, you're halfway through.
Halfway through! Yay! Yay!
Oh, my God, so much to do.
I've manipulated my base and put a solid support in there,
because there's gonna be so much weight on top.
Need to crack on now.
Throwing the littler parts off the hump.
As well as having many items to make...
Three done, 700 to go.
...and textures to apply...
I've just got some lino that I've carved
with a fake wood effect.
I'm just doing floorboards.
...the potters need to utilise
as many different techniques within their stages as possible.
We're doing slab building, throwing...
Hand sculpting and now spread work -
all fun!
A little bit of everything.
As with the curtain drawing on the competition...
So this is an engine house - there's one literally on my road.
...this is their final chance to impress the judges.
So, are you content at this point in the make?
Uh... I'm working through my list.
Got a list today. You have a list? I know.
Doesn't mean I'm really looking at it,
but it's kind of there in the background. Oh, OK.
Please, don't change.
Trust me, I won't be.
No. It could be written down and I'll still ignore it.
Fynn is a really creative, busy character.
Pottery, he's only been doing it for a couple of years,
and yet he just loves it.
I think what's potentially got him to the final
is he may not go the conventional route.
His favourite saying is,
"There's no plan A without a plan B."
He's always loved making things, doing things, trying out,
experimenting and exploring.
To get to the final has been amazing for him.
So proud of what he's achieved.
Amazingly proud of him, yeah. Yeah.
Say, "Good luck, Dad."
Oh, no. Good luck, Dad! Oh!
He's always saying how proud of us he is of doing certain things,
and to hear him get this far is insane -
like, really, really, really proud of him.
So pleased that you've got to the final.
Yeah, I definitely wouldn't have managed any of this,
I don't think, if you guys hadn't have been so supportive with it.
You know, everybody's just done so much for me.
I've been looking after the whole tattoo studio,
been having to deal with everything, so, yeah, he better win.
I love you. Love you too.
So this is the tree layer for the Canadian side.
I've got one of the Cornwall scenes done,
but I've still got so much to do.
I'm making a little logo for my theatre.
It's like a little half, half mask with juggling hands to represent,
like, just juggling everything at home.
My mum and Ehsan are at home
each week having the kids,
so everyone is doing their bit to let me be here.
You know they say, "It takes a village to raise kids"?
That's my village and...
Yeah, family to me is everything.
Oh, you've got a massive tower of squares there.
Elham is... I'm using the word inspiration
because that's the definition of her name.
Her name actually means inspiration.
She's a great inspiration to our kids and she's an amazing mum.
I am not surprised at all that she's made it to the final
because I've seen how
she's put her blood, sweat and tears into every single stage.
She's regularly practised for the show
and sacrificed being with the kids.
Ah! Ha-ha!
I think Elham needs pottery in her life
to channel something within herself that I think,
as people, we can lose through life in its ups and downs.
Getting to the final for Elham is an affirmation
and a validation of her hard work,
and for her children to be able to see her as Elham
and this is her own individual achievement is so positive.
Yusuf, which one is that? Who are you drawing?
Me? Yeah.
Ooh, I like my eyelashes.
I don't think I can verbalise how proud I am of her,
not only in getting to the Pottery Throwdown final,
but just generally since I met her.
I've struck gold with Elham.
I'm sure she will strike gold with the trophy as well.
This is for the cobbled bricks
on the outside of the theatre. It's lovely.
So how do you wish me to address you now?
Madam Finalist?
Queen Fi... Cos this is a palace.
Queen Finalist. Yes, I'll take that.
And you were Potter Of The Week last week. I was.
All hail, Queen Finalist. Thanks.
My small movable props are going to be wigs.
Being a wiggy is a very similar environment to this room here.
It's the adrenaline of the show,
and you're working with really, really talented people.
It's quite overwhelming being in the final.
It is a lot of pressure, but it should be pressure
because of the reality of what it is -
it's a big deal. It is a big deal.
Which one's earlier? I don't know...
I'm incredibly proud of Angharad,
of where she's got to and just where she's come from.
She was always creative, and when she was in London,
she just loved being in theatres and doing wigs and make-up,
but overnight she lost her job because of Covid,
and when she did come back, she was kind of like lost.
I think she has poured everything into pottery
and it has been like an outlet for her creativeness.
Life can be a lot sometimes,
and when things have been really difficult,
as well as my siblings, my friends,
it's been a known thing, like, I can rely on.
But when I did the self-portrait sculpture,
that's the first thing that I made where I was like,
"Oh, do you know what? That's really quite good."
Angharad deserves to be in the final.
She knows she can do it, but she doesn't believe in herself.
We know she can do these things,
but I'm hoping where she's got to will hopefully make her realise
that she is very special and very talented at what she does.
We're all just incredibly proud of her.
You onto wigs? Yeah, onto wigs.
Get all the fiddlier things out of the way
and then crack on with the actual... Constructing.
Yeah. Fab.
You're all right. You'll get there.
We'll get there - all get there.
HIGH-PITCHED: Potters, five hours gone, 2.5 hours left. Hurry up!
Oh, my God. That's not very professional.
HIGH-PITCHED: Who are you?
I am going to assemble now.
I just want to really make sure that these fit.
I'm gonna put up the walls to join.
They need to come together nicely.
Slipping, scoring, slipping, scoring.
Their stage structures need connecting
before the clay gets too dry...
It's the time management between making sure
that stuff is dry and joining it at the right time.
...or they'll run the risk of cracking or separating during firing.
I am doing a little extra with these joins -
I'm adding some coils.
My dad would be proud - he's a civil engineer.
He'd probably be like, "You're doing that wrong."
There will be no stage if these pop off
cos I've got no roof.
There's nothing there.
If that's anything I learnt working in theatre,
even if the stage collapsed, the show must go on.
These are the little pockets to put the sky scenery in.
The movable scenery is crucial to the success of their final makes.
I would usually try not to move the slabs
as much as I have done,
so I'm just a bit nervous that we might have a bit of warpage.
If they don't fit correctly as they slot in and out,
the potters won't be able to tell their stories.
The backdrop panels slide in to be held up by the tree,
so it's like a walk through nature.
There's a theatre. Oh, my God, there's an actual theatre. OK.
With their structures in place...
I need to carve some texture into it.
I want floral patterns.
...the potters now need to add the all-important detail
to complement their overall themes.
I'm just gonna get a couple of these leaves put on
so that I've got a little nod to Canada
with the little maple leaves.
So I have sprigs that are made from my husband's dental putty.
Nice cosy little fireplace.
Oh, my God, I've got to do all my blooming sprigs.
How are we getting on? Chaotic at the moment.
I need to do so many sprigs it's not even funny.
Do you want me to go? Yeah. Yeah.
Can I leave the cameramen here watching?
Oh, sure - you have to.
Would a cup of tea be a good support for you?
No. Oh, yeah. It's fine. Gin?
Probably worse, probably!
Potter's, you've half an hour left. Half an hour left.
I'm going to have sprigs all around the theatre.
The one I'm putting on at the moment
is the first opera I did, which was Aida.
All the shows I've worked on have, like...
I just have really lovely memories.
This is my little campfire for the Canada scene.
What's left? You've done a lot of work.
Where's the ceramic drawer? It's there.
Oh, lovely. I need to put a little handle on it.
Ooh, do you want to see my kitchen?
Yes, please. SIOBHAN LAUGHS
That's delightful.
Do the doors open? No. Oh.
Eh, it's all right - it's just the final.
This is a wig trundle.
When you go on tour with wigs or wardrobe,
you have a trundle, which you kind of tour the wigs in.
How much time have we got? Potters, you have ten minutes left -
use them wisely.
Ten minutes left now.
Oh, my God.
Realistically, it looks like I might have to give the stairs a miss,
which is a real, real shame.
All right, just be calm.
I don't have time to think,
so I'm literally just trying to get as much carved down as possible.
There's a lot of detail to still carve out.
It's the usual - a sprint to the finish.
Last minute support for the front, because without stairs,
I need something there to hold that up.
I do not want a wonky stage.
I'm just putting texture into some wigs.
I just need to get some last-minute details in.
I'm just carving out some texture in the curtains
for the last few minutes, seconds - whatever we have left.
Last minute, potters.
Last one. Last wig.
Start thinking about bringing your model stages into the drying room.
Got to try and lift the damn thing.
This is so heavy.
Be careful. Brilliant.
Well done. Nearly there.
You don't realise how much these things weigh
till you pick them up.
Elham... OK. ..are you done?
Come on now. Fabulous.
Oh, my God. Come this way.
I'll take the bottom.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
Tools down. Well done.
7.5 hours of work.
You OK? Yeah. I'm not.
Well done. I'm so impressed.
Potter's dismissed.
ANGHARAD SIGHS Oh, God.
I just can't believe the make of the final challenge is done -
I can't believe this just happened.
Because I didn't think I could do that,
but then I haven't thought I'd been able
to do everything that we've had to do, so...
I hope I've done enough.
Like, I couldn't do any more in that time.
I probably am far too adventurous with what I think I'm going to do,
but hopefully it all comes out in one piece.
I didn't realise how heavy the entire thing was
up until the point I had to carry that into the drying room
and then went, "Wow, there's quite a lot of clay there."
I'm happy with the amount of props that I have and the detail.
It's the main structure I think I'm most worried about.
Major cracks, warpage.
I just hope that it doesn't change too much.
It's the final of the Great Pottery Throw Down.
Oh, there's a wheel. And hidden under the Hessian
is the second challenge which will help decide the winner.
Mm.
That's not going to be an easy one, is it?
Welcome back, potters, to your final second challenge.
And this week, it's...
...a throwdown!
THEY CHUCKLE
You will be making a pot with this sodium silicate effect
and to show us how it's done, master potter himself,
Keith Brymer Jones. Keith, please take the wheel.
OK. We have our colour and you've got three kilos of clay.
Centre up the clay. I'm just going to go
down to create my base and then start collaring it up.
You want to keep enough clay at the top
to give me a really nice defined rim.
Just going to get the heat gun now and I'm drying that out
before I start applying the blue slip.
If the surface isn't dried off enough,
does the slip just mix with the clay and make a mushy mess?
Yeah, it does, which is not what we're after.
And then just start applying that slip.
And you want a nice, even coating.
Oh, that's very satisfying.
It really is, yeah. I then take my heat gun again.
You want to dry off that slip.
Now I apply the sodium silicate. Get that brush
really nicely charged up to give a nice even coating.
Is it like a varnish over it, and then it all starts cracking?
Yeah. Once you've done that, back on the heat gun.
I want to dry this off so you can't see that sheen any more.
The drier it is, the better effects you get.
But too dry, the pot will be too firm
to actually get that bulbous form.
Dun, dun, dun!
Now I'm just going to form that outer shape.
So, at this point, you can't touch the outside of the pot
because you'll ruin the effect,
so you've got to throw it from the inside.
It looks very counterintuitive to not have your other hand
guiding what's going on the inside.
It does, and it is. SHE CHUCKLES
This particular process is really
the main crux of this whole challenge.
You only have one go at this.
Well, it is the final, I guess, yeah. Yeah.
Just one more pull.
Is it beginning to crack? Oh, my gosh.
Ooh. Wow! It's like magic.
What Rich and I are really looking for is a nice bulbous form,
a good purposeful rim and a really lovely effect that we've got here.
Fantastic. Thank you very, very much.
All right, then, potters, back to your benches, please.
Now this is going to be judged blind,
so you know what that means! Get out of here, boys!
Good luck, guys. Good luck. Thank you. Thank you.
You have been given 25 minutes
to create your sodium silicate pot and your time starts now.
Remove the hessian.
We've got this.
Last second challenge.
Never done this before, but it looks fun.
Me and second challenges have not been good,
so it'd be nice to leave with one last good throw.
Are you happy that your final second challenge is a throw down?
I'm kind of happy. Yeah? What are you worried about?
Altering a form from the inside out. Yeah.
I'll try my best. That's bowlish.
Then what? Pull up?
I've just got to get the form up into a cylinder.
The hardest part, I think, is just going to be getting the rim
on there the way that they want it.
Come on. Right, I'll just do this.
OK.You've got it up quickly. THEY CHUCKLE
Is this an effect that you like? I think it looks really cool.
It reminds me of scorched earth.
Or my skin if I don't apply enough moisturiser.
THEY LAUGH
He wants a nice rim. That's the best it's gonna get.
Sorry, Keith.
Just drying it out a bit to get the slip on.
Happy with the shape.
I've already started to get it to go out a bit.
Slip's going on. I'm just trying to apply it evenly
and just make sure that there's no gaps.
I've got the structure right,
so as long as I can get this effect to work on here,
then we should be all right.
It would be great if I could win this.
Potters, you're halfway through. Argh! Halfway through.
I've done one layer down and doing one layer back up now.
And then, was it dry again, so that I can apply the sodium...?
SHE GARBLES
SHE GIGGLES I don't know if that's enough.
I feel like I could do with a bit more slip,
truth be told. I could do another layer.
OK. Did Keith do that? No, he did not.
And I know that's bad.
I just want you to know that if it goes wrong,
I will say, "I told you so." You can say.
You can absolutely say.
I'm just adding the sodium silicate.
It's kind of almost like a syrupy-type stuff.
This is definitely another first. Oh, my gosh.
How is it drying? It looks to be all right.
I'm hoping where I've started the bowl shape,
I'm just going to follow that out and then bring it back in on itself.
Probably should just go for it, shouldn't I?
I am now bellying out the pot.
What's going to be the hardest thing about this?
I obviously can't touch the outside of the pot.
Otherwise it's going to ruin the whole effect of it.
Just having to anchor my left arm off my right arm
and it's just hanging in there, you know?
Oh, my God, I don't know how to do this. How am I meant to do this?
Like, literally. Argh! It's this hand that I'll use.
No, it's not.
I've never done anything like this before.
It's quite scary. Can't touch the outside.
Nope. No touching the outside.
My legs are shaking! SHE CHUCKLES
Five minutes left, potters! You have five minutes left.
Do we have a crack there? Oh, my gosh!
Anyone got their crack effect? Elham, I know.
Yeah, I do. Fynn? Yes, a thumbs-up.
Angharad? Not yet. Don't let me down.
Argh! Oh, there is, there is! Yay! Yay!
SHE CHUCKLES
Potters, final minute for the final second challenge.
I need this to be more bulbous.
I kind of feel like I'm just going to leave it like that.
I don't want to ruin it.
It's really hard to see the shape when you're so close.
You kind of want to step back and have a look,
but I don't have time. I think I'm going to go back in
and try and get a little bit more clay out of the base.
Ten seconds! SHE GASPS
Eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
Well done, well done, well done!
Step away from your pots. Yay! Well done. Well done, guys.
Please bring them up to the front.
Keith and Rich will now judge the potters sodium silicate pots...
Wow! Isn't that amazing? Excellent.
...and they have no idea whose is whose.
The sodium silicate application is very... It's really worked well.
Lovely cracking. Yeah. Lovely.
The rim could have been a bit more pronounced,
and if they just got a bit more of a bulbous shape
down the bottom there, just to make the whole shape fuller.
But great use of the clay. Very good. Excellent.
Moving on. This is a really considered rim.
That's brilliant. Nice bulbous shape down the bottom.
Yeah. I mean, lovely proportions between the bottom and the top.
Really lovely cracking there. Excellent.
Last but not least, a nice shape to it.
Lovely cracking. There's a bit of a rim there.
It could have been a bit more pronounced.
It could have maybe just been a bit bolder,
just to give you a more bulbous shape.
But really, really good effort. Well done.
The judges will now rank the finalists from worst to first.
In third place is...
...this one.
It's not mine. THEY CHUCKLE
Yeah. It's mine. Oh, it's yours! All right!
Could have just been a bit more bulbous,
but no, I mean, brilliant effort.
So, yeah. Thank you. Well done.
In second place is...
...this one.
Nice bulbous form.
Really, really lovely effects on there.
Nice bit of throwing.
So, in first place,
Fynn.
Cheers. Well done, Fynn. Well done!
Lovely rim on there.
Really competently thrown.
You started that bulbous form right down at the bottom of the base.
Lovely. Well done. Cheers.
Well done! Well done!
Fynn, congratulations.
But congratulations to the three of you.
Potters dismissed.
Thank you. Thank you.
It's really exciting to get a win.
I was really happy with what I made,
and the judges were really happy, too, so that's a plus.
Obviously, coming third gives you less hope.
But my main make might really be a "wow".
You never know.
Second challenge is done.
I just feel like now I just have to do a really good decorating job.
I just hope everything turns out OK.
♪ Can't get enough
♪ I've got a feeling... ♪
♪ Little by little by little by little... ♪
It's day two of the Final Make.
The potters stages have cooled down after their first bisque firing
and are ready to be decorated.
I'm assuming I've got pieces to decorate.
I'll have something.
Oh, it's still upright.
But how the potters builds have fared in the kiln...
Oh...
...is yet to be revealed.
The one thing I won't miss about this experience is that hessian.
I never want to see hessian again.
FYNN SIGHS
It's going to be a hard one because all three of us,
decorating's our thing.
I do want to win now, like, I'm here and it's like,
you know, it's this close.
Welcome back, potters.
Your model theatres have been bisque fired
and are ready for decoration.
Keith, any advice for our potters?
We want you to show us a wide range of decorative skills.
A cohesive plan is the best way
to bring everything together successfully
and bring that model stage to life.
Don't rush.
Apply that glaze carefully, and make the most of all of your hard work.
Just enjoy it and get theatrical.
Theatrical, music to my ears. All right, then.
You've been given a range of glazes and oxides
and 4.5 hours to use them.
And your time starts now.
Remove the hessian!
I don't want to...
THEY LAUGH
Angharad, everything OK?
Not as bad as I thought it could've been.
That's the spirit.
Fynn?
There's a crack along that back panel,
but nothing too bad, I don't think.
OK. Elham?
A little bit of a crack in the base, but nothing horrific.
Fantastic. Well done, everyone.
Happy decorating. RICH: Yeah.
Thank you.
That makes me happy, seeing these together.
What I'm more nervous about is that we've got major warping on my slabs.
This is meant to go in.
God.
Just...
I mean, it's not flush to the ground, but it's not terrible.
I've just got to decorate them all now.
To help bring their stages to life...
Oh, wow. That is thick.
...the potters have a table full of colourful underglazes and oxides.
I think with this, everything will have a slight blue undertone to it.
I'm hoping to go real with the decoration,
curtains being red and things like that.
Hi, lovey.
It's all happening here. It is all happening.
Look at that. Ah, OK.
I'm hoping to just lodge one of these in... Oh, yeah.
...for the glaze fire underneath.
What's happening up here, then?
This is to represent the juggling of life, and motherhood,
and family life... I see what you're doing there.
I'm gonna give it every single bit of me that I can now.
I think it's brilliant you're still here. It's amazing.
Me too, because I only batch cooked for three weeks.
I was like, "Don't worry, guys, I'll be home."
The cracks are going to get bigger in the next firing,
but I can only decorate what I've got.
Hello, Angharad. Hello. How are you doing? OK.
What's your plan? You've got the oxides.
So, I've got this. I'm going to be sponging ombre
where you blend in between everything.
And have you waxed this? So I've latexed around the window...
Latex. ...then I'll peel the latex off.
I'm going to be doing some bubble glazing as well. Yeah.
So you're going to be adding soap into the glaze
and blowing it with a straw to create bubbles. Yeah.
It's for my wigs more than anything.
I love the fact that you've remained ambitious.
It's the final. Yeah.
Just to let you know, guys, an hour has gone.
How nice. We never get that from you.
Well, there you go. What a treat.
My strategy is to focus on small things
and then give that loads of love.
While Elham is focusing on delicate detailing...
Painting oxides and underglazes darker,
wiping them back, painting more on, wiping those back.
Yeah, it's a lot of work. It's not just painting it all once.
Fynn and Angharad have started with the bigger picture.
Do you know what? I'm just enjoying it too much.
But equally, I do need to finish what I'm doing.
You've done a lot.
It feels like it.
You've enjoyed it here, though. I've absolutely loved it.
Oh, good. It's been so much fun.
Can I talk to you about your autism?
I imagine things that you have thought haven't been a good trait
are actually very helpful.
Yeah, not having a plan
balances out my ability to understand time.
The things that I can't control, I just have to not think about.
And I think that has given me
the sort of internal peace that, for so long, I didn't have.
Great. Well, that is beautiful to hear.
And also very fortuitous,
because this show is now the Great Dance Off.
Then I would not be in the final. THEY LAUGH
Neither would I.
I am planning to slip trail
the pots and the outfits on the characters.
My kids are everything to me.
They're hard work, but I love them.
So I've painted my Whitechapel High street scene.
This is a view from the farm that I grew up on.
They were really happy memories.
When I look back, like how lucky we were to be so close to the sea
and to have animals around us all the time.
So lucky.
So this is Mona and Jordie in Canada.
It's been a real privilege, actually,
to be accepted into their family.
Since Marnie and I have been together,
they've been over once.
For the last five years,
we've been trying to get out to Canada.
Hopefully next year is the year that we can go.
Potters...
Please don't say an hour because that will be a shock.
One hour left.
BLEEP.
I 100% need to speed up to get this all done.
Do you like my roast dinner? I love your roast dinner.
Making you hungry? I am a bit hungry, actually.
I love a nice carrot.
I'm still working on the background pieces.
Everything is really detailed,
but I think I'm actually doing OK for time.
They may be my famous last words.
This is a wig trundle, and I've got a bed.
Growing up, I would do all of my artwork in my bedroom,
so I hope that the judges see, like, the sentimentality.
All my small pieces are done.
I'm just imagining that pop of red at the front of the theatre.
I need to sit down and watch.
Finishing off my little cottage, and around the deer and stuff,
there's just lots of little black lines I've added in.
They're subtle, but they're there.
Now that I've done the wood floor, it looks quite cute.
Are you painting the wooden floor brown?
Grey. Grey! Yeah, it's kind of like contemporary.
Oh, the contemporary theatre with the crack in the floorboards.
Yes, I know it well. We're going moody.
So once I wiped this back,
I'm going to put a layer of brown underglaze on,
hopefully just blend together so it's not too stark.
This time call is going to stress me out.
Potters, you've half an hour left.
So you've still got all your characters to do.
I'm a bit behind, but I can do it. It's fine.
OK. Oh, God.
I am dabbing on some oxide onto the bricks
and on the other side of the scenery.
It, like, sits in all the crevices and stuff, it's really nice.
I'm going to use the monoprinting,
so I'm just going to paint paper with some underglaze
and then press it on top of the clay.
The damp will pull it off the sheet and transfer it onto the clay.
I need to actually decorate some people now, don't I?
So I've got me, I've got my older brother,
my younger brother, my sister, and then my two best friends,
Luke and Josh. No pressure.
I am just scraping off the black glaze.
Tonight's performance. Chaos. 7:00.
Who is that? That's my older brother.
Is that my older brother?
No, I don't know who that is.
OK. Mono printing has worked all right.
Potters, that's ten minutes left.
OK...
I think I'm actually just gonna glaze everything.
Transparent glaze, while milky in appearance when applied...
You're glazed. Oh, you're not glazed.
...will create a glossy finish
and add pop to the potters' decoration once fired.
The drawer is going to be underneath the theatre.
So if it does slump, don't want any glaze under there.
I'm peeling the latex off.
Ooh! One minute left now.
Flippin' heck.
Just literally slapping it on.
Just a couple of trees.
Then you should be done?
Yep. Promise me. Yep. Don't break my heart.
This is definitely the closest I've got to not finishing.
Just ten seconds left.
Really?
BLEEP.
I have no idea what's going on.
And that's it. Ah!
Brushes down. Step away from your model theatres.
Well done.
That was the last time.
Angharad, what are you thinking?
Don't know. I think I'm in shock.
Well, for the last time, potters dismissed.
Off you go.
Mad that we've just done that.
I know, that was absolutely bonkers.
Final Make is done.
Praying not for more cracks.
I did absolutely everything I could with that time.
Like, every little minute of it.
I've left my little drawer under there. Perfect.
I'd like to win. That would be lovely.
You never know.
Just pray that stays in one piece, and we'll see.
How are you feeling? Exhausted.
I honestly don't know if I could be the winner.
I don't know.
I couldn't have done any more, basically.
It would be that anxious wait of what the kiln gods
have got in store for us.
Guys... Last time. Last time. Last time.
THEY GIGGLE
It's Judgment Day.
The stages have undergone their final firing,
and for the potters, there's nothing more they can do.
I am excited to see my Final Make.
Dream scenario, no more warping, no more cracking.
But I know I did my best.
I think it's anxiety and excitement in equal measure on this front,
because the end could be that I'm the winner,
and that would just really be the cherry on top
of what's been an amazing experience.
I'm really looking forward to seeing my piece now,
stand in front of the judges for the last time,
present your work for the last time, like, it has been daunting,
but today I'm going to do it with pride,
because it's my last piece, and I'm like, do you know what?
I'm proud of this journey. I'm proud of what I made.
And here you go.
Wow...
Ooh...
Wow.
There are some more cracks that have opened up.
Massive cracks. Have you?
I think we've all got some cracks.
Yeah, massive crack,
but actually it's still really cute, so I'm happy.
Your model theatres look absolutely amazing.
I cannot wait to see them, so I'll stop talking.
Let's get on with the judging, shall we? Yeah.
Elham, if you could please bring your model stage up to the judges.
Are you pleased with how it's looking?
Do you know, honestly, I'd say it's the proudest piece
that I've made here,
but it's also the most heartbreaking, too,
to see that crack in it.
Well, look, we're going to skirt over the crack.
We'll put a carpet in the middle of the room. A rug.
Do you know why?
Because... there's so much detail. VOICE CRACKS
There's so much to look at.
There's so much to think about.
There really is.
It's amazing. Look at that.
Yeah. I mean, this is the thing, I think...
We're always our own worst critics.
And, yes, you've got one stress crack...
A little bit of a crack in the bay.
Well, two minor stress cracks, but that can't take away
from the beauty you've injected into this stage.
There is so much in here that you should be so proud of.
I want the roast dinner. Yeah.
You've even put a border around every single plate on the table.
That is a beautiful object.
They both are.
I mean, they are exquisite.
I mean, who does that?
Well, Elham does it. Yeah.
And this is such a wonderful scene, both of them.
And the fact that you've kept them matte,
it looks like theatre canvas.
The scenery for the next scene is in the drawer.
This is the... Yeah, can we have a look at the chaos?
Chaos. Go on, give us chaos.
Does this go the other way around?
Yeah. They go the dark way around.
Yusef hangs off the chandelier. Of course.
So it's nappies all over the place.
There's a spilt tea.
There's a pile of dishes, and there's dirty ones.
That's reality, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah.
That's a lovely, simple process to do, but really, really effective.
I mean, everything is so immediately recognisable.
I can't believe you've got this much done in that time.
Me neither. THEY LAUGH
Yeah, it's really, really lovely, lovey.
Thank you very much. Well done. Thank you.
Well, you know what, Fynn?
The thing that you notice most about your stage is detail.
We've seen your attention to detail on surface
throughout this whole process,
and this is just the very definition of you, really.
It's really, really wonderful. Yeah. It's just fab.
It's just got such energy.
And I like the fact that you've flipped
the whole idea on its head.
Why shouldn't a stage be out in the woods?
I mean, it's a shame that, yeah, you've got a bit of a stress crack,
but it's just got such a lovely atmosphere about it.
It feels like you're in a woodland.
And you've got this lovely little fire.
I mean, the fire... My God, it is beautiful.
It's just amazing how everything is part of the same feel,
even though you've sort of thrown oxides on here
and you've got mono printing, it just works.
The colour brings it all together.
This could be a brooch in itself.
I mean... Maybe on your jacket, not mine.
It's just incredible.
Yeah, I could wear that. Maybe more of a medallion.
It's beautiful. And, Fynn, how many scenes have you done, then?
There's two scenes. Right.
The idea is the Canadians,
they would be looking back into the scene at us in Cornwall,
and then vice versa.
Oh, I see.
And then they go in there, looking out at us,
and then we look back in at them.
Act two. Just really fabulous.
I love the way that you've managed to sort of incorporate
the characters within the whole scene.
There's not much to them, but what there is, is detail.
But what's impressing me most about it is a real sense of your style.
It's almost like a culmination of
all the weeks before coming into this.
I could look at it time and time again.
It's really, really wonderful. Thank you.
Well done. Thank you so much, Fynn. Cheers.
Well done, lovey. It's absolutely brilliant.
Are you pleased with it? I'm really, really happy.
Besides the warping and massive crack down the middle...
It's a genre in theatre. It is, actually.
That's right. It is.
I mean, there's a reason why ceramic pings, it's the tension.
Yeah. And you've got these two columns,
and it's just going, "ugh!" Yeah. Yeah.
Well, look, your sense of style and your sense of playfulness,
it's just... VOICE CRACKS
...absolutely a complete and utter celebration.
And it tells that story of who you are, and I just I love it.
Yeah. It's like your creative style just oozes out of you,
and it kind of penetrates every aspect of what you make.
I mean, this is beautiful.
When you look at it, you can see layers
of different colours and surface and the texture on the stage.
Beautiful.
There's so many different techniques that you've employed
on each and every aspect
that makes them feel individually loved somehow.
You can tell that you've put real heart into it.
Wow. Yeah, yeah.
God, that London scene. That's fantastic.
It looks like a backdrop that would be painted in a theatre.
Yeah, that comes out as well.
So it goes really stripped back.
And then it's just the four of us down on the farm.
We don't have a lot of photographs of us all together as kids,
and that's one that we do have.
And here you are, and you're making it in three dimensions.
And as you're making it, you're just thinking about
all those people that you love in your life. I love it.
And look, this goes for all of you folks.
You've covered everything and you've really thought
of every single bit of detail.
This particular challenge for the final
is just so fitting,
because it enables you to give us your stories,
but to give us all that incredible detail.
And this is just brilliant.
Yeah. Really, really cool. It really is.
Well done. Thank you so much. Thank you.
Awesome workout.
Well done. Thank you.
Well done.
Really lovely.
I'll take those lovely words away with me
and just remember that when I have wobbles when I'm making.
It would be lovely to win,
but I don't know what way it's going to go.
It's up to the judges, and thank God I'm not one of them
cos I don't know what I'd do.
I'm hoping I've done enough,
but I've just lifted that really heavy thing up there.
I'm not sure how good my arms are going to be
for carrying a trophy today,
but, yes, it would be amazing if it could be me.
I'd be absolutely elated if I won.
I can't say good things about myself.
I really, really struggle.
But I can look at that piece and think,
wow, I have definitely grown.
I'll take so much away from this.
It'd be nice to take the trophy too.
They're all just extraordinary, aren't they?
They really are. They really are.
My gosh, what a final.
What a great challenge, actually.
Yeah. There's so much of themselves in what they've made.
And with such incredible detail.
Exactly.
So, Angharad, let's talk about her extraordinary stage.
There were so many different decorative techniques on display.
She didn't rest on her laurels in any way.
She really pushed herself.
She doesn't even know where her laurels are...!
No, no! ..to rest on them.
She's always pushing herself.
Yeah. Aside from that crack,
the quality of the making was outstanding.
And that backdrop on the stage
looked like a backdrop you'd find in a theatre.
You also mentioned that Elham's inserts looked
as if they were printed on canvas.
How do you think she did this week?
Again, incredibly well. Incredibly detailed work.
She did have a fairly substantial structural crack in the stage,
but you could have taken any individual object out
and it would have been intricately decorated.
The Yorkshire puddings. The Yorkshire puddings!
Yeah! Those vases, everything was just finished off meticulously.
It was a culmination of what she's good at in the final,
which was brilliant to see.
Let's talk about Fynn.
Now, it is worth pointing out that Fynn did come first
in the second challenge. Yeah, he did.
And attention to detail with form is what his main make was all about.
Exactly. It felt like a really well-thought-out stage,
and all the components felt like they'd been treated
with an equal amount of love.
It really all came together for Fynn,
aesthetically, almost structurally and decoratively.
It was just brilliant.
Well, it's always a serious decision,
but it's extra serious this week.
Do you have a winner?
I think I do, yeah. Yeah, I think so.
And I think it's the same as him.
Yeah. OK. Well, I cannot wait to hear who it is.
As our finalists await the judges decision,
their family, friends and past potters are here to cheer them on.
It's so nice to be back. It's just been amazing
being back here, isn't it? Yeah. Seeing everybody.
Do I have a favourite?
I mean, they're all really, really beautiful.
I mean, Fynn's is extraordinary.
The illustrative quality he can bring to clay is magical.
Oh, it's difficult, isn't it?
I think my money is on Angharad.
I knew exactly that Fynn and Angharad would be in the final
because they're supremely talented.
I didn't know about the third one, but I'm delighted it's Elham,
because she's just really pulled it out of the bag every time.
She's just amazing.
I think it's going to be a really difficult thing
for the judges to pick from those three examples there.
I wish they could all win, honestly. They're all so good.
THEY CHEER
Hello, everyone. It's so wonderful to see you all
and so many of you all this year.
It's brilliant to have you here.
Now, the moment you've all been waiting for.
Please give a very warm welcome
to our three extraordinary finalists.
Please welcome Angharad, Elham and Fynn!
THEY CHEER
Oh, I cannot tell you how wonderful it's been to have you here.
And thank you to the three of you for your incredible work
and for making this final really quite spectacular.
But the results are in.
This year's winner of the Great Pottery Throwdown is...
...Fynn.
THEY CHEER
Oh, my darling!
I'm so... CHEERING
Oh, I'm so proud.
Oh, my God.
This belongs to you. Well done. Really well done.
Thank you. Well done, love. Well done. Thank you.
Well done. Absolutely wonderful achievement.
Honestly, I'm absolutely dumbstruck.
Like, I'm...
Yeah.
That's crazy.
Oh, my God.
That lot over there encouraged me to even give this a go.
If they hadn't, I wouldn't be here now.
So incredibly proud. I've always known
he's got an incredible talent, and I think he's incredible.
It's been amazing.
You did so well. Super proud of myself.
And it's so nice to have my brother and my sister here.
They get to see, like, that final piece
and see how much they mean to me.
We've all shown our strengths in different ways,
and Fynn has been a very strong maker throughout.
So hats off to him because, like, it is deserved.
It is deserved.
Do you know what? You're all bloomin' winners.
Yeah. No, everyone and we've all been on a journey together.
It's been lovely. What a way to finish.
Genuinely well deserved.
Like, Fynn's really, like, given it his all every week,
and, yeah.
Well done.
Congratulations. Absolutely extraordinary.
Fynn has been consistent all the way through.
There are skills that are taught
and that you can learn and that you can hone over time,
but he just has it in him.
And in the final, he just produced the most extraordinary,
extraordinary piece that spoke bucket-loads about his skills,
his creativity and his personal stories.
What makes Fynn really stand out and be a worthy winner
is his attention to detail,
his observational skills at being able
to observe a particular surface and recreate it in clay.
He's just a credit to creativity. He really is.
And, well, need I say any more? Fynn's the winner.
Do you know what? I think I've learned that,
actually, I'm a little bit more in control of myself
than I thought I was.
And if I put the effort in, I can achieve stuff.
So, it's gonna take me some time to process this, that's for sure.
But this means a lot.
I am just really overwhelmed right now.
There's no...
There's nothing else I can say, to be honest with you.
♪ There's a reason
♪ For the sunshine sky
♪ And there's a reason
♪ Why I'm feeling so high
♪ Must be the season
♪ When that love light shines all around us
♪ So let that feeling
♪ Grab you deep inside
♪ And send you reeling
♪ Where your love can't hide
♪ And then go stealing
♪ Through the moonlit nights
♪ With your lover
♪ Just let your love flow
♪ Like a mountain stream
♪ And let your love grow
♪ With the smallest of dreams
♪ And let your love show
♪ And you'll know what I mean
♪ It's the season
♪ Let your love fly
♪ Like a bird on a wing
♪ And let your love bind you
♪ To all living things
♪ And let your love shine
♪ And you'll know what I mean
♪ That's the reason
♪ There's a reason
♪ For the warm sweet nights
♪ And there's a reason
♪ For the candle lights
♪ Must be the season
♪ When those love rites shine all around us
♪ So let that wonder
♪ Take you into space
♪ And lay you under
♪ Its loving embrace
♪ Just feel the thunder
♪ As it warms your face
♪ You can't hold back... ♪
Guys, are you excited?
Mummy's on TV.
Yeah. Can't we watch something else?
♪ Like a mountain stream
♪ And let your love grow
♪ With the smallest of dreams
♪ And let your love show
♪ And you'll know what I mean
♪ It's the season
♪ Let your love fly like a bird on a wing
♪ And let your love bind you to all living things
♪ And let your love shine
♪ And you'll know... ♪
Subtitles by Red Bee Media