Who Won The Great Pottery Throw Down Series 7?

When The Great British Bake Off took the world by storm in the 2010s, TV producers realised the format was pretty neat. Cue the spin offs: Bake Off: The Professionals, The Great British Sewing Bee, and our personal favourite (inspired by some serious TikTok scrolling), The Great Pottery Throw Down. The latter just concluded its seventh series, and we’ve got all the details. Here’s who won the competition, plus a recap of their journey to the final.

The Great Pottery Throw Down Series 7

James Stead and Siobhán McSweeney in series 6

Who Won?

Donna won The Great Pottery Throw Down series 7, beating fellow finalists Dan and Dave to the trophy. Hardly a surprise, Donna won after bagging Potter of the Week a whopping five times, making her a worthy winner indeed. Congratulations, Donna!

Congratulations to the winner of The Great Pottery Throw down 2024… Donna! #potterythrowdown pic.twitter.com/2talk3QAtX

— The Great Pottery Throw Down (@PotteryThrow) March 10, 2024

What Happens?

Every series of The Great Pottery Throw Down gathers a new batch of 12 home potters competing to be champion ‘of the pottery’. In each episode, contestants complete two challenges: the ‘Main Make’, similar to The Great British Bake Off‘s ‘Signature Challenge’; and a surprise ‘Throw Down’ challenge, like the Bake Off ‘Technical’. The Main Make is a multi-stage creative task, and contestants must design, build, decorate and present a ceramic creation to specifications given by the judges. Recent examples include a five-piece crockery set, a tea set, and a trio of garden gnomes. The potters are set their surprise Throw Down task between stages of the Main Make. The Throw Down task is smaller scale and tests a specific pottery skill; the judges then rank their efforts from worst to best.

The end of each episode sees the best performing contestant designated the ‘potter of the week’. Meanwhile, the week’s worst performer is sent home, while everyone else progresses to the next stage of the competition.

Caitlin Foulds and Siobhán McSweeney in series 6

Who Hosts The Show?

Derry Girls star Siobhán McSweeney is back hosting The Great Pottery Throw Down, joined by judges Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones.

What Were The Series 7 Challenges?

In series 6, we saw our batch of amateur potters rustle everything up from milk jugs to gargoyles, chimney pots to hanging planters. So far, we only know the challenges for the first two episodes of series 7, but we’ll update you as soon as we know more.

• Episode 1 (7 January): Main Make, a six-piece roast dinner set; Throw Down, side plates.
• Episode 2 (14 January): Main Make, a gluggle jug; Throw Down, three identical bud vases – blindfolded.
• Episode 3 (21 January): Main Make, Staffordshire flatbacks inspired by the self; Throw Down, a Victorian shaving scuttle.
• Episode 4 (28 January): Main Make, Raku farm animal busts; Throw Down, vase decoration featuring a bird and leaf motif, set by guest judge ceramic artist Jacqui Atkin.
• Episode 5 (4 February): Main Make, a cascading water feature made up of three bowls and inspired by woodland; Throw Down, hedgehog houses.
• Episode 6 (11 February): Main Make, novelty majolica teapots and two mugs; Throw Down, porcelain moon jars.
• Episode 7 (18 February): Main Make, abstract lighting sculptures using black and white clay; Throw Down, a hand-building challenge set by guest judge Ashraf Hanna.
• Episode 8 (25 February): Main Make, vintage-style water filters fired in an oil drum; Throw Down, coffee filters.
• Episode 9 (3 March): Main Make, a toilet; Spot Test, replicating a painting by ceramic artist Lee Price onto a plate.
• Episode 10 (10 March): Final challenges, chandeliers and faceted bowls.

(L-R) Donna, Daniel and Cadi creating their gluggle jugs in episode 2.

Who Were The Contestants?

The 12 contestants this year were equally split by gender, and aged between 24 and 67. They are:

• Sophie
• Steven
• Shani
• Princess
• Jan
• Edward
• Donna
• Dave
• Daniel
• Dan
• Cadi
• Andrew

BACK: Daniel, Princess, Dave, Edward, Andrew, Cadi, Jan, Shani. MIDDLE: Keith, Siobhán, Rich. FRONT: Sophie, Donna, Steven, Dan

Who Were The Finalists?

The three potters who made it to the 2024 final of The Great Pottery Throw Down were Donna, Dan and Dave.

Who Left The Competition?

Not everyone can be a winner. The contestants who sadly left the pottery are:

• Week 1: Andrew
• Week 2: Edward
• Week 3: Shani
• Week 4: Daniel
• Week 5: Princess
• Week 6: Cadi
• Week 7: Sophie
• Week 8: Jan
• Week 9: Steven

Who Won Potter Of The Week?

The impressive potters who have bagged the coveted title of ‘Potter of the Week’ throughout the series were:

• Week 1: Donna
• Week 2: Cadi
• Week 3: Donna
• Week 4: Dave
• Week 5: Steven
• Week 6: Donna
• Week 7: Donna
• Week 8: Donna
• Week 9: Dan

Where Is It Filmed?

The Great Pottery Throw Down is filmed at Gladstone Pottery Museum in Longton.

Can You Visit?

Yes, you can visit Gladstone Pottery Museum, although it is currently closed for winter. It will reopen on Saturday 23 March. stokemuseums.org.uk

Address: Uttoxeter Rd, Longton, Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1PQ

Lois Gunn

Who Are The Previous Winners?

Last year, Loïs Gunn – a jewellery designer from Ramsgate – beat out her fellow contestants to walk away as the winner. She joined five previous winners of The Great Pottery Throw Down.

• Series 6, 2023: Loïs Gunn
• Series 5, 2022: AJ Simpson
• Series 4, 2021: Jodie Neale
• Series 3, 2020: Rosa Wiland Holmes
• Series 2, 2017: Ryan Barrett
• Series 1, 2016: Matthew Wilcock

WATCH

Catch up The Great Pottery Throw Down at channel4.com.

When Did The Great Pottery Throw Down Start?

Series 7 of The Great Pottery Throw Down started on Sunday 7 January 2024 at 7.45pm on Channel 4. Episodes air every week on Sunday nights at 7.45pm on Channel 4, until the winner is revealed in the finale on Sunday 10 March 2024.

Release Schedule

The Great Pottery Throw Down aired on Sunday nights at 7.45pm on Channel 4 and channel4.com. Note that the final, however, aired at the later time of 9pm.

• Episode 1: 7 January at 7.45pm
• Episode 2: 14 January at 7.45pm
• Episode 3:  21 January at 7.45pm
• Episode 4: 28 January at 7.45pm
• Episode 5: 4 February at 7.45pm
• Episode 6: 11 February at 7.45pm
• Episode 7: 18 February at 7.45pm
• Episode 8: 25 February at 7.45pm
• Episode 9: 3 March at 7.45pm
• Episode 10: 10 March at 9pm