Four celebrities are ready to take on the challenge.

By Katelyn Mensah

Published: Thursday, 21 December 2023 at 09:00 AM


As everyone gets ready for Christmas, a group of celebrities are stepping into the iconic sewing studio for the Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Christmas special.

Esme Young, Patrick Grant and brand new host Kiell Smith-Bynoe will be putting four celebrities’ sewing skills to the test in this year’s festive special.

Sara Pascoe will be missing from this year’s Christmas episode following her welcoming her second child.

The news of Smith-Bynoe’s hosting gig was announced back in October, with the official Sewing Bee Twitter (recently rebranded as X) account confirming the news.

The post read: “We’re bursting at the seams that Kiell Smith-Bynoe has stepped in to host this year’s Christmas Special and Series 10.⁣ (Sending lots of love to Sara and her new baby!) #SewingBee.”

So, who will be showing off their sewing skills this festive season, and more importantly, will they be any good?

Read on for everything you need to know about the Great British Sewing Bee Christmas Special 2023 line-up.

The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special 2023 line-up

The four celebrities taking part in this year’s Christmas special are: Toyah Willcox, Kerry Godliman, Jessica Knappett and Hammed Animashaun.

Toyah Willcox

Toyah Willcox sat in front of a sewing machine pictured for The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special 2023
Toyah Willcox. BBC/Love Productions/Paul Andrews

Age: 65

Job: Singer and actress

Instagram: @toyahofficial

Toyah Willcox is an English singer, who over the course of her 42-year career has had eight top 40 singles, released over 20 albums, appeared in 40 stage plays and 10 feature films, as well as writing two books. She doesn’t stop!

Willcox even has her own star on the Kings Heath Walk of Fame and a star on Birmingham’s Broad Street Walks of Stars, recognising her achievements in entertainment.

Kerry Godliman

Kerry Godliman sat in front of a sewing machine wearing a bright purple jumpsuit
Kerry Godliman. BBC/Love Productions/Paul Andrews

Age: 50

Job: Actress and comedian

Instagram: @kerryagodliman

Kerry Godliman is an actor and comedian. Viewers will recognise from the likes of Derek, After Life and more recently, Whitstable Pearl. Godliman has also appeared on Channel 4’s Taskmaster and David Mitchell’s Outsiders.

The 50-year-old is no stranger to the stage, and has performed numerous times on Live At The Apollo, with many of her comedy shows available to watch on YouTube.

Jessica Knappett

Jessica Knappett sat in front of a sewing machine, smiling at the camera
Jessica Knappett. BBC/Love Productions/Paul Andrews

Age: 39

Job: Comedian and actress

Instagram: @jessicaknappet

Jessica Knappet is an actress and comedian, who viewers will recognise from a range of TV shows, including Drifters, The Inbetweeners Movie and the BBC’s Avoidance.

She has also had guest roles in Ghosts and taken part in Judge Romesh, Taskmaster and David Mitchell’s Outsiders.

Hammed Animashaun

Hammed Animashaun. BBC/Love Productions/Paul Andrews
Hammed Animashaun. BBC/Love Productions/Paul Andrews

Age: 32

Job: Actor

Instagram: @hammedhamz

Hammed Animashaun is a stage, film and television actor who has won a number of awards for his work in theatre, including Best Supporting Actor at the WhatsOnStage Awards for his role as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

His other stage credits include “Master Harold”… and the Boys, Cinderella, Barber Ship Chronicles and the revival of Amadeus.

He has more recently appeared in Amazon Prime’s The Wheel of Time and BBC One’s Black Ops.

The Great British Sewing Bee Christmas special 2023 will air on BBC One on Thursday 21st December 2023 at 9pm.

Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub for the latest news.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.