PICK OF TODAY’S TV

THE GREAT BRITISH SEWING BEE, 8PM, BBC1

THE search for the nation’s most sensational needleworker returns for an eighth series, and with a new presenter as comedian Sara Pascoe takes over from Joe Lycett full-time after a successful spell hosting the show over Christmas — and they’re at a new base, too: a former textile mill in West Yorkshire. There’s been an explosion in the sale of sewing machines during the pandemic and, we are told, more men than ever are taking up their needles and thread. However, there’s only been one male winner in the show’s history so the odds are against the four male contestants this time.

Judges Patrick Grant, the best dressed man on television, and Esme Young, who began her career when she set up the fashion company Swanky Modes in the early 1970s, are back to cast an expert eye over the garments — and their expectations are as high as ever. ‘They’ve got to be bold and take risks,’ says Esme (pictured with Patrick and Sara) as she lays down the first task, which calls for the 12 amateurs to create a capsule wardrobe across three challenges, starting with a wool miniskirt. They’re a diverse bunch this year, with a Millwall supporter, a veterinarian, an ABBA superfan and a teacher among those taking part. But one thing they all have in common is a desire for their creation to be crowned Garment of the Week.