Sophie Willan, a BAFTA-winning comedian and actor, has been announced as the new host of The Great British Sewing Bee, starting with the 2025 Christmas special. She takes over from Sara Pascoe, who hosted the show for three series. The festive episode airs on BBC One on Christmas Eve 2025.
Sophie Willan, aged 38, steps into the role of presenter for The Great British Sewing Bee following an announcement in September. The change comes after Sara Pascoe's three-series stint, with Willan making her debut in the celebrity Christmas special before hosting the main 2026 series alongside judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young.
Willan is best known for creating and starring in the BBC comedy Alma's Not Normal, a semi-biographical series inspired by her experiences growing up in care. The show, which first aired on BBC Two in 2020, explores working-class life in Bolton and delves into themes such as the UK care system, mental health, addiction, sexuality, and class. Its second series premiered in October 2024 and is available on BBC iPlayer. For her performance, Willan won a BAFTA for Best Female Comedy Performance in 2022, along with awards for Best Writer: Comedy in 2021 and Best Scripted Comedy in 2025.
Beyond Alma's Not Normal, Willan has appeared in various BBC and Channel 4 productions. She portrayed Holly Pinder in the comedy drama Ludwig, narrated The Circle, featured in Still Open All Hours and the prison drama Time, and competed as a contestant on Taskmaster in 2024. She has also been announced as a judge for the upcoming series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
On Instagram (@sophiewillan), where she has 126,000 followers, Willan shares career updates and glimpses of her personal life, including moments with her partner, chef C Francis-Levy. The couple welcomed a baby boy in November 2025.
The BBC expressed enthusiasm for Willan's addition, stating: "We’re buzzing that Sophie Willan is joining us as our new host. Sophie will be starting on our celebrity Christmas special and then with us for the main series. Welcome, Sophie!"
Willan previewed the special's challenges, noting: "The celebrity sewers have some ambitious challenges! The first challenge is a twist on a pattern for a festive present sack. They then have to turn second hand party wear into an outfit inspired by ‘The Twelve days of Christmas' in the transformation. Finally, they have to create an outfit for real life models inspired by their favourite Christmas treat!" She highlighted tricky elements, such as ensuring a drawstring sack fastens properly and the humorous, unusual results from designs based on Christmas treats or drinks.
The Great British Sewing Bee Celebrity Special broadcasts on BBC One at 19:25 on Christmas Eve 2025.
