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BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee: Inclusive Casting and Application Advice

• Community Focus Inclusive Arts • Episode 62

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In today’s episode, we’re delighted to welcome Alexia Barrett from The BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee. We’ll be talking about inclusivity, life behind the scenes of the show, and why she is encouraging more diverse casting.

00:00:00 - Start
00:01:11 - Intro
00:02:35 - We Meet Alexia Barrett from The Great British Sewing Bee
00:06:17 - Alexia's message for disabled sewists
00:07:43 - Why is the BBC interested in inclusion now?
00:08:47 - Support for contestants
00:13:47 - How do people apply for The Great British Sewing Bee?
00:18:18 - One thing all applicants should know before applying
00:25:18 - What is the prize?
00:27:55 - Final Thoughts

The Great British Sewing Bee is currently looking for the UK’s best amateur sewers for Series 13 - and they are especially encouraging applications from disabled people and those with long-term health conditions who have a passion for sewing and creating their own clothes. The aim is to make the process as inclusive and accessible as possible, so a wide range of voices and experiences are represented in the sewing room.

If you, or someone you know, would like to apply, you can do so at www.applyforsewingbee.co.uk, email , or call 0117 450 8530 to request an application form.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 13th May 2026 at 8pm.

Project Managers: Andrea Rai & Phil Powell.

Editor: Phil Powell

Huge thanks to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund for supporting our Dis-labled podcast. Learn more about their amazing work: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

All enquiries: podcast@communityfocus.co.uk
Website: https://www.communityfocus.co.uk/

Theme Music: Rastko Rasic & the students of Community FocusOther Music: Jazzy Frenchy by ⁠⁠⁠Benjamin Tissot

Start

Carol

Community Focus Community Focus We're here for you our point of view at Friary Park in North London. A week in review. We're here for you Hooray Hooray Hooray Community Focus is an art centre for children and adults with disabilities. We are based in the borough of Barnet, North London and offer a selection of creative and well-being activities for all ages.

Phillip R

In the room we have Gila, Amir, Jonathan, Carol and Alexia.

Intro

Gila

In today's episode we are delighted to welcome Alexia Barrett from the BBC Great British Sewing Bee. We'll be talking about creativity, sewing and life behind the scenes of the show. The Great British Sewing Bee is currently looking for the UK's best amateur sewers for series thirteen and they are especially encouraging applications from disabled people and those with long-term health conditions who have a passion for sewing and creating their own clothes. The aim is to make the process as inclusive and accessible as possible. So a wide range of voices and experiences are represented in the sewing room.

Jonathan

If you or someone you know would like to apply, you can do so at www.applyforsewingbee.co.uk. Email or call 0117-450-8530 to request an application form. The deadline for application is Wednesday the 13th of May 2026 at 8pm

We Meet Alexia Barrett from The Great British Sewing Bee

Speaker

ladies and gentlemen, we got a special guest, a Alexia Barrett from the Great British Sewing Bee.

Phillip R

Thank you from all of us. Thank you very much for doing this with us. Thank you very much.

Alexia

Oh thank you so much for having me. My name is Alexia. I'm uh 26, uh gonna be 27 soon. Um I've been working in TV since since I was 20, so I guess this is like it's been six years. Um I am what you would call an assistant producer. I work in factual, um unscripted television. I work on a variety of different uh popular television programs from daytime to factual entertainment to documentary. Um and I'm freelance, so I you know go to company to company working on different programs, um, and I love it. It's my favorite thing to do.

Carol

What type of documentaries do you do?

Alexia

Ooh, that's a fun question. It ranges. So when I it depends on the company I'm working for. I sometimes it goes on what I'm interested in as well. So I've worked on sports documentaries, I've done uh documentaries on divers, um, I've done uh my own personal documentary on a on a para swimmer that I was uh friends with. Um I've also recently worked on a documentary for Channel 4 that I'm under an NDA, so I can't talk about it, but it was a true crime genre. Um so I do a variety of different uh documentaries, especially if it's something that interests me. Um yeah.

Gila

Um Alexia, have you met anyone famous?

Alexia

So yeah, I've met a couple of famous people. Um, some through work, some not through work. Um my favorite um actually, which she probably doesn't know this, actually, but um when I was doing some stuff for the one show, I got to meet Angelica Bell, and she's just so lovely in person. Um she's actually fantastic. Um so she's one of my favourite people, but yeah. But I didn't let her know that at the time. I wasn't like, oh my gosh, I'm thanking a view. I was like, oh, I had to work as I was being professional.

Jonathan

Do you sew yourself? If so, what's the last thing you made?

Alexia

So I I love sewing. I'm not the best sewer, so I'm I'm what you would call the amateur and most amateurish sewers, but I think the last thing I sewed was um I do some cabaret dancing occasionally, um, and I believe I was putting some tassels on some gloves, and that was the last thing I just sewing.

Amir

What is the Great British Sewing Bee?

Alexia

So, to explain, the Great British Sewing Bee is BBC's landmark sewing program. It's a competition show uh where we champion talented amateur sewers from across the UK so that we can uncover Britain's best sewer.

Phillip R

Well, is the new series coming out?

Alexia

Now, that's something actually I can't tell you just yet, just because there's a variety of factors, and even with so many people involved, we still haven't even firmed up our filming dates yet for for this series. But if we're talking about series 12, that is that is out and coming out soon. Um, and you can all watch it on the BBC or an iPlayer.

Gila

What are the judges like? Are they scary?

Alexia

So um, I haven't personally met Esme or Patrick yet, but I know that they are the loveliest human beings ever, from what I've been told by everyone else on the team. Uh, this is actually my first year working on uh the Great British Sewing Bee as a program, so I'm very excited to meet them myself, but I've heard lovely things.

Alexia's message for disabled sewists

Carol

Why are you here today? What message do you want to share?

Alexia

So, the message I want to share is that the Great British Sewing Bee is all about inclusivity and accessibility in our casting process. We're reaching out to disabled people because we're especially committed to making our application process as inclusive and as accessible as possible. We would warmly welcome applications from disabled people and those with long-term health conditions who have a passion for sewing and creating their own clothes. We want to show how talented sewers can be in every community.

Jonathan

Do you have anyone with disabilities on your team?

Alexia

So we do have people with disabilities on our team and on the wider team as well. Though I won't talk about their conditions just because they're not me, so I wasn't sure I don't have the permission to bring up their names, but yes, we do.

Phillip R

I've got a question, Alec, Alexa. Have they got a have you got a disability?

Alexia

No, well, I don't know if I consider a disability. I'm trying to get my ADHD diagnosed, but I feel like that's more of a a learning disability than a than a physical condition. So I don't really talk about it as much, but it's like one of those things where it's like I have a very bad attention disorder, but it's it's it's one of those things I'm working on. But yeah, but I personally I don't consider myself label it as disabled because I don't think I have the majority of the conditions or it's not affecting my life to a certain degree.

Why is the BBC interested in inclusion now?

Amir

Why is the BBC interesting in inclusion now?

Alexia

Well, to answer that, the BBC has always had um a lot of inclusion um and diversity at the heart of their agenda. But speaking from a sewing board, sewing bee perspective, um we've always had inclusion at the heart of our program. We have it in our challenges, we have adaptive clothing challenges, um, we always put it at the heart of our sewing challenges because clothes isn't an adaptive process and it's important to everybody and it's different for everybody as well. And I think sewing comes from the heart of people that want to make clothes that fit them just right, and it should always have inclusion at the heart of it because everyone's so different, and inclusion is so important. So for us on the show, it's always been um a big, big part of it, and especially when talking to our serious producer who's been there from the beginning, she'll definitely always say to you that it's always been about inclusion, and we do our best to make it as inclusive as possible.

Support for contestants

Gila

What support and adjustments are made before, during, and after filming?

Alexia

Well, we try to have good and clear communication um, you know, at every stage. We're trying to make anyone that applies for the show and anyone we talk to just feel valued, and we might like to make it a very safe space for everyone. And of course, specific things um it's on a case-by-case basis um on the access requirements that those people require. So we always tell people if you're applying for the show and you're worried about the application process to give us a ring on our number, which is 0117-450-8530. And to additionally, um, if you need like somebody to help you with the application, you can have someone help you apply with a friend or a family member. They can apply on your behalf or you could they can apply with you. Um, so that's something that we always tell people as well. Um, and yeah, it really just depends on a person's specific needs that will go out of our way at every step of the process to meet. We also have an accessibility coordinator that comes in a bit more draw the fear during the filming line that will be there, especially during the latest end of our casting process, that will just be making sure all those needs are met and we have well-being officers as well. And it's just something that's kept in throughout the process. So, yeah, it really depends on the individual um and what they what they require. And there's so many different examples of how they've met it on various uh previous seasons, whether it be like if they have a learning disability, if it's making the instructions clearer, making the font bigger, um, get if somebody uh needs a specific type of table for sewing because of their disability, things like that, it's a variety of different access requirements that we will do our best to make reasonable adjustments for.

Phillip R

Yeah, I've got one. I got one. How how do you make people feel safe and respected and valued and encourage them encourage and encourage?

Alexia

Well, it's by doing things like like this: the outreach, letting people know that we value them and that we are open to their applications. We don't want anybody to feel that they can't go for this program because of a situation in their life or their lifestyle, um, or in their physical condition or mental health condition, it that is not at all what will prohibit them from being on the program. So, yeah, we do our best to have that kind of clear communication, especially like currently at the stage that we're doing where we're getting applications in and after the deadline, which the deadline for applications is the 13th of May at 8 p.m., just to keep in mind. Um, and we always trying to tell everybody that um, you know, if they've applied um and they need help afterwards, like if we've put them on our callback list, you know, if they require a Zoom, if they require um a face-to-face conversation, if they need any help with that, we just try to make sure it's as accessible to them as possible and not to make them feel that they can't um go through any steps of the process. Um, I mean, yeah, we do our best to be very, very inclusive in in every way. I hope that answers the question.

Jonathan

How do you ensure inclusivity is genuine and not just tokenism?

Alexia

You know, this is a good question because I know I always as someone that's a big advocate for diversity and inclusion in every production I work on, it's one of those things when people are like, you know, is this being tokenistic? Are you picking people because of tokenism, etc.? But with sewing bee, it's one of those shows that it's I think very difficult to be tokenistic because it is extremely skilled-based, skill-based. We're not j we do quizzes, we do tests entirely throughout the process. It's quite literally based on per the person's sewing ability. If they can't make what we're asking them to make within the timeline, then that's it, really. Um, it they're not being picked. And I think it's one of those things that it's very obvious if someone's being chosen via tokenism, because then you know you could have like someone who's very diverse and then they can't sew. Then everybody would be calling into the program, they'd be like, You've chosen this person because of X, Y, Z. But no, we we do like um we've got like thousands of applicants, and we'll call them back and we'll be honestly just quizzing them and testing them, and there's just so many different steps towards the process. So we don't want I don't want to unravel the magic of it all, but um, yeah, it's it's quite a difficult skill-based show. So if they can't meet those requirements, then they won't be on it. And so I hope nobody thinks that they've just been chosen because they ticked a box, it's purely because they have the skill to be there, and I hope every person that knows that whether they've gotten to the second stage of this process or the third stage of the process or even the fourth stage of the casting process, they are there because they are brilliant sewers, and that's what we're looking for.

How do people apply for The Great British Sewing Bee?

Amir

How did people apply for the show?

Alexia

Bro, so to apply for the program, all you've got to do is go on www.aplyforsewingbee.co.uk, and that's our casting platform. All you've got to do is um submit a form on there. It's just ask you questions about yourself, about your sewing. We tell everybody put as much detail as you possibly can. Um, you know, all and we also have an option to send in a video. So if you're not very, you know, okay with doing some writing, you can send in a video of yourself telling us about yourself and everything. Um, and that will also, as long as you're answering the questions, those videos in that video, it will also be meeting those requirements. Um, and also if you're worried about the application process in any way, just feel free to give us a ring. I'm gonna say the number again, it's uh 0117-450-8530, and that will allow you um to call and contact a member of our sewing bee team, and we can just talk you through the process and send you an application form. Um, and again, if you're struggling with anything, you can apply with a friend or a family member and they can apply with you, or they can apply apply on your behalf, um, as long as they have your consent, of course, to go on the program, and that's how you apply to be on the Great British Sewing Bee.

Carol

What kind of experience and fashion do applicants need?

Alexia

Now, this is a very fun question because a lot of people get well, I've noticed on social media because we have a I I scow the sewing bee TikTok a lot, and people mention they're like, Oh, is it for professionals, is it for amateurs? So to demystify the great race sewing bee is purely for amateur sewers, it's for people that aren't sewing professionally, or people who um are sewers but like don't have a degree or a qualification in sewing. You're purely a hobbyist sewer with no like background in sewing. We're looking for purely amateur sewers and people with an interest in sewing, or if you do have a degree or qualification in sewing, it's not within the last five or ten years. Um, you know, it's been a while since, and you know, it's like something in the past. Um, just because we don't, it's not for it's not so professionals, it's so and be amateurs, and so everybody is kind of at the same level when we're doing the competition.

Phillip R

Can a contestant have a chaperone?

Alexia

Uh that's a case-by-case basis. I guess if it's an access requirement, it's something that you require, then yes, I believe it's something that's been accommodated in the past. Um, so yeah, you can have somebody along with you. I believe that's more something during the filming production process, which I haven't been on uh the set or on location with this production yet, so I'm not entirely sure about that. Uh that process, but I know that it's something that they can do. Um, so if somebody requires someone, I don't think it would at all be an issue, really, to have a chaperone.

Phillip R

So you provide calming spaces if if someone feels uh overwhelmed.

Alexia

Yes, uh, that's something we have done. I've been told about this, um, where you know there might be a prayer room depending on somebody's religion, uh also like a break space that they can use in between filming uh during breaks um for resting and recuperating if they're filming overwhelmed uh during filming, and that is something an access requirement that can be met.

Gila

It's well-being support of failure during filming.

Alexia

Yes, we have well-being officers and we also have an accessibility coordinator that will be there on during the filming um and on location. So that is something that we take great care and to look after all our contributors.

Carol

What would you say to inspire someone with a disability to apply?

Alexia

Um, what I would say to inspire someone with a disability to apply is simply this is a program for amazing sewers. If you're an amazing sewer, if you're confident in your sewing ability, then go for it. This isn't um a show that will discriminate. This isn't a show that will hold you back um and not help you fulfill it, will let you be in the best condition. Every contestant allows them to be in the best condition to compete. So don't let it hold you back. If this is your dream, if this is something you want to do, go for it.

One thing all applicants should know before applying

Jonathan

What is one thing every applicant should know before applying?

Alexia

Oh, so there's something I always say to people be yourself, okay? Don't don't um feel like you can't like be yourself, don't put on a persona because eventually during all the casting process, it will, you know, it will be uncovered, or uh people will be like, huh, what's going on? Just be honest about yourself, be genuine and bring your full character. Like, obviously, we're casting to see the best seller, but we'll also want to meet you and know how interesting you are and learn your stories. And you know, we want you to fill in all the details, like don't leave the boxes empty, like you know, pack in the application form, don't give yes or no answers, just give in the detail, send in pictures of yourself, send in pictures of what you've made. You know, we want to see the outfits that you've actually made so we can be like, oh my gosh, like this person is kind of like because even if you're like understating yourself in the application process and you're saying, Oh, I'm not that confident in this, but then you send a picture of this amazing dress you've made, and I can see how you've quite literally done all the sewing techniques that you just said you don't know how to do. I'm like, okay, you know, it will change everything. So I think you know, show that work, don't be afraid to show off. This is the place to show off. No humility, humility won't get you far, okay. And that's what I'd say.

Gila

Can we visit you or collaborate fur ther?

Alexia

Well, visiting, I'd have to go to my producer and ask permission for that. That's not something I can sign off on myself. Um, but in terms of like collaborating, this is already a fantastic collaboration. Um, being able to share and the news out there, and I definitely will be telling like amazing things to the other teams, the ones that do bake off and potrifond about how fantastic you guys have been as well. And they might do outreach of you in the foot in the future as well on future seasons of those shows. So it'll be really, really fantastic um uh to share the news with you guys, and it's it's been fab already. I've I've absolutely loved this, so yeah, I definitely think that's um a thing that can happen. But visiting is a whole different story.

Carol

So when like contestants go on the show, is it where are they mic'd up to?

Alexia

Like well, where are they mic'd up to? So because I haven't been on location on this specific programme yet, I'm not entirely sure about all the process on it. But on previous shows I've worked on, if we're micing someone up, it would usually be like, you know, when they when they get on location, you know, they might have some time in the green room. That's a kind of like our break room, our setup burial, um, before they go out there. Um, so when I was on bargain hunt, this is a bit this is an example. When I was on bargain hunt, we would um have people in the green room greet them and be like, hey, hey yo, how are you? Um, and you know, get everybody selled in, and then when we're ready to film with them, we'd mic them up, and it would just be like um, you know, a nice little Sennheiser kind of radio mic, etc. You'd put it in the back pocket and mic up like on their chest, etc. Um, but it'd also be like a sounding of a boob mic as well, just to capture any extra noise, and um, yeah, they'd kind of be mic'ed up the entire time, and we'd always tell them, guys, just remember you're mic'd up, so if you're going to the bathroom, please do turn it off.

Gila

Do you have mics for every contestant that is on for show?

Alexia

Um, again, I haven't worked on this so um in terms of the location yet. I'm mainly casting, but on programs I've previously worked on, yes, we usually would have mics for everybody. It'd be strange not to want to hear everybody.

Carol

What is it like behind? Scenes?

Alexia

Um, I guess like at our the office, everybody's just so nice, it's so chill. Um, obviously, because it's a it's a very established company. I mean, love productions don't not only make the Great British Show and B, we also make um The Great British Bake Off, and we also make um the Great Pottery Throwdown as well. So it's a lot of um, you know, big series. Um so everybody's very professional, everybody's uh they they know the format, we're you know, going at it um quite efficiently. Uh and so it's it's a very nice space to be in. I'm enjoying myself.

Phillip R

Do you have do you have a have a break?

Alexia

Do you have a break? Um like do you mean in like in general, like holiday, or do you mean like um lunch?

Phillip R

No, as a drink or something.

Alexia

Yeah, yeah. I I literally had lunch before this.

Carol

Are you famous?

Alexia

Uh no. That's an easy answer. I am not famous, I don't think so.

Gila

This may be a tricky question. Um can we all come up to Brechtdrawn and fish you uh fish it to you?

Phillip R

I think shots are most new. Electron, how do you what in this interview, how do you think we'd be all done?

Alexia

Oh gosh, you guys are so lovely. It's been an absolute pleasure, honestly. Um, I think it's so sick. I've never been welcomed like this on like a like a little podcast YouTube thing before. So everybody's like, hello, how are you? I'm like, oh okay. Um it's brilliant. I mean, usually you just like you get like straight into it, like people just like I like you're you're live on radio, they're like, okay, we've got Alexia here from the team. She has like you have like 10 seconds. So so this is fab. Um no, I've had a lovely time. You guys are absolutely um brilliant.

Speaker 7

Thank you. Thank you.

Gila

Does contestants have breaks if they get tired or if they just need to use for toilet?

Alexia

Um, so there's scheduled in breaks during filming. Again, I haven't been on location for this, so I'm not entirely sure about the schedule for the day. Um, but I do know that um if they do have breaks like during what I believe is that if they do have breaks, um it will be when filming has stopped. There may not be a break allowed during the actual competition to make everything fair. So if they said they've got one hour to do it, everybody has to do it in that one hour regardless. Um, and that's the reason why we do a lot of tests during our um casting process, just to see if somebody can do that within the time requirements, because it's you know, some people will take weeks to make a garment and they can be very skilled in that, but can they do it in the time frame that we've set? That's something that we really have to make sure of. Um, and so to make sure it's fair for everybody so they can all do in that time. But breaks do will occur, people and everybody will have snack breaks, mental health breaks, various breaks, and and everybody on the show will be on those breaks at the same time.

What is the prize?

Carol

When a contestant wins the show, what what prize do they get? Do they get anything?

Alexia

So this is something we always have to say to everybody that it's not Love Island and it's not um can I be a millionaire? So like um, so there isn't a monetary prize, um, but you know, it's an amazing experience, and also it leads to a lot of very interesting opportunities. A lot of uh past contestants have gone on to do various roles and jobs in the sewing industry, maybe for some even major fashion houses that they may not have gotten beforehand. A lot of them have gained a huge platform on social media that's propelled them as well in their careers, and a lot have started businesses or have started um sewing-related industries based on the back of this program that has really propelled them as well. And it's just one of those things that it's I think it's almost like a cr uh an amazing homage in the community to kind of have your beginning on sewing bee for an amateur sewer going into the pro world, and unlike some shows where it may not be as respected for people to be like, oh, on this beforehand, and then like going into the same industry for sewing bee, it's it's a very, very prestigious, I believe, prestigious clade to have, um, and especially to be judged by such fantastic um sewers, such as Esme and Patrick as well. So, yeah.

Gila

Why is she called for Great British Sewing Bee?

Alexia

That may be one of the pyramid's greatest mysteries. Um, I actually do have to ask my producer that because I don't know. Um, I'm not sure what the naming is. I have always just assumed it was um, they must have had like obviously Great British Bake Off, Great Bish Um Pottery Throwdown, Great British Sewing Bee. The Great British part is like, I guess, our series name, and then obviously adding to it. But the reason that they called it the Sewing Bee might just be because it sounded good, it was nice, they signed off on it. But yeah, I mean I might ask our producer and find out for you and uh see if there was a deeper reason to it because she's been there since since the beginning of it all, so so she'll know. Um, I personally have no idea.

Gila

Our final thoughts are I enjoyed knowing more about what the great British doing bee does.

Phillip R

Thank you,

Final Thoughts

Phillip R

and thank you for and thank you very much for taking your time for it. Thank you, thank you.

Jonathan

Thank you for making our days just a little bit more interesting.

Carol

Um thank you for uh taking part in the interview. Um we would love to have you back.

Alexia

Oh, you guys are so sweet. Oh, thank you so much for having me. And if you have any um questions, you can reach me on my email. It was honestly a pleasure, really. Um, you know, when you do outreach, it's like it's always great to be able to just tell people what we're doing and what we're looking for as well, um, and get the word out there, and it's it's brilliant to have this opportunity. So thank you very much for having me on. Really. Loved it.

Phillip R

On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank you, Alexia, for doing this with us. Thanks very much.

unknown

Hooray Hooray.