Viewers of The Great British Sewing Bee voiced their frustration over a "shocking" scheduling clash with another popular British TV show on Tuesday night. While The Great British Bake Off made its grand return to Channel 4, Sewing Bee fans were left to choose between the two, as both episodes overlapped for half an hour. The first feature-length episode of Bake Off, kicking off its 12th season, aired at 8pm, while Sewing Bee started at 9pm.
HELLO!'s resident TV expert Matthew Moore said: "The ultimate TV dilemma! It can be incredibly annoying for viewers when their favourite shows overlap, especially when it's late and you might not have time to catch up on the other before a busy day in the office. TV networks do this in an attempt to poach viewers, but it would be much better if they banded together to create a schedule that worked for everyone."
What did fans say about the scheduling clash?
Angry viewers took to social media to vent their frustrations. One person wrote: "Scheduling The Great British Bake Off at the same time as The Great British Sewing Bee really is just shocking. Especially to older viewers who stream less and stick to schedules. Just dire," while another added: "Who decided to make Bake Off clash with the Sewing Bee?"
Meanwhile, a third viewer suggested a solution: "Get #GBBO on Sunday nights at 8pm! Now, it has a half-hour clash with mega popular #SewingBee on Tuesday nights." The clash wasn't the end of the world for some viewers, though. One person said: "Great British Bake Off followed by Sewing Bee! Life doesn't get any better. TiVo at its finest!" while another added: "Great British Bake Off and Sewing Bee both in one night. Luvley Jubbly! Enjoy your evening all."
What happened in this week's episode of The Great British Sewing Bee?
The sewing contest returned for its eighth week on Tuesday, with the remaining five contestants tackling three tasks inspired by the silver screen during movie week. In the Pattern Challenge, judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young tasked contestants with recreating the iconic green jacket worn by Tippi Hedren’s character in The Birds, a design originally created by legendary costume designer Edith Head.
Next up was the Transformation Challenge, where contestants had to turn simple red cinema curtains and tiebacks into glamorous outfits fit for a Hollywood party. To wrap things up, the Made to Measure round saw the sewers designing spooky outfits for characters from horror films.
The Great British Sewing Bee airs every Tuesday on BBC One at 9pm, and the finale episode is set to air on 16 September. The Great British Bake Off airs on Channel 4 at 8pm.