The Great Pottery Throw Down (2015–…): Season 3, Episode 9 - Episode #3.9 - full transcript
It's the semifinal and we've turned
the clock back to the Victorian era
when the potteries in Stoke
were booming.
Queen Victoria was on the throne,
and this week, she's not the
only one
as our potters tackle their biggest
build for the smallest room,
the toilet.
But who's busting to get
through to the final?
Welcome to The Great Pottery
Throw Down.
Last time... Wow.
..the potters camped out
in the wilds...
..and it was Claire that won
the battle of the pits
with impressive ginger jars.
Well done, Claire.
Well done, Claire.
I'm in the semifinal of The Great
Pottery Throw Down!
But it was a shaky week for Jacob.
And that's why I'm not getting
so annoyed with you, actually,
because you already know that.
But he clung onto his place
in the pottery
and it was Rosalind that was sadly
sent home.
This week, it's the semifinal...
GASPING
You can fix it.
..and the potters are
tackling toilets...
I think there's a bit of a leak at
the bottom.
..and the pressure is on.
I forgot one piece. I forgot
one piece.
..for the biggest make...
I'm just holding my breath.
..for the biggest decision.
Sadly, we've got to say
goodbye to...
VOICEOVER: Only three will survive.
But who?
# Making time
# Shooting lines
# People have their uses
# People have their uses. #
It's one step closer to the final.
It's scary, exciting.
They're going to be looking for
close to flawless.
Really going to have to step up this
week, aren't we?
Semifinal, and we're going to make
a toilet.
It's going to be a bit mad, I think.
I'll just have to do my best.
Give 2,000% and then hopefully
it works.
I'm bringing my A game now.
No more silly little mistakes.
Really want to make the final and
then do well in it, as well.
Got down to the last four.
I'm just really nervous now.
Yeah. I might have to use
our toilet.
Morning, potters, welcome to
Victorian week and the semifinal.
What stands between you and the
final is a massive challenge
because this week, for your main
make, Sue and Keith
would like you to build a fully
functioning toilet.
We don't want a plain white toilet.
The Victorians really loved
a decorative toilet.
It can be any shape,
it can be any design,
but it really must work.
But it's really critical you think
about your measurements.
No-one wants a toilet that
won't flush.
So no sitting down on this one.
LAUGHING
Potters, you've got four hours to
build your toilet pedestal -
plinth, bowl, rim and U-bend -
and your time starts now.
Potters, get potty.
In this first stage of the
main make,
the potters must hand-build all the
components of their toilet
and get them ready to begin drying.
I've had my head down toilets trying
to suss out all the pipe work.
It's just not a process I'm familiar
with at all.
I'm really excited about doing this.
It's mostly the engineering side
of things
and sort of working out not just how
the toilet actually works,
but how I'm going to make it.
So, Keith, semifinals, we've got
four potters left
and we've given them a massive
challenge this week.
Well, not only is it a
massive challenge,
we've given them the most clay that
they've ever used in the pottery.
This is a real design project.
They've actually got to think
about planning and drawing
and get their measurements correct.
When you look at your toilet
at home,
it looks like a simple structure,
but it's deceptively complicated.
And if they haven't really thought
about how that water
enters that rim, that water's going
to go all over you.
They've got to make four
component parts.
The plinth, the bowl, the rim
and the U-bend.
And they're hand-building all these
parts separately,
they've then got to put
them all together.
So they have to have a really good
understanding of the structure
and the engineering and the reason
for it in the first place.
This is really going to flush out
the number ones
from the number twos, isn't it?
And no-one wants to be a number two.
At the end of this main make, Keith
will sit on the toilet
to quality check the potters' work.
I'm more worried about Keith
sitting on it
and it just falling apart.
And they'll have to be plumbed in
and flushed.
I think I'm probably a bit
free-flowing,
but not that technical.
It can't be that hard, can it?
I'm starting from the rim and doing
the bowl.
This is the thing that came
to mind to do the former.
I spent ages on the computer sort of
working out this system.
I approached it with technical
drawing sort of side of things.
My inspiration really comes from...
There's a well-known
Staffordshire pottery
that makes decorative teacups,
so I'm making a teacup.
Matt will build his teacup toilet
from using large slabs of clay
with a large handle that protrudes
from the front of the bowl.
So, when you sit down, it'll peep
out between your legs,
all decorated in a vintage
Victorian repeat pattern.
The cups that I have in mind are a
very sort of decorative,
almost like Victorian toilets,
floral and with that classic blue.
And it's quite painterly.
You're painting this?
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, feel the fear.
What are you going to do about the
handle, then? Where's that going?
It's going to go right on the
front...for whatever you want.
For that extra bit of
concentration. Yeah.
Just, you know... Something to hold
on to.
Yeah, for those difficult mornings.
While Matt's using
21st century software
to create the bowl shape
of his teacup toilet,
Jacob's putting his semifinal hopes
all in one basket.
So this will be the bowl.
It's from an old basket and then
towels around.
Not as good as Matt's but...
I am wrapping the slabs around my
former that I've done
to get that toilet bowl shape.
It's working. It's working.
HE LAUGHS
My inspiration isn't Chinese
heritage this week.
I'm going to do a toadstool toilet.
Jacob plans to carve into his bowl
to give texture
to his mushroom design and finish
with a red seat
to create his fly agaric
mushroom toilet,
inspired by the ones he spotted
on a road trip to Scotland.
This is a pretty big build.
I mean, this... Yeah. That's big.
It is. It is. When I measured
it, though,
the rim was the right size with the
shrinkage. OK.
So when I take the former out, I'm
going to try and beat it a bit
into shape, into a better shape.
It's a big 'un, isn't it?
It is, it is, it is, it's...for
real men.
Actually, in fairy tales,
fairies sit
on top of toadstools, don't
they? Yeah.
I don't know if they're doing a
number two, though.
As Jacob battles with his
big mushroom,
he's not the only potter to have
heard the call of nature.
Inside the toilet, it will be a
little bit like a pond,
so there will be fishes.
So when you're stand there looking
down, weeing in a towel,
if you're a boy, you wee
into the pond.
Rosa's fish will be hand-painted
on the inside of the toilet bowl.
The outside will be covered with
climbing ivy
and flowers made from sprig moulds,
decorated in vibrant colours to make
a loo fit for the garden.
So this is a garden toilet
for the garden.
A garden toilet! Outdoor toilet.
Yeah. OK.
I got little children and they,
especially my boy,
he always need a toilet,
in one way or another,
when we out in the garden and he
often trail through the whole house
with his wellies and muddy boots,
so I thought it'd be nice
to do a garden toilet.
So I've done a nice, pretty one
inspired by the garden.
How are you going to get your
measurements accurate?
I asked my dear, lovely husband,
who's really good with math, about
their measurements
and he sent them all to me and I
forgot to write them on my phone.
So that's a little bit of an error.
I just have to go with it.
And not...
Just don't panic. It's a big pot,
it should work.
Well, look, good luck.
Thank you.
As Rosa makes a plan to guess
her measurements,
Claire has it all mapped out.
So this is the rim section
and then the bowl will attach round
the outside of this.
It worked on paper.
So, yeah.
Triple winner of Potter Of The Week,
Claire, is planning a toilet
that's a nod to her accolades
from her time competing as a
body-builder.
This is some of my trophy
collection at home.
I have so many strong woman
competitive trophies,
so I based my design on the cup
of a trophy.
It's different elements of
different trophies
that I've sort of collected over the
years that just really draw the eye.
Claire's toilet bowl will be the cup
of her trophy design,
complete with ornate handles
either side.
The base of the trophy will
have a plinth with a plaque,
all finished in a silver-grey glaze.
This is my TURD place trophy.
Course it is. Thought I'd add a bit
of humour in.
How you doing the handles on
the side?
My favourite, pulled handles.
I'm going to do big pulled handles
on those tomorrow.
Is there any decorative finishes
to them?
Yeah, so I'll have like a
beaden edge on this... OK. Right.
..in the centre of the handle.
You're doing TURD place but you
want to come first, really.
Ideally. Well, good luck.
Thank you.
Having forgot to bring any
toilet plans,
Rosa has decided mid-challenge
to figure everything out.
The thing is, it's not going as good
as I thought it was going.
I clearly should have done
some more measuring.
I should have drawn this up at home,
shouldn't I?
I think I thought this was bigger
than it was.
My toilet seat will be too big
for it.
I have to make it big so that
I can manipulate the clay tomorrow.
That's heavy.
I've got to get the plinth done, get
the rim extruded.
If I put it a bit thicker now.
So I'm going to add one and half on
the front
and one in half in the back,
and then maybe my toilet seat won't
fall over the toilet.
OK, potters, I know you're on
a roll,
but you've only got one hour left.
It was just two hours a minute ago.
Now I have to think.
The potters have to have all their
component parts made in this stage.
I have some parts of a toilet.
It's resembling, remotely, a
bit of a toilet.
Any missing pieces and they risk
not being able to build
a fully functioning toilet.
This is just the start of
the U-bend.
I'm going for more of a V-bend than
a U-bend.
While Matt gets his hands
around his bend,
Jacob is less confident about
his plumbing.
I'm trying to do this really weird
pipe fitting,
which is from the cistern to
the bowl.
No experience of plumbing,
as you can probably imagine.
Bit confused still but...
Yeah. But he's not the only
one struggling.
So that's the outside of the toilet.
So if I put this somewhere
along here...
Rosa's trying to solve the riddle of
her rim.
How is this to work?
Just don't know what I'm doing,
that's the only thing.
But Claire's methodical approach
seems to be paying off.
Look at that, I did it.
It's a bit ropey but we got there.
That looks so neat, Claire.
Look at my bowl of turd.
All right, potters, you've got
30 minutes left.
Oh, I'm a little bit stressed now.
OK, focus.
I can't get how a toilet
works still.
I've just got a last little bit
of piping to make at the back.
Matt, you look as if you're done.
Oh, I don't know about that.
My plinth is actually coming all the
way up to the rim
because I'm doing a teacup.
I made it just a little bit taller
so I can chop back in a really nice,
straight line tomorrow.
It's going to be perfect...height.
Perfect height.
Unless it crumbles.
JACOB GRUNTS
I'm going to join my components
in the next stage,
so I'm going to cover all my edges.
So I'll still be able to manipulate
this edge tomorrow.
I've got to do my rim and then I
think I'm done.
OK, potters, this is your
ten minute time call.
No pressure.
This is going to be tough.
I think I work best under
extreme pressure.
I think I've done as much as I
can do.
I just go and pick another thing up.
Oh, come on.
Course this happens whenever you
have five minutes.
I think I got all the components.
What have I forgot?
What have I forgot? What have
you forgot?
If we go down, we go down
together, girl.
This bit's quite fiddly.
I was going to make mine fancy,
but that's clearly going to
come tomorrow.
I suppose if Keith's bum fits onto
it, then you're onto a winner.
Ten seconds left, nine, eight...
Oh, I forgot one piece. ..seven...
I forgot one piece.
..six, five, four,
three, two, one.
End of the challenge. Well done.
Your loos are all ready.
Excellent work.
I made a toilet in four hours.
Hopefully all my joins sort
of stand up.
But it looks teacup shape,
so it looking teacup-shaped is a
good thing.
I think I got all the
component parts.
I don't know if they all
fit together.
I think I should be able to sort
of beat it into shape somehow.
I don't really know.
I'm happy with the making stage.
Obviously, that huge-looking
toilet is going to be refined
down into, hopefully, a very
nice-looking toadstool.
Looking round the room,
how much bigger the boys' toilets
are than the girls',
that's really bizarre.
I don't think my measurements
are wrong.
Victorian Week continues
for the potters, as we step back
in time with a second historic
challenge. But with a place
in the final at stake, this is
more than just a history lesson.
Potters, your second challenge
is a spot test
and it's been inspired by our
neighbours here at Middleport.
Please welcome to the pottery
Alison and Chris from Burleigh.
Hello. Welcome!
Thank you. So, would you like
to tell our potters
what their second challenge is?
I'd love to.
We, since 1851,
have been decorating using
the tissue transfer process.
We'd like you to use this process
to decorate a Victorian-style
teapot.
There are ten different pieces
that you need to cut out.
The piece for the handle -
Chris is cutting very, very
closely to the print.
You don't want lots of white
bits of tissue on there.
This is how you apply the tissue.
So, sticky side down.
Your border needs to go on first
and you need to fit it very closely
to the edge of the teapot.
Make sure you lines are not
skew-whiff.
When you put your side on,
you're putting
two cuts across the centre
of the design -
one here and one here.
You flannel the two sides
down first,
and then the centrepiece last.
Once it's down, you can't
lift it back off again.
What we do know, rub it on
with soft soap.
You have to put some force on
because, if you don't,
it could just come off pale.
We're gonna wash the tissue
paper away from the pot.
So, as you can see, the paper is
beginning to come away on its own.
I've been doing this process
for 40 years.
And how long did it take to master?
About five years.
So you're going to
be in here for five years...
THEY LAUGH
OK, potters,
you've got one and a half hours.
Your time starts now.
Just gone straight through it!
LAUGHTER
Jacob!
It's all right. They're spares,
aren't they, at the back?
Yeah, you're all right!
Tissue printing and transfer
is an age-old tradition,
and Middleport is the only
existing pottery
to still continue decorating
using this process
to create a perfect pattern
and a perfect finish.
And only a perfect finish will
pass muster with the judges.
I've done loads of transfer tattoos
as a kid. I never quite worried
about the application of
a Sonic the Hedgehog tattoo!
It's very difficult!
You have to really lean heavy
or the blade doesn't cut straight,
and then, if you lean really heavy,
it tears the paper.
Oh, my God!
Can't believe how much I'm shaking!
Oh!
It feels like I've got 10 thumbs.
It's just such a flimsy thing.
Oh, dear! Just getting it
so it doesn't crease.
How did she do that?!
I think I'm getting on all right.
Come on!
Is the same flower
definitely on this sheet?
That's got the two stalks,
but that's got three balls.
Which pigeon is it?
There's, like, 80 pigeons.
Does that paper just come off?
Just stick your hand in it, Jacob,
and just swirl it about a bit,
like that.
Ten minutes left!
Oh, wow.
That went quick!
Oh, I was going to finish
the other one.
They're in for a treat.
Special edition.
Come on!
WATER SPLASHING
Yeah, it looks like that,
only not quite as good.
Potters, you've got one minute left.
I almost did it in ten minutes!
Show off!
And your teapots need to be
at the front, up here.
It's the best they're getting it.
BLOWS
Four tissue transfer Victorian
teapots ready for judging,
but will the potters' efforts stand
up to the high standards of guest
judge Alison's critical eye,
as she rates them
from worst to first?
So we're going to start
with fourth position,
and that is Jacob.
Yep.
THEY LAUGH
Aw!
It is a little bit messy. Yeah.
So your border, you've got
a big, white gap
and a little bit of
double printing.
I found it difficult.
I couldn't stop shaking.
In third, Claire.
The handle's very straight.
You've got that one kind of bang on.
Your bird would need to be
a little bit higher up.
So vying for top teapot and first
place is between Rosa and Matt.
Second place...
Rosa! You've done ever so well.
You've fitted all the borders round
the contours of the teapot,
and that's really important.
We have got quite a lot of colour
in the white here, though.
So that means, Matt,
you're in first position!
All of the pieces are on
in the right place.
Well done. Well done, mate.
Cheers.
I feel really good about
coming first.
A little bit safer for tomorrow.
I would have been in a better
position if I won this one,
but unfortunately I didn't.
Got to take my hat off to these
people who can do it
cos it is a true craft and a
true skill...erm,
but I won't be doing it again!
That's for sure!
So one judge in-between me
and the final.
Will I be in it? Who knows?
It's all down to the kiln gods
and the toilet!
It's day two in the pottery.
Overnight, the potters' toilet
parts have been drying out,
ready for the assembly stage.
But as the clay's dried...
GASPS
BLEEP
..cracks have started to appear.
LOUD GASP
You can fix it.
Oh, no, my pipe's done the same!
You're joking me!
The potters now have three hours
to build and finish their toilets.
It's so heavy!
But before they can start
construction...
Not good!
..any cracks will have to be fixed,
taking up valuable time.
There was me worried
it'd be too wet!
We have a massive crack.
I've got a crack on my rim.
Yes. It's not too bad.
I feel like I'm gonna
lose a lot of time,
trying to sort of shave it down.
I'm just gonna try and fill it in
with soft clay.
It should be fixable.
It's not over yet.
We won't give up!
As Claire starts filling her crack,
Jacob has some magic to work
on his mushroom bowl.
Could take a bath!
It's so big!
Morning, Jacob. Morning, Sue.
How's it going? Erm, bad.
Why is it bad?
I don't know whether I can beat
it into the shape I want it to.
So how did you miscalculate
that, then?
The measurements I had
were the right measurements,
but it's just kind of...
I don't know.
I don't know.
Is there any cracks anywhere?
The pipes are cracked, so...
Oh. Yeah.
They're really vital
to your build, aren't they?
Really vital to the build, yeah!
To make sure that the water
comes out, and, yeah, so...
But I need to... I am just going
to try and get the pieces on
as soon as possible.
OK. All right.
Well, I'll let you get on with it.
Cheers. You've got a lot to do,
and I hope that works out for you.
Thank you. Good luck.
Thanks.
I'm going to try and get
that wet again now,
and then see how I can attach it,
erm, when I come to it,
I'm going to face that problem.
This is a stick I found
down the skip!
I'm just making a handle for
my teacup.
It's quite a big handle.
Doing some flowers for my toilet.
This is too big, so I'm
cutting it down,
which will help my cracking
situation.
As Claire and Jacob cut their
toilets down to size, Rosa's
also having to reconsider
the measurements
of her garden water closet.
I'm not very good with the
measurements.
32.
It looks like I need to
scrape a lot off.
This is literally putting
your head in the toilet, isn't it?
When I was investigating what to do,
I realised in the hotel
they don't clean all parts
of the toilet!
OK, potters, you're halfway through,
so don't waste any time.
Is that one and a half hours left?
Yes.
It hasn't collapsed yet!
Even though Matt got ahead and
built his bowl and plinth
as one piece at the making stage...
I think I need a few people.
..he's not home and dry just yet.
These structures are so big,
they're quite fragile in a way.
If you just support that bit...
I'm just holding my breath
because that clay is still soft.
Yeah, it is.
It just...
Just don't let
it fall off that board.
I've got it. I've got it.
I've got it.
Well done. Well done.
Thanks, guys. Well done!
Thanks.
The semifinalists now have
a huge to-do list.
It's not as easy as planned,
that's for sure.
With time running out, the potters
have to start construction.
Each plumbing component
must be precisely installed
for a perfect flush.
The slightest error and the potters
won't have a functioning toilet.
And for Jacob, he's still got
to fix his pipe.
Attempting to patch it all.
You know, I would be amazed
if this didn't blow up in the kiln.
HE LAUGHS
So Matt is the only one that's
done the whole structure
in one piece. But that's a good
thing to do, I think, don't you?
Well... Cos it means that you're not
going to have all of those stress
cracks and joins. No, that's right.
I'm attaching all the parts
to it now.
I might actually have a toilet.
Every single join is getting
support clay.
I'm taking no chances!
So what else have you got to build
apart from saving the cracks?
I still have to put the hole in,
put the U-bend cup in... OK.
..join all that,
but my main problem is I need
to take this support out
to get in there,
and I'm terrified of it just...
The cracks just snookered me today.
It hasn't collapsed!
This is the decorative bit.
And a flushing toilet is not
the only judges' requirements.
I was gonna do, like, grass leaves
coming off.
They're looking for a unique design
so the potters can't cut corners
on their decoration.
This cool tool that carves
away things is really handy.
You're now down to the last
ten minutes.
Are you all right, Claire?
Why the sad face?
I don't have time to do my handles.
Oh, no!
But you can have a trophy
without handles.
That's all right.
I know you can,
but it wasn't what I wanted.
I know, I know.
Hopefully, they just pop
out really easy.
Come on. This is for
a place in the final, guys.
I was going to do texture,
but I've run out of time.
I'm terrified of this process
cos this is where the cracks
could slump and get too wet.
It does look like a teacup.
Yeah, I'm happy with myself.
That's a beautiful handle.
I was just hoping that my
decoration could be a bit neat.
OK, hands off the toilets, please.
Come on, Rosa.
Well done!
Well done, guys.
It's day three in the pottery.
And, after drying and firing, their
toilets are ready
to come out of the kiln.
Hopefully I've got something
to decorate.
Anything could happen in the firing
and the drying process.
I really, really hope they survived.
If my toilet hasn't blown up,
I'm feeling quite confident
about doing a decent job
of the decorations.
There's always that worry at the end
of every challenge
that it's my last one.
But, you know, I've gotten this far
and I'm so happy.
Proud of myself.
I'm quite nervous about seeing the
toilet come out of the kiln.
I had one particularly big crack
in the basin part of the toilet
so I'm not sure whether that will
open up or not.
This is the first time the potters
will find out
whether they have a toilet intact
and worth decorating.
How's yours come out, Claire?
A lot of cracks.
Has it survived?
Mine's got big cracks in as well.
Has it?
Oh! I know..
There's a big one in the base, here.
And one at the back.
It was better than I was expecting.
I think the worst crack's probably
this one.
But I think the glaze will probably
fill that in.
Clair's crack is not the only issue
with her trophy toilet design.
I didn't get the handles done.
So, instead of my original plan with
nice pulled handles,
I've had to tweak it a little bit.
We do get trophies without handles.
I do actually have one without a
handle.
So there'll be a lot of work to do
now in the decorating stage.
And Claire's not the only potter
with a lot to do.
The potters now have three and a
half hours
to decorate their toilets and bring
their designs to life.
It's quite rough and ready, so
sand it smoothly.
And then throw so much colour on
that you can't see my cracks.
I've got one here, just in the
handle.
And then there's just one small one,
but it's only in the surface,
there.
I'm painting inside.
I love the blue.
How's it going up there?
It's good.
I'm loving it.
Can you see, I've got my fishies
in there?
Oh, fantastic.
So, what about the colours? Because,
at the minute, they're very pale.
What are you expecting this to do?
So, this is chocolate.
There's most on the roots. And the
leaves as well
is quite a lot of different greens.
And then it's going to be blue
inside with the goldfish.
So it should look really colourful
then, shouldn't it?
Yes. It's should look like a
painting on a toilet.
As Rosa hand-paints her decoration,
Matt has come up with a more
technical approach
to achieve his pattern.
I made the stencils on the computer,
put them onto some sponge,
and then cut the sponge out.
I'm just about to apply
my first peacock.
It's quite daunting on pretty
much blank slate.
That'll do.
I'll fill in the rest with a
paintbrush.
All right, potters,
you've got a half an hour left.
Ooh!
Every inch of their toilets must be
glazed
to make sure they are sanitary and
fit for purpose.
Put a white underglaze on
and then I'm going to pour a white
opaque over.
There's a big leak in there
somewhere.
But Jacob has just discovered a
further issue -
a crack in his bottom.
It's, like, pulled away in the
biscuit firing,
so it's opened up a hole.
I'm trying to think what I can do.
What's happening here, then?
Hi, Keith.
A bit of broken pottery, so I'm
going to try to stuff it
and then glaze it.
Heavily glaze it and stuff it
together. Yeah, yeah.
Because that's actually the bowl
itself.
It's the most important part, yeah.
Yeah.
Well, you know, this is working
well for you.
I like this relief.
Thank you.
But it's got to be fit for purpose,
hasn't it?
I know.
Get in there!
Oh, God.
Yes, get in!
I guess I'm back on track.
So this is to kind of make it a bit
more marble-like,
more realistic, and help cover the
cracks.
You've had to adapt a little bit
on this challenge, haven't you?
Yeah. Adapt and overcome.
Yeah. So what have you changed,
apart from the handles?
Apart from the handles,
I was going to actually do this
diamond scratching
into the surface.
Yes.
But, instead, I'm going to paint
it on.
OK. So that still stands?
It's still the same design, just
slightly compromised
in the way I'm doing it.
I would like to go back inside and
do a bit more on my fishes,
but I don't have time.
My hands could do with being a
little bit steadier but...
..they're not too bad.
Steady enough.
Usually, under pressure I'd be quite
shaky.
If there's ever a time to need a
steady hand, it's now.
OK, guys, you've got one
minute left.
One minute until the end of
the challenge.
I've made a mess again, haven't I?
I might give a bit of colour.
I'm really happy with how it's gone.
Let's just add another little depth
of colour
because I definitely don't
want it to look too grey.
50 shades of grey.
No, no, we'll not do 50 shades
of grey.
This is for a place in the final.
I think I've tried my best.
I wouldn't want to go now.
I think I might be done.
That's the end of the challenge.
Well done, everybody!
Well done, guys. Well done.
Now all you've got to do is get
these toilets down to the kiln.
I'm over the moon with it.
It's exactly how I imagined it.
I was really upset with what
happened -
this big hole in the bottom.
So, yeah, I had to try and fix that.
A lot of improvisation and fixing of
the toilet.
Fingers crossed, the plumbing
will be OK.
I don't know if I done enough to
earn my place in the final.
I think the main thing is the
functionality of my toilet,
that could let me down.
Major worry would be the crack
in the U-bend.
I would be satisfied with TURD
place.
As long as I'm not last.
I really want to make it
into the final.
It's judgment day...
Morning. Morning. Morning.
..and the potters are
about to find out
whether their toilets have stood
up to the intense glaze fire.
Oh, wowser! Oh, that's lovely.
That's not too bad.
That's all right.
Oh, I've been dying to do this.
LAUGHTER
Oh, that looks good there. Oh, OK.
Oh, that's pretty.
Oh, there's a bit of a hole.
Let's take a look.
Is there a hole? A little one.
Maybe it's all right, then.
But before the judges cast
their eyes over the loos,
there is the small matter
of plumbing them in.
I have never plumbed a loo before.
It's on.
I had a look underneath and there
was, like, a tiny pinprick hole,
but I put quite a few layers
of different stuff on,
so I think it might just be that
surface layer.
Why does it always look easy
when other people do it?
That is my saw line.
Oh, God. Can I have
a bigger hacksaw?
I was really worried
about this crack up here,
and it's glazed over,
so we're all good.
I just hope it flushes.
The potters won't find out
if their toilets work
until they are flushed
for the very first time
by the judges.
Look at your lovely loos.
You've done so well.
It's judgment time.
You said you wanted to make a toilet
for the garden, and you have.
It looks very treelike.
All of those vines that are growing
out of the ground,
aren't they? And just taking
over that piece of ceramic.
I mean, you have got some cracks.
There are a few problems in
your build,
but you can see sort of where you've
really pressed the clay into shape
with your fingers and with a tool.
You know, it's got those marks
of being handmade.
So, let's just lift this up.
Really nice surprise when you open
the lid.
You've done these fish
on the inside
and that's, again, that attention
to detail
is really, really nice to see.
Obviously, the seat on there
is a bit on the large side.
I'm just feeling your rim, there.
Do you want to try it for comfort?
Yeah.
It's the right height.
Yeah, absolutely fine.
Can you imagine being
alfresco on that, then?
Yeah, I don't usually go alfresco.
All right, shall
we go for a flush? Oh, yeah.
OK.
It's a strong flush.
It's quite vigorous, isn't it?
You know, it's a robust piece
of ceramics for your garden,
for your children.
I think it looks great.
Thank you so much.
As I walked over, I could see
the teacup profile,
but I probably would have wanted to
see the handle on the side.
You might change your mind
when you get it between your legs.
Well, this is it. Yeah.
In terms of decoration, I was quite
impressed that you'd made a sponge
and sponged your pattern
onto the side of the bowl.
But if you wanted to get that
crisp pattern with your stamps,
then really it needed to be
an underglaze stamp
with a glaze over the top.
Unfortunately, the glaze is far
too thick on there... Yes
..and you are running the risk of
that whole surface pattern
just shifting down.
Are you going to take a seat?
Yeah, OK.
It's the right height.
It's comfortable.
Do I look all right?
You look lovely.
It is quite disturbing seeing a
handle
between your legs like that,
I must say.
LAUGHTER
So, it's the all-important flush,
Sue.
There's plenty of water
in that U-bend.
Yeah, yeah.
Which is what you want.
Brilliant.
I think you've done really well.
As I look at it, the first
thing I notice is that
it doesn't have the handles that
you planned.
If that was white,
I think I'd just be looking at
a Victorian-style toilet,
because you've really
just missed the mark
by not having those handles
on there.
Because of a crack on my bowl,
I had to spend quite a lot
of time repairing that crack
and I had to sacrifice the handles,
unfortunately.
In terms of a build,
it looks great
and the loo seat itself appears to
fit really, really well on there.
I have to say, I just love
that plaque at the front.
Looks great.
Take a seat.
Really steady.
You feel safe on this.
Gonna give it a whirl.
Oh, so there's quite a lot
of water coming out there.
Yeah, you've got a problem
under there.
Yeah, I thought that might
rear its ugly head.
Yeah, that's a real shame,
which happens in ceramics.
I walked over here and I'm walking
over to a mushroom.
I think what helps is that big pop
of red, isn't it?
On the seat.
Yes. You've got the scale right
between the bowl
and actually the plinth,
and I'm loving the relief work.
Those slats, or gills,
as you call them.
I mean, those mushrooms,
they kind of sparkle.
You've got a really nice
form to them.
You know, it's a credible little
woodland scene going on there.
So, Keith, would you like to
try it for size? OK, yeah.
It's level and it's stable.
Yeah, I'll just lean back.
It's fine. Absolutely fine.
OK, brilliant. Really comfortable.
Let's have a look inside.
Oh, that crack's massive, isn't it?
It is, it is.
I can see it from here.
All right. Shall we go for
the all-important flush?
Right. Are we ready?
We're going to see if that's
going to leak, aren't we? Yeah.
Oh, it's nerve-racking.
Look at that!
Wow. That's really good.
There's no leak,
and the U-bend is still full
of water.
So, if there was a leak in that
U-bend, that would have disappeared.
Excellent. Good job, Jacob.
Cheers, thanks.
I've never been praised
for a toilet before.
You know what? I was surprised
that it actually flushed
and that it worked.
Interesting to see what happens
in that judging room now.
I've just got a feeling that
I'm going through to the final.
I could be proved wrong
but that's just the feeling
in my head at the moment.
There was lots of fault
in that build
and clearly it spilled
all over the floor with mine.
So, it might only go one direction,
but we'll hope for the best.
What's meant to be is meant to be.
I'm learning so much
and it'd be a shame to go home yet.
It's difficult.
One of us have to go.
I do not envy you this decision,
because it's huge now.
This is for the guys to go
through to the final.
Well, it's really tough, isn't it?
Because they've all improved
their skills enormously.
You know, they've come such
a long way.
So, let's talk about Matt.
I think his was the biggest
loo of them all.
It was massive. I know.
But right from the beginning,
it was planned meticulously.
But what let it down for me
was he's put the handle
at the front.
You know, you approach a toilet
face on and then you turn round
and there was this bloody
great big handle in the way,
but it was a functioning toilet.
And let's face it, he did really,
really well
in that second spot test,
that Burleigh ware challenge.
Claire didn't have so much
luck, did she?
We know Claire's brilliant
at building
and she's a great, great potter
and she really has an affinity
with the clay -
but, for me, there was no handles
and she sacrificed the handles
to make sure that the build
was absolutely perfect
and then she failed at that,
as well, with her leak.
It's a real shame, isn't it?
Because she's a real planner.
She intended to incise that pattern,
that sort of diamond pattern
going all the way around the bowl,
but she didn't have time for that
so she's painted it on.
But because she didn't plan it,
her line thickness
is exactly the same
all the way round.
There's no quality to that line.
It looks daubed on.
OK, let's talk about Rosa.
What I really liked about Rosa's
was, you know,
you can see all of the plants
growing up it. Lots of detail.
And I love those really heavy
spring decorations on there.
She had a few cracks, as well.
But fortunately for her, the flush
was...it was a bit uneven,
but it did really work.
I think she was more surprised
than we were, actually.
We thought we were all going
to get wet.
And it does look like a toilet that
you'd sort of see in the garden.
So what about Jacob?
I think Jacob's done really well.
He's got a really lovely
shape to that toilet.
I mean, it does look like
the underside of a mushroom.
You know, really strong
structure.
He pulled it back, really,
didn't he?
You can only respect and admire
what they've done
and what they've achieved.
And it's that respect for their...
It's that respect,
and for their hard work that we have
to really take this decision
very, very seriously because
it is the final of the Throwdown.
It's gonna be really tough
to say goodbye to anybody.
Potters, the judges have made
their decisions.
So, for the good news, the potter
of the week
and going through to the final is...
..Jacob.
Wow.
LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
Thank you. Well done, Jacob.
Well done, Jacob.
Now, I've got the horrible job of
saying who's going to be leaving us
and that person has had the most
incredible run.
But sadly, we've got to say
goodbye to...
..Claire.
Yeah. I'm so sorry, honey.
Yeah. You are brilliant.
Absolutely fantastic
and I applaud you.
I really do applaud you.
I never expected to make
it this far.
I'm going to take away so much
from this experience.
I'm going to stick at the pottery.
Try and make a proper career
out of it
and, yeah, just keep going.
It's hard to see Claire go,
because she's just been absolutely
flawless through the entire
competition.
We had so much fun time together
and I just wasn't really ready
for her to go.
No, seriously. Good luck.
I'll be rooting for you all.
It's been amazing.
I really, really enjoyed it
and I wouldn't change it
for the world.
So, sadly, Claire is the ninth
potter to leave the pottery,
as Jacob's mushroom toilet
wins him his third piece
in the Throwdown gallery and a place
in that all-important final.
I'm really speechless.
I'm over the moon.
Absolutely over the moon.
I'm absolutely astounded,
and, yeah, blown away
that I'm in the final.
Well, I'm going to stand up
for the ladies
and try to win this talent
and show those boys
that I can do it.
Three very differently disciplined
potters left in the final,
which should be quite interesting.
I made it through to the final.
Yay!
Can't wait to get into the finals
now and show what I've got.
I think it's going to be amazing.
I can't wait. I can't wait.
Next time...
..it's the final.
No pressure, Matt.
It's only the final.
Yeah. Yeah,
thanks for reminding me.
As Jacob...
I'll need therapy after this.
..Rosa...
Quick, quick, quick, quick.
..and Matt...
Don't tell Keith.
..battle it out
to be named the winner
of The Great Pottery Throwdown.
The winner is...
Subtitles by Red Bee Media
the clock back to the Victorian era
when the potteries in Stoke
were booming.
Queen Victoria was on the throne,
and this week, she's not the
only one
as our potters tackle their biggest
build for the smallest room,
the toilet.
But who's busting to get
through to the final?
Welcome to The Great Pottery
Throw Down.
Last time... Wow.
..the potters camped out
in the wilds...
..and it was Claire that won
the battle of the pits
with impressive ginger jars.
Well done, Claire.
Well done, Claire.
I'm in the semifinal of The Great
Pottery Throw Down!
But it was a shaky week for Jacob.
And that's why I'm not getting
so annoyed with you, actually,
because you already know that.
But he clung onto his place
in the pottery
and it was Rosalind that was sadly
sent home.
This week, it's the semifinal...
GASPING
You can fix it.
..and the potters are
tackling toilets...
I think there's a bit of a leak at
the bottom.
..and the pressure is on.
I forgot one piece. I forgot
one piece.
..for the biggest make...
I'm just holding my breath.
..for the biggest decision.
Sadly, we've got to say
goodbye to...
VOICEOVER: Only three will survive.
But who?
# Making time
# Shooting lines
# People have their uses
# People have their uses. #
It's one step closer to the final.
It's scary, exciting.
They're going to be looking for
close to flawless.
Really going to have to step up this
week, aren't we?
Semifinal, and we're going to make
a toilet.
It's going to be a bit mad, I think.
I'll just have to do my best.
Give 2,000% and then hopefully
it works.
I'm bringing my A game now.
No more silly little mistakes.
Really want to make the final and
then do well in it, as well.
Got down to the last four.
I'm just really nervous now.
Yeah. I might have to use
our toilet.
Morning, potters, welcome to
Victorian week and the semifinal.
What stands between you and the
final is a massive challenge
because this week, for your main
make, Sue and Keith
would like you to build a fully
functioning toilet.
We don't want a plain white toilet.
The Victorians really loved
a decorative toilet.
It can be any shape,
it can be any design,
but it really must work.
But it's really critical you think
about your measurements.
No-one wants a toilet that
won't flush.
So no sitting down on this one.
LAUGHING
Potters, you've got four hours to
build your toilet pedestal -
plinth, bowl, rim and U-bend -
and your time starts now.
Potters, get potty.
In this first stage of the
main make,
the potters must hand-build all the
components of their toilet
and get them ready to begin drying.
I've had my head down toilets trying
to suss out all the pipe work.
It's just not a process I'm familiar
with at all.
I'm really excited about doing this.
It's mostly the engineering side
of things
and sort of working out not just how
the toilet actually works,
but how I'm going to make it.
So, Keith, semifinals, we've got
four potters left
and we've given them a massive
challenge this week.
Well, not only is it a
massive challenge,
we've given them the most clay that
they've ever used in the pottery.
This is a real design project.
They've actually got to think
about planning and drawing
and get their measurements correct.
When you look at your toilet
at home,
it looks like a simple structure,
but it's deceptively complicated.
And if they haven't really thought
about how that water
enters that rim, that water's going
to go all over you.
They've got to make four
component parts.
The plinth, the bowl, the rim
and the U-bend.
And they're hand-building all these
parts separately,
they've then got to put
them all together.
So they have to have a really good
understanding of the structure
and the engineering and the reason
for it in the first place.
This is really going to flush out
the number ones
from the number twos, isn't it?
And no-one wants to be a number two.
At the end of this main make, Keith
will sit on the toilet
to quality check the potters' work.
I'm more worried about Keith
sitting on it
and it just falling apart.
And they'll have to be plumbed in
and flushed.
I think I'm probably a bit
free-flowing,
but not that technical.
It can't be that hard, can it?
I'm starting from the rim and doing
the bowl.
This is the thing that came
to mind to do the former.
I spent ages on the computer sort of
working out this system.
I approached it with technical
drawing sort of side of things.
My inspiration really comes from...
There's a well-known
Staffordshire pottery
that makes decorative teacups,
so I'm making a teacup.
Matt will build his teacup toilet
from using large slabs of clay
with a large handle that protrudes
from the front of the bowl.
So, when you sit down, it'll peep
out between your legs,
all decorated in a vintage
Victorian repeat pattern.
The cups that I have in mind are a
very sort of decorative,
almost like Victorian toilets,
floral and with that classic blue.
And it's quite painterly.
You're painting this?
Yeah. Yeah.
Well, feel the fear.
What are you going to do about the
handle, then? Where's that going?
It's going to go right on the
front...for whatever you want.
For that extra bit of
concentration. Yeah.
Just, you know... Something to hold
on to.
Yeah, for those difficult mornings.
While Matt's using
21st century software
to create the bowl shape
of his teacup toilet,
Jacob's putting his semifinal hopes
all in one basket.
So this will be the bowl.
It's from an old basket and then
towels around.
Not as good as Matt's but...
I am wrapping the slabs around my
former that I've done
to get that toilet bowl shape.
It's working. It's working.
HE LAUGHS
My inspiration isn't Chinese
heritage this week.
I'm going to do a toadstool toilet.
Jacob plans to carve into his bowl
to give texture
to his mushroom design and finish
with a red seat
to create his fly agaric
mushroom toilet,
inspired by the ones he spotted
on a road trip to Scotland.
This is a pretty big build.
I mean, this... Yeah. That's big.
It is. It is. When I measured
it, though,
the rim was the right size with the
shrinkage. OK.
So when I take the former out, I'm
going to try and beat it a bit
into shape, into a better shape.
It's a big 'un, isn't it?
It is, it is, it is, it's...for
real men.
Actually, in fairy tales,
fairies sit
on top of toadstools, don't
they? Yeah.
I don't know if they're doing a
number two, though.
As Jacob battles with his
big mushroom,
he's not the only potter to have
heard the call of nature.
Inside the toilet, it will be a
little bit like a pond,
so there will be fishes.
So when you're stand there looking
down, weeing in a towel,
if you're a boy, you wee
into the pond.
Rosa's fish will be hand-painted
on the inside of the toilet bowl.
The outside will be covered with
climbing ivy
and flowers made from sprig moulds,
decorated in vibrant colours to make
a loo fit for the garden.
So this is a garden toilet
for the garden.
A garden toilet! Outdoor toilet.
Yeah. OK.
I got little children and they,
especially my boy,
he always need a toilet,
in one way or another,
when we out in the garden and he
often trail through the whole house
with his wellies and muddy boots,
so I thought it'd be nice
to do a garden toilet.
So I've done a nice, pretty one
inspired by the garden.
How are you going to get your
measurements accurate?
I asked my dear, lovely husband,
who's really good with math, about
their measurements
and he sent them all to me and I
forgot to write them on my phone.
So that's a little bit of an error.
I just have to go with it.
And not...
Just don't panic. It's a big pot,
it should work.
Well, look, good luck.
Thank you.
As Rosa makes a plan to guess
her measurements,
Claire has it all mapped out.
So this is the rim section
and then the bowl will attach round
the outside of this.
It worked on paper.
So, yeah.
Triple winner of Potter Of The Week,
Claire, is planning a toilet
that's a nod to her accolades
from her time competing as a
body-builder.
This is some of my trophy
collection at home.
I have so many strong woman
competitive trophies,
so I based my design on the cup
of a trophy.
It's different elements of
different trophies
that I've sort of collected over the
years that just really draw the eye.
Claire's toilet bowl will be the cup
of her trophy design,
complete with ornate handles
either side.
The base of the trophy will
have a plinth with a plaque,
all finished in a silver-grey glaze.
This is my TURD place trophy.
Course it is. Thought I'd add a bit
of humour in.
How you doing the handles on
the side?
My favourite, pulled handles.
I'm going to do big pulled handles
on those tomorrow.
Is there any decorative finishes
to them?
Yeah, so I'll have like a
beaden edge on this... OK. Right.
..in the centre of the handle.
You're doing TURD place but you
want to come first, really.
Ideally. Well, good luck.
Thank you.
Having forgot to bring any
toilet plans,
Rosa has decided mid-challenge
to figure everything out.
The thing is, it's not going as good
as I thought it was going.
I clearly should have done
some more measuring.
I should have drawn this up at home,
shouldn't I?
I think I thought this was bigger
than it was.
My toilet seat will be too big
for it.
I have to make it big so that
I can manipulate the clay tomorrow.
That's heavy.
I've got to get the plinth done, get
the rim extruded.
If I put it a bit thicker now.
So I'm going to add one and half on
the front
and one in half in the back,
and then maybe my toilet seat won't
fall over the toilet.
OK, potters, I know you're on
a roll,
but you've only got one hour left.
It was just two hours a minute ago.
Now I have to think.
The potters have to have all their
component parts made in this stage.
I have some parts of a toilet.
It's resembling, remotely, a
bit of a toilet.
Any missing pieces and they risk
not being able to build
a fully functioning toilet.
This is just the start of
the U-bend.
I'm going for more of a V-bend than
a U-bend.
While Matt gets his hands
around his bend,
Jacob is less confident about
his plumbing.
I'm trying to do this really weird
pipe fitting,
which is from the cistern to
the bowl.
No experience of plumbing,
as you can probably imagine.
Bit confused still but...
Yeah. But he's not the only
one struggling.
So that's the outside of the toilet.
So if I put this somewhere
along here...
Rosa's trying to solve the riddle of
her rim.
How is this to work?
Just don't know what I'm doing,
that's the only thing.
But Claire's methodical approach
seems to be paying off.
Look at that, I did it.
It's a bit ropey but we got there.
That looks so neat, Claire.
Look at my bowl of turd.
All right, potters, you've got
30 minutes left.
Oh, I'm a little bit stressed now.
OK, focus.
I can't get how a toilet
works still.
I've just got a last little bit
of piping to make at the back.
Matt, you look as if you're done.
Oh, I don't know about that.
My plinth is actually coming all the
way up to the rim
because I'm doing a teacup.
I made it just a little bit taller
so I can chop back in a really nice,
straight line tomorrow.
It's going to be perfect...height.
Perfect height.
Unless it crumbles.
JACOB GRUNTS
I'm going to join my components
in the next stage,
so I'm going to cover all my edges.
So I'll still be able to manipulate
this edge tomorrow.
I've got to do my rim and then I
think I'm done.
OK, potters, this is your
ten minute time call.
No pressure.
This is going to be tough.
I think I work best under
extreme pressure.
I think I've done as much as I
can do.
I just go and pick another thing up.
Oh, come on.
Course this happens whenever you
have five minutes.
I think I got all the components.
What have I forgot?
What have I forgot? What have
you forgot?
If we go down, we go down
together, girl.
This bit's quite fiddly.
I was going to make mine fancy,
but that's clearly going to
come tomorrow.
I suppose if Keith's bum fits onto
it, then you're onto a winner.
Ten seconds left, nine, eight...
Oh, I forgot one piece. ..seven...
I forgot one piece.
..six, five, four,
three, two, one.
End of the challenge. Well done.
Your loos are all ready.
Excellent work.
I made a toilet in four hours.
Hopefully all my joins sort
of stand up.
But it looks teacup shape,
so it looking teacup-shaped is a
good thing.
I think I got all the
component parts.
I don't know if they all
fit together.
I think I should be able to sort
of beat it into shape somehow.
I don't really know.
I'm happy with the making stage.
Obviously, that huge-looking
toilet is going to be refined
down into, hopefully, a very
nice-looking toadstool.
Looking round the room,
how much bigger the boys' toilets
are than the girls',
that's really bizarre.
I don't think my measurements
are wrong.
Victorian Week continues
for the potters, as we step back
in time with a second historic
challenge. But with a place
in the final at stake, this is
more than just a history lesson.
Potters, your second challenge
is a spot test
and it's been inspired by our
neighbours here at Middleport.
Please welcome to the pottery
Alison and Chris from Burleigh.
Hello. Welcome!
Thank you. So, would you like
to tell our potters
what their second challenge is?
I'd love to.
We, since 1851,
have been decorating using
the tissue transfer process.
We'd like you to use this process
to decorate a Victorian-style
teapot.
There are ten different pieces
that you need to cut out.
The piece for the handle -
Chris is cutting very, very
closely to the print.
You don't want lots of white
bits of tissue on there.
This is how you apply the tissue.
So, sticky side down.
Your border needs to go on first
and you need to fit it very closely
to the edge of the teapot.
Make sure you lines are not
skew-whiff.
When you put your side on,
you're putting
two cuts across the centre
of the design -
one here and one here.
You flannel the two sides
down first,
and then the centrepiece last.
Once it's down, you can't
lift it back off again.
What we do know, rub it on
with soft soap.
You have to put some force on
because, if you don't,
it could just come off pale.
We're gonna wash the tissue
paper away from the pot.
So, as you can see, the paper is
beginning to come away on its own.
I've been doing this process
for 40 years.
And how long did it take to master?
About five years.
So you're going to
be in here for five years...
THEY LAUGH
OK, potters,
you've got one and a half hours.
Your time starts now.
Just gone straight through it!
LAUGHTER
Jacob!
It's all right. They're spares,
aren't they, at the back?
Yeah, you're all right!
Tissue printing and transfer
is an age-old tradition,
and Middleport is the only
existing pottery
to still continue decorating
using this process
to create a perfect pattern
and a perfect finish.
And only a perfect finish will
pass muster with the judges.
I've done loads of transfer tattoos
as a kid. I never quite worried
about the application of
a Sonic the Hedgehog tattoo!
It's very difficult!
You have to really lean heavy
or the blade doesn't cut straight,
and then, if you lean really heavy,
it tears the paper.
Oh, my God!
Can't believe how much I'm shaking!
Oh!
It feels like I've got 10 thumbs.
It's just such a flimsy thing.
Oh, dear! Just getting it
so it doesn't crease.
How did she do that?!
I think I'm getting on all right.
Come on!
Is the same flower
definitely on this sheet?
That's got the two stalks,
but that's got three balls.
Which pigeon is it?
There's, like, 80 pigeons.
Does that paper just come off?
Just stick your hand in it, Jacob,
and just swirl it about a bit,
like that.
Ten minutes left!
Oh, wow.
That went quick!
Oh, I was going to finish
the other one.
They're in for a treat.
Special edition.
Come on!
WATER SPLASHING
Yeah, it looks like that,
only not quite as good.
Potters, you've got one minute left.
I almost did it in ten minutes!
Show off!
And your teapots need to be
at the front, up here.
It's the best they're getting it.
BLOWS
Four tissue transfer Victorian
teapots ready for judging,
but will the potters' efforts stand
up to the high standards of guest
judge Alison's critical eye,
as she rates them
from worst to first?
So we're going to start
with fourth position,
and that is Jacob.
Yep.
THEY LAUGH
Aw!
It is a little bit messy. Yeah.
So your border, you've got
a big, white gap
and a little bit of
double printing.
I found it difficult.
I couldn't stop shaking.
In third, Claire.
The handle's very straight.
You've got that one kind of bang on.
Your bird would need to be
a little bit higher up.
So vying for top teapot and first
place is between Rosa and Matt.
Second place...
Rosa! You've done ever so well.
You've fitted all the borders round
the contours of the teapot,
and that's really important.
We have got quite a lot of colour
in the white here, though.
So that means, Matt,
you're in first position!
All of the pieces are on
in the right place.
Well done. Well done, mate.
Cheers.
I feel really good about
coming first.
A little bit safer for tomorrow.
I would have been in a better
position if I won this one,
but unfortunately I didn't.
Got to take my hat off to these
people who can do it
cos it is a true craft and a
true skill...erm,
but I won't be doing it again!
That's for sure!
So one judge in-between me
and the final.
Will I be in it? Who knows?
It's all down to the kiln gods
and the toilet!
It's day two in the pottery.
Overnight, the potters' toilet
parts have been drying out,
ready for the assembly stage.
But as the clay's dried...
GASPS
BLEEP
..cracks have started to appear.
LOUD GASP
You can fix it.
Oh, no, my pipe's done the same!
You're joking me!
The potters now have three hours
to build and finish their toilets.
It's so heavy!
But before they can start
construction...
Not good!
..any cracks will have to be fixed,
taking up valuable time.
There was me worried
it'd be too wet!
We have a massive crack.
I've got a crack on my rim.
Yes. It's not too bad.
I feel like I'm gonna
lose a lot of time,
trying to sort of shave it down.
I'm just gonna try and fill it in
with soft clay.
It should be fixable.
It's not over yet.
We won't give up!
As Claire starts filling her crack,
Jacob has some magic to work
on his mushroom bowl.
Could take a bath!
It's so big!
Morning, Jacob. Morning, Sue.
How's it going? Erm, bad.
Why is it bad?
I don't know whether I can beat
it into the shape I want it to.
So how did you miscalculate
that, then?
The measurements I had
were the right measurements,
but it's just kind of...
I don't know.
I don't know.
Is there any cracks anywhere?
The pipes are cracked, so...
Oh. Yeah.
They're really vital
to your build, aren't they?
Really vital to the build, yeah!
To make sure that the water
comes out, and, yeah, so...
But I need to... I am just going
to try and get the pieces on
as soon as possible.
OK. All right.
Well, I'll let you get on with it.
Cheers. You've got a lot to do,
and I hope that works out for you.
Thank you. Good luck.
Thanks.
I'm going to try and get
that wet again now,
and then see how I can attach it,
erm, when I come to it,
I'm going to face that problem.
This is a stick I found
down the skip!
I'm just making a handle for
my teacup.
It's quite a big handle.
Doing some flowers for my toilet.
This is too big, so I'm
cutting it down,
which will help my cracking
situation.
As Claire and Jacob cut their
toilets down to size, Rosa's
also having to reconsider
the measurements
of her garden water closet.
I'm not very good with the
measurements.
32.
It looks like I need to
scrape a lot off.
This is literally putting
your head in the toilet, isn't it?
When I was investigating what to do,
I realised in the hotel
they don't clean all parts
of the toilet!
OK, potters, you're halfway through,
so don't waste any time.
Is that one and a half hours left?
Yes.
It hasn't collapsed yet!
Even though Matt got ahead and
built his bowl and plinth
as one piece at the making stage...
I think I need a few people.
..he's not home and dry just yet.
These structures are so big,
they're quite fragile in a way.
If you just support that bit...
I'm just holding my breath
because that clay is still soft.
Yeah, it is.
It just...
Just don't let
it fall off that board.
I've got it. I've got it.
I've got it.
Well done. Well done.
Thanks, guys. Well done!
Thanks.
The semifinalists now have
a huge to-do list.
It's not as easy as planned,
that's for sure.
With time running out, the potters
have to start construction.
Each plumbing component
must be precisely installed
for a perfect flush.
The slightest error and the potters
won't have a functioning toilet.
And for Jacob, he's still got
to fix his pipe.
Attempting to patch it all.
You know, I would be amazed
if this didn't blow up in the kiln.
HE LAUGHS
So Matt is the only one that's
done the whole structure
in one piece. But that's a good
thing to do, I think, don't you?
Well... Cos it means that you're not
going to have all of those stress
cracks and joins. No, that's right.
I'm attaching all the parts
to it now.
I might actually have a toilet.
Every single join is getting
support clay.
I'm taking no chances!
So what else have you got to build
apart from saving the cracks?
I still have to put the hole in,
put the U-bend cup in... OK.
..join all that,
but my main problem is I need
to take this support out
to get in there,
and I'm terrified of it just...
The cracks just snookered me today.
It hasn't collapsed!
This is the decorative bit.
And a flushing toilet is not
the only judges' requirements.
I was gonna do, like, grass leaves
coming off.
They're looking for a unique design
so the potters can't cut corners
on their decoration.
This cool tool that carves
away things is really handy.
You're now down to the last
ten minutes.
Are you all right, Claire?
Why the sad face?
I don't have time to do my handles.
Oh, no!
But you can have a trophy
without handles.
That's all right.
I know you can,
but it wasn't what I wanted.
I know, I know.
Hopefully, they just pop
out really easy.
Come on. This is for
a place in the final, guys.
I was going to do texture,
but I've run out of time.
I'm terrified of this process
cos this is where the cracks
could slump and get too wet.
It does look like a teacup.
Yeah, I'm happy with myself.
That's a beautiful handle.
I was just hoping that my
decoration could be a bit neat.
OK, hands off the toilets, please.
Come on, Rosa.
Well done!
Well done, guys.
It's day three in the pottery.
And, after drying and firing, their
toilets are ready
to come out of the kiln.
Hopefully I've got something
to decorate.
Anything could happen in the firing
and the drying process.
I really, really hope they survived.
If my toilet hasn't blown up,
I'm feeling quite confident
about doing a decent job
of the decorations.
There's always that worry at the end
of every challenge
that it's my last one.
But, you know, I've gotten this far
and I'm so happy.
Proud of myself.
I'm quite nervous about seeing the
toilet come out of the kiln.
I had one particularly big crack
in the basin part of the toilet
so I'm not sure whether that will
open up or not.
This is the first time the potters
will find out
whether they have a toilet intact
and worth decorating.
How's yours come out, Claire?
A lot of cracks.
Has it survived?
Mine's got big cracks in as well.
Has it?
Oh! I know..
There's a big one in the base, here.
And one at the back.
It was better than I was expecting.
I think the worst crack's probably
this one.
But I think the glaze will probably
fill that in.
Clair's crack is not the only issue
with her trophy toilet design.
I didn't get the handles done.
So, instead of my original plan with
nice pulled handles,
I've had to tweak it a little bit.
We do get trophies without handles.
I do actually have one without a
handle.
So there'll be a lot of work to do
now in the decorating stage.
And Claire's not the only potter
with a lot to do.
The potters now have three and a
half hours
to decorate their toilets and bring
their designs to life.
It's quite rough and ready, so
sand it smoothly.
And then throw so much colour on
that you can't see my cracks.
I've got one here, just in the
handle.
And then there's just one small one,
but it's only in the surface,
there.
I'm painting inside.
I love the blue.
How's it going up there?
It's good.
I'm loving it.
Can you see, I've got my fishies
in there?
Oh, fantastic.
So, what about the colours? Because,
at the minute, they're very pale.
What are you expecting this to do?
So, this is chocolate.
There's most on the roots. And the
leaves as well
is quite a lot of different greens.
And then it's going to be blue
inside with the goldfish.
So it should look really colourful
then, shouldn't it?
Yes. It's should look like a
painting on a toilet.
As Rosa hand-paints her decoration,
Matt has come up with a more
technical approach
to achieve his pattern.
I made the stencils on the computer,
put them onto some sponge,
and then cut the sponge out.
I'm just about to apply
my first peacock.
It's quite daunting on pretty
much blank slate.
That'll do.
I'll fill in the rest with a
paintbrush.
All right, potters,
you've got a half an hour left.
Ooh!
Every inch of their toilets must be
glazed
to make sure they are sanitary and
fit for purpose.
Put a white underglaze on
and then I'm going to pour a white
opaque over.
There's a big leak in there
somewhere.
But Jacob has just discovered a
further issue -
a crack in his bottom.
It's, like, pulled away in the
biscuit firing,
so it's opened up a hole.
I'm trying to think what I can do.
What's happening here, then?
Hi, Keith.
A bit of broken pottery, so I'm
going to try to stuff it
and then glaze it.
Heavily glaze it and stuff it
together. Yeah, yeah.
Because that's actually the bowl
itself.
It's the most important part, yeah.
Yeah.
Well, you know, this is working
well for you.
I like this relief.
Thank you.
But it's got to be fit for purpose,
hasn't it?
I know.
Get in there!
Oh, God.
Yes, get in!
I guess I'm back on track.
So this is to kind of make it a bit
more marble-like,
more realistic, and help cover the
cracks.
You've had to adapt a little bit
on this challenge, haven't you?
Yeah. Adapt and overcome.
Yeah. So what have you changed,
apart from the handles?
Apart from the handles,
I was going to actually do this
diamond scratching
into the surface.
Yes.
But, instead, I'm going to paint
it on.
OK. So that still stands?
It's still the same design, just
slightly compromised
in the way I'm doing it.
I would like to go back inside and
do a bit more on my fishes,
but I don't have time.
My hands could do with being a
little bit steadier but...
..they're not too bad.
Steady enough.
Usually, under pressure I'd be quite
shaky.
If there's ever a time to need a
steady hand, it's now.
OK, guys, you've got one
minute left.
One minute until the end of
the challenge.
I've made a mess again, haven't I?
I might give a bit of colour.
I'm really happy with how it's gone.
Let's just add another little depth
of colour
because I definitely don't
want it to look too grey.
50 shades of grey.
No, no, we'll not do 50 shades
of grey.
This is for a place in the final.
I think I've tried my best.
I wouldn't want to go now.
I think I might be done.
That's the end of the challenge.
Well done, everybody!
Well done, guys. Well done.
Now all you've got to do is get
these toilets down to the kiln.
I'm over the moon with it.
It's exactly how I imagined it.
I was really upset with what
happened -
this big hole in the bottom.
So, yeah, I had to try and fix that.
A lot of improvisation and fixing of
the toilet.
Fingers crossed, the plumbing
will be OK.
I don't know if I done enough to
earn my place in the final.
I think the main thing is the
functionality of my toilet,
that could let me down.
Major worry would be the crack
in the U-bend.
I would be satisfied with TURD
place.
As long as I'm not last.
I really want to make it
into the final.
It's judgment day...
Morning. Morning. Morning.
..and the potters are
about to find out
whether their toilets have stood
up to the intense glaze fire.
Oh, wowser! Oh, that's lovely.
That's not too bad.
That's all right.
Oh, I've been dying to do this.
LAUGHTER
Oh, that looks good there. Oh, OK.
Oh, that's pretty.
Oh, there's a bit of a hole.
Let's take a look.
Is there a hole? A little one.
Maybe it's all right, then.
But before the judges cast
their eyes over the loos,
there is the small matter
of plumbing them in.
I have never plumbed a loo before.
It's on.
I had a look underneath and there
was, like, a tiny pinprick hole,
but I put quite a few layers
of different stuff on,
so I think it might just be that
surface layer.
Why does it always look easy
when other people do it?
That is my saw line.
Oh, God. Can I have
a bigger hacksaw?
I was really worried
about this crack up here,
and it's glazed over,
so we're all good.
I just hope it flushes.
The potters won't find out
if their toilets work
until they are flushed
for the very first time
by the judges.
Look at your lovely loos.
You've done so well.
It's judgment time.
You said you wanted to make a toilet
for the garden, and you have.
It looks very treelike.
All of those vines that are growing
out of the ground,
aren't they? And just taking
over that piece of ceramic.
I mean, you have got some cracks.
There are a few problems in
your build,
but you can see sort of where you've
really pressed the clay into shape
with your fingers and with a tool.
You know, it's got those marks
of being handmade.
So, let's just lift this up.
Really nice surprise when you open
the lid.
You've done these fish
on the inside
and that's, again, that attention
to detail
is really, really nice to see.
Obviously, the seat on there
is a bit on the large side.
I'm just feeling your rim, there.
Do you want to try it for comfort?
Yeah.
It's the right height.
Yeah, absolutely fine.
Can you imagine being
alfresco on that, then?
Yeah, I don't usually go alfresco.
All right, shall
we go for a flush? Oh, yeah.
OK.
It's a strong flush.
It's quite vigorous, isn't it?
You know, it's a robust piece
of ceramics for your garden,
for your children.
I think it looks great.
Thank you so much.
As I walked over, I could see
the teacup profile,
but I probably would have wanted to
see the handle on the side.
You might change your mind
when you get it between your legs.
Well, this is it. Yeah.
In terms of decoration, I was quite
impressed that you'd made a sponge
and sponged your pattern
onto the side of the bowl.
But if you wanted to get that
crisp pattern with your stamps,
then really it needed to be
an underglaze stamp
with a glaze over the top.
Unfortunately, the glaze is far
too thick on there... Yes
..and you are running the risk of
that whole surface pattern
just shifting down.
Are you going to take a seat?
Yeah, OK.
It's the right height.
It's comfortable.
Do I look all right?
You look lovely.
It is quite disturbing seeing a
handle
between your legs like that,
I must say.
LAUGHTER
So, it's the all-important flush,
Sue.
There's plenty of water
in that U-bend.
Yeah, yeah.
Which is what you want.
Brilliant.
I think you've done really well.
As I look at it, the first
thing I notice is that
it doesn't have the handles that
you planned.
If that was white,
I think I'd just be looking at
a Victorian-style toilet,
because you've really
just missed the mark
by not having those handles
on there.
Because of a crack on my bowl,
I had to spend quite a lot
of time repairing that crack
and I had to sacrifice the handles,
unfortunately.
In terms of a build,
it looks great
and the loo seat itself appears to
fit really, really well on there.
I have to say, I just love
that plaque at the front.
Looks great.
Take a seat.
Really steady.
You feel safe on this.
Gonna give it a whirl.
Oh, so there's quite a lot
of water coming out there.
Yeah, you've got a problem
under there.
Yeah, I thought that might
rear its ugly head.
Yeah, that's a real shame,
which happens in ceramics.
I walked over here and I'm walking
over to a mushroom.
I think what helps is that big pop
of red, isn't it?
On the seat.
Yes. You've got the scale right
between the bowl
and actually the plinth,
and I'm loving the relief work.
Those slats, or gills,
as you call them.
I mean, those mushrooms,
they kind of sparkle.
You've got a really nice
form to them.
You know, it's a credible little
woodland scene going on there.
So, Keith, would you like to
try it for size? OK, yeah.
It's level and it's stable.
Yeah, I'll just lean back.
It's fine. Absolutely fine.
OK, brilliant. Really comfortable.
Let's have a look inside.
Oh, that crack's massive, isn't it?
It is, it is.
I can see it from here.
All right. Shall we go for
the all-important flush?
Right. Are we ready?
We're going to see if that's
going to leak, aren't we? Yeah.
Oh, it's nerve-racking.
Look at that!
Wow. That's really good.
There's no leak,
and the U-bend is still full
of water.
So, if there was a leak in that
U-bend, that would have disappeared.
Excellent. Good job, Jacob.
Cheers, thanks.
I've never been praised
for a toilet before.
You know what? I was surprised
that it actually flushed
and that it worked.
Interesting to see what happens
in that judging room now.
I've just got a feeling that
I'm going through to the final.
I could be proved wrong
but that's just the feeling
in my head at the moment.
There was lots of fault
in that build
and clearly it spilled
all over the floor with mine.
So, it might only go one direction,
but we'll hope for the best.
What's meant to be is meant to be.
I'm learning so much
and it'd be a shame to go home yet.
It's difficult.
One of us have to go.
I do not envy you this decision,
because it's huge now.
This is for the guys to go
through to the final.
Well, it's really tough, isn't it?
Because they've all improved
their skills enormously.
You know, they've come such
a long way.
So, let's talk about Matt.
I think his was the biggest
loo of them all.
It was massive. I know.
But right from the beginning,
it was planned meticulously.
But what let it down for me
was he's put the handle
at the front.
You know, you approach a toilet
face on and then you turn round
and there was this bloody
great big handle in the way,
but it was a functioning toilet.
And let's face it, he did really,
really well
in that second spot test,
that Burleigh ware challenge.
Claire didn't have so much
luck, did she?
We know Claire's brilliant
at building
and she's a great, great potter
and she really has an affinity
with the clay -
but, for me, there was no handles
and she sacrificed the handles
to make sure that the build
was absolutely perfect
and then she failed at that,
as well, with her leak.
It's a real shame, isn't it?
Because she's a real planner.
She intended to incise that pattern,
that sort of diamond pattern
going all the way around the bowl,
but she didn't have time for that
so she's painted it on.
But because she didn't plan it,
her line thickness
is exactly the same
all the way round.
There's no quality to that line.
It looks daubed on.
OK, let's talk about Rosa.
What I really liked about Rosa's
was, you know,
you can see all of the plants
growing up it. Lots of detail.
And I love those really heavy
spring decorations on there.
She had a few cracks, as well.
But fortunately for her, the flush
was...it was a bit uneven,
but it did really work.
I think she was more surprised
than we were, actually.
We thought we were all going
to get wet.
And it does look like a toilet that
you'd sort of see in the garden.
So what about Jacob?
I think Jacob's done really well.
He's got a really lovely
shape to that toilet.
I mean, it does look like
the underside of a mushroom.
You know, really strong
structure.
He pulled it back, really,
didn't he?
You can only respect and admire
what they've done
and what they've achieved.
And it's that respect for their...
It's that respect,
and for their hard work that we have
to really take this decision
very, very seriously because
it is the final of the Throwdown.
It's gonna be really tough
to say goodbye to anybody.
Potters, the judges have made
their decisions.
So, for the good news, the potter
of the week
and going through to the final is...
..Jacob.
Wow.
LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
Thank you. Well done, Jacob.
Well done, Jacob.
Now, I've got the horrible job of
saying who's going to be leaving us
and that person has had the most
incredible run.
But sadly, we've got to say
goodbye to...
..Claire.
Yeah. I'm so sorry, honey.
Yeah. You are brilliant.
Absolutely fantastic
and I applaud you.
I really do applaud you.
I never expected to make
it this far.
I'm going to take away so much
from this experience.
I'm going to stick at the pottery.
Try and make a proper career
out of it
and, yeah, just keep going.
It's hard to see Claire go,
because she's just been absolutely
flawless through the entire
competition.
We had so much fun time together
and I just wasn't really ready
for her to go.
No, seriously. Good luck.
I'll be rooting for you all.
It's been amazing.
I really, really enjoyed it
and I wouldn't change it
for the world.
So, sadly, Claire is the ninth
potter to leave the pottery,
as Jacob's mushroom toilet
wins him his third piece
in the Throwdown gallery and a place
in that all-important final.
I'm really speechless.
I'm over the moon.
Absolutely over the moon.
I'm absolutely astounded,
and, yeah, blown away
that I'm in the final.
Well, I'm going to stand up
for the ladies
and try to win this talent
and show those boys
that I can do it.
Three very differently disciplined
potters left in the final,
which should be quite interesting.
I made it through to the final.
Yay!
Can't wait to get into the finals
now and show what I've got.
I think it's going to be amazing.
I can't wait. I can't wait.
Next time...
..it's the final.
No pressure, Matt.
It's only the final.
Yeah. Yeah,
thanks for reminding me.
As Jacob...
I'll need therapy after this.
..Rosa...
Quick, quick, quick, quick.
..and Matt...
Don't tell Keith.
..battle it out
to be named the winner
of The Great Pottery Throwdown.
The winner is...
Subtitles by Red Bee Media