The WORST episodes of The Great Pottery Throw Down
Every episode of The Great Pottery Throw Down ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Great Pottery Throw Down!
Twelve of Britain's best home potters compete to be crowned best at the wheel.
#1 - Noah's Ark and Potties
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/19/2025
The remaining potters attempt a toy Noah's ark and animals, and a surprise second challenge sends them potty. Who finds it child's play and who'll be left high and dry?
#2 - Vintage Water Filters and a Coffee Filter
Season 7 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/25/2024
It's the quarter-final and the potters make vintage-style water filters fired in their own oil drum kilns and throw a coffee filter. Who'll bring the heat with semi-final-worthy filters?
#3 - Multi-Coloured Slip Cast & Blindfolded Throwing
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/29/2020
Judge Sue Pryke sets a multi-coloured slip cast challenge to make two vases, before the competitors take part in a blindfolded throwing challenge. Who will be named potter of the week, and who will leave the pottery?
#4 - Mantlepiece Clock and Blindfold Challenge
Season 8 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/12/2025
The potters create a statement mantelpiece clock, and face a surprise blindfolded second challenge. Who's on borrowed time?
#5 - Illuminating Light Sculptures
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/18/2024
The potters create black and white illuminated sculptures and take on a surprise challenge. Who'll be beaming with joy and whose time in the spotlight has come to an end?
#6 - Nude Greek Statues & Greek Jugs
Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/12/2020
Melanie Sykes hosts as the battle of the clay continues. It's Greek Week, and the potters sculpt a nude Greek statue and throw Greek jugs at the wheel.
#7 - Raku Week and Animal Busts
Season 7 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/28/2024
It's Raku week and the potters create animal busts before taking on guest judge Jacqui Atkin's decorative challenge. Who will the judges go wild for and name potter of the week?
#8 - Breakfast Set & Egg Cups
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/8/2020
The judges set the potters two challenges, to throw a breakfast set and egg cups, as the battle of clay kicks off at the wheel. Who will be named potter of the week, and who will be first to leave?
#9 - Abstract Coffee Set and Rice Bowls
Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/26/2023
It's the quarter-final, and the remaining five potters face an altered reality as they throw and radically alter an abstract coffee set. The bucket of doom returns as judges Keith and Rich set a second challenge to throw multiple high-footed rice bowls under pressure, but who will secure an all-important place in the semi-final?
#10 - Bird Baths and a Sculpting Challenge
Season 8 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/16/2025
The remaining potters take on a sculpting challenge and hark to Stoke-on-Trent with bird bath creations. Who'll soar into the quarter-finals, and who's flying the nest for good?
#11 - Staffordshire Flatbacks and a Surprise Challenge
Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/21/2024
The remaining potters make Staffordshire flatbacks and face a close shave in a surprise challenge. But whose mantlepiece classic will take pride of place, and who will be left on the shelf?
#12 - Ginger Jars & a Scraffito Challenge
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/26/2020
In the quarter-final, the five remaining potter face two tough challenges, including producing two ginger jars around a pit fire. Back in the pottery, judges Sue Pryke and Keith Brymer Jones set the potters a Scraffito challenge spot test.
#13 - Bathroom Week
Season 7 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/3/2024
In a bathroom-themed semi-final, the potters take on the infamous toilet challenge. Who'll take the plunge for a place in the final, and who'll be left with that sinking feeling?
#14 - Handmade Tiles & a Chimney
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/19/2020
The six remaining potters are challenged to produce handmade tiles to fit a fireplace surround and hearth, before throwing a chimney in the second challenge for a chance to secure a place in the quarter final.
#15 - Gluggle Jugs and a Surprise Blindfold Challenge
Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/14/2024
The remaining potters attempt their own take on the popular gluggle jug and face a surprise second challenge - blindfolded!
#16 - Music Legend Busts & Mini Musical Instruments
Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/7/2021
It's Music Week in the pottery, as the remaining potters sculpt a life-like bust of a music legend, kick starting with a surprise special message from an iconic artist. The potters then face a fiddly second challenge to make a mini musical instrument, before judges Rich Miller and Keith Brymer Jones decide who will be named potter of the week and who will be heading home.
#17 - Terracotta Cookware & Engraved Tiles
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/14/2021
It's Terracotta Week in the pottery, and the potters are tasked to make their own range of cookware. Judge Rich Miller sets a second terracotta challenge to engrave tiles, before he and fellow judge Keith Brymer Jones decide who will be potter of the week and who will be leaving the competition. Siobhan McSweeney hosts.
#18 - Raku Firing & Nerikomi
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/22/2020
As the competition continues, the 10 remaining potters tackle raku firing, but first the pressure is on to hand-build two animal figurines and face the tricky ceramic technique of Nerikomi.
#19 - The Final
Season 7 - Episode 10 - Aired 3/10/2024
It's the grand finale and the potters create striking chandeliers and faceted bowls. Whose dazzling design will bowl over the judges to be crowned the 2024 winner?
#20 - Episode 2
Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/9/2017
It is week two and the nine remaining potters face three more tough challenges, set by judges Keith Brymer Jones and Kate Malone. In the throw down challenge, king of the wheel Keith demonstrates how to build a double-walled pot, but against the clock, which potter can produce the goods? Their spot test is handles, and the potters get to grips with pulling to create handles for a set of three casserole dishes. And finally, the main make challenge this week is to hand-build a large clock, slab rolling large amounts of clay to shape, then raw glaze and fire them to produce beautiful ceramic timepieces. But whose clock will win pot of the week and take their place in the winner's gallery? And whose time will be up and have to leave the competition?
#21 - Episode 5
Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/2/2017
In week five, the six remaining potters head to Stoke on Trent, all striving to win pot of the week. In the throw down, the potters rush to make as many goblets as they can in 15 minutes. Any that fail to meet the judges' exacting standards will be thrown into the bin of doom. Kate Malone chooses the spot test, as the potters must hand coil a jug to look like a piece of fruit. In the main make, the potters must throw two giant vases. For the first time in the competition, they are using one of the most exhilarating techniques in ceramics - pit firing. This ancient method of firing is one of the most unpredictable techniques in ceramics and requires the potters to head to the Staffordshire countryside to camp out overnight. Who will emerge from the camping adventure triumphant? And who will be heading home?
#22 - Embossed Table Light and Decadent Design Skills
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 2/12/2023
It's an illuminating week, as the potters make an embossed table light, before guest judge, fashion and lifestyle designer Henry Holland, really tests their decadent design skills.
#23 - Matching Lamp Bases & a Ceramic Challenge
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/5/2020
The eight remaining potters are challenged to build a pair of matching lamp bases, hoping to impress judges Sue Pryke and Keither Brymer Jones. Later, guest judge Emma Bridgewater drops in to set an emotional ceramic challenge for the contestants.
#24 - Trio of Birds and Hot Water Bottle Challenge
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/22/2023
It's Retro Week, and Siobhán McSweeney takes the remaining potters back in time as they make a trio of flying birds and tackle an old-fashioned hot water bottle surprise challenge.
#25 - Shop Fronts and Greek Psykter Vases
Season 8 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/2/2025
The potters create shop fronts filled with memories and ancient Greek psykter vases. Who'll get the judges' buy-in, and whose time in the pottery will be a fond memory?